One special feature on the Texas & Southwestern is a built-in programming track. The programming track is located in a short section of track in the small engine terminal of the T&SW. This track has both rails insulated from the rest of the railroad. It uses a Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) toggle switch to select what purpose this section of track is used for. When the toggle switch is set in one direction, the track has DCC power on it. When the toggle switch is aligned in the other direction, the track is now connected to the programming terminals ...
A model railroad continues to be interesting if there are opportunities for growth and for operation. Extra detail can be added, scenery can be enhanced, but in the end, if the railroad is interesting to operate, it will continue to be a source of enjoyment for its owner for many years. The Texas & Southwestern has many opportunities for interesting train operations. The Texas & Southwestern is both a passenger railroad and a freight railroad. Passenger Point to Point Our trusty RDC (rail diesel car) allows for one train to operate in a point to point fashion. In fact, all ...
From the start, the Texas & Southwestern was built with DCC in mind. The T&SW was built from the ground up by an individual with considerable model railroad experience, but an issue arose that defied explanation. The T&SW was meant to be operated with a DCS50 Zephyr, and the layout support structure was enlarged slightly to fit the Zephyr into one corner of the railroad. As it turned out, the cozy corner space for the Zephyr turned out later to be a bit too cozy. The bottom of the Zephyr has ventilating slots to help cool the unit’s electronics. As ...
As originally conceived, the Texas & Southwestern was set up with a very simple DCC system. The railroad uses a DCS50 Zephyr as its command station and booster. The Zephyr is connected to a central power bus, and all tracks, stationary turnout decoders and the automated reverse loop unit are connected to it. Likewise, the LocoNet connections are a series of simple cable connections starting at the Zephyr and ending at the last Universal Panel. The T&SW works well with this arrangement, but there are additional devices that will enhance the operation of this railroad. Digitrax PM42 Power Management System ...
The Texas & Southwestern has a reversing loop, and DCC insures reliable and simple operation of trains in the reverse loop. This reverse loop is handled with a Digitrax AR1 Auto Reversing Controller. The automated features of the AR-1 make for seamless train movements, but an issue quickly arose. Because a reverse loop in a traditional DC-powered model railroad environment required manual operation, the track insulating gaps for the loop were usually located for the convenience of the operators. So the track gaps of the original track plan were situated to keep this inconvenience to a minimum. Note also all ...
This section discusses the installation of the physical wiring of the Texas & Southwestern. Underneath the completed Texas & Southwestern are various wires and cables which allow you to operate your railroad. Initially, seeing all these wires can be intimidating, but as you will note, they have been grouped and bundled so that identifying the individual wires is easy. There are two groups of wires under the railroad; one group, the power bus, delivers power to the tracks and to the stationary decoders that operate the track switches. The other group of wires is the black cable for LocoNet and ...
Good DCC practice means good planning for the electrical needs of the railroad. Here, we talk about the power needs of the Texas & Southwestern. Anticipating Power Consumption The core of the Texas & Southwestern's DCC control system will be the DCS50 Zephyr, which is very appropriate for a small railroad. Zephyr has 10 "slots", memory locations in the command station each holding an active decoder address. Rated at 2.5 Amps, the Zephyr should also be enough to handle the power needs of the railroad, but if more power is needed, then T&SW can easily be expanded with an additional booster ...
Based upon a layout designed by the late, great John Armstrong which appears in the classic book, 101 Trackplans for Model Railroads [Kalmbach Publishing, 400-12012, still in print], this railroad combines different elements to offer varied model railroad operations. At the center right of the railroad is the Union Passenger Station. From this station, trains can operate out & back, which is to say that a passenger train leaves the station, goes out onto the circular main line and eventually comes back into the station after passing through the reverse loop. Another passenger train can operate point to point, meaning ...
With this section, we will talk about the practical realities of building a model railroad with DCC. We chose Dallas, Texas as our locale, in part because so many great model railroaders came from Dallas, names that may not be familiar to you but people who helped make the hobby into what it is today. Texas is big; any Texan will tell you so. But even when allowing for Texan pride, the ordinary outsider develops an appreciation for Texas size. From the piney woods of Lufkin in the east to the rough mountains of Big Bend, from the high plains ...
In response to a request, here is a semi-official track plan of the Texas & Southwestern: The railroad uses Kato Unitrack: 249mm radius curves 282mm radius curves Seven #4 Right turnouts, configured to be "non current routing" Five #4 Left turnouts, configured to be "non current routing" Two 90° crossings A variety of straight tracks, including the 20-091 Short Track Assortment Three 20-050 Adjustment Tracks Several 24-818 Terminal joiners to supply power to the railroad and to connect the AR1 to the reversing segment Insulated Unijoiners were used to define the reversing segment. Alert readers will note that the tracks ...
Case Study - Texas & Southwestern The Texas & Southwestern is a small N-Scale model railroad that features a Zephyr. Here are a variety of short articles which detail the various facets of the construction and operation of this railroad. Background-Part 2 The idea behind the railroad. The Railroad-Part 3 Planning the railroad Track Plan- Part 4 Powering the Railroad-Part 5 Zephyr makes things easy. Wiring the Railroad-Part 6 Hooking things up for reliable operation. Reverse Loop-Part 7 AR1 makes things easy, but a little change in thinking is sometimes necessary. Programming Track- Part 8 A convenient feature. Zephyr Heat Problem- ...