cab control

[greatwestern]

Hi all , setting up n gauge layout in loft and need to install cab control say 5 areas,
Any help would be appreciated

[Brian]

Cab Control... Each isolated section of track (Isolated usually by fitting Insulated Rail Joiners in place of the metal joiners) is feed by a toggle or rotary switch, often having two or more DC controllers feeding into it. So by selecting the appropriate DC controller that section is operated independently of the rest of the layout.
It is quite usual to use Common Return wiring where Cab control is employed. The main criteria is that each DC Controller using the Common Return wire MUST be feed from a totally separate winding of a mains transformer. Dual wound transformers are also ok to use as their windings are electrically separate, so you get two in one transformer. Note: Auxiliary power outputs (16v AC and 12v DC) on cased controllers are not usually connected to the common return wire (Feeds for Point motors and signal feeds etc) as the Aux. outputs share one of the Track transformer windings. Here, a totally separate power source is used for Aux items then they can share the common return wire.