I am very bad when it comes to wiring. I have a Kato 20-210 double crossover which completely isolates two sections of my road. They do not connect anywhere else. Do I need to wire this in some way? Right now only one side receives any power. I am using DCC.
You have discovered that the double crossover does not route power. You have to ensure that each leg of the crossover has power on it (or the connecting tracks).
On the topic of the Unitrack Double Crossover Track 20-210 (aka WX310), are the four turnouts No. 4 or No. 6? I've looked on various websites to no avail. Thank you.
They are closer to #6s, and are so, mechanically, but the dimensions aren't quite the same. And, of course, the parallel tracks are spaced as if they are 4s
Thanks Rick -- that's good news. I'm working on some track plans and would like to keep all mainline turnouts No. 6 (except for industry spurs off the main where No. 4s will be used to save space). On another Kato topic, I've seen various posts and videos featuring modifications to Kato's No. 4 turnouts to reduce derailments, but I've also seen something about a hoped-for Kato factory improvement. Do you know if this was worked out? Thank you again for your help and prompt response to my crossover question.
Are you having problems with the train passing through the switch at all, like it is hitting a dead spot, or does it black out after it crosses on to the other track? If you are on DCC and don't need separate blocks, jumper cables from the powered rails to the corresponding unpowered ones should solve it. It shouldn't be necessary that you do this on the switch. Anywhere on the layout should work. Here is a picture if you need it:
Thank you Trainiac. Wiring this component looks easy then. I hope that Kato's switch machines are reliable, as it'd be a mess pulling up affixed track to extract a turnout. I wonder if they're equipped with some sort of overload protection?
Does the Kato controller have accessory pins? I wouldn't power the switch motors from track power. If your one currently powered loop works fine now, I would not expect this to damage the other. If you are worried about overloads or shorts, try wiring a fuse into the jumpers.
I know that the "newer" #4s are a bit more robust in the way the points fit against the stock rails, but I have found that it is still best to file small pockets into them to prevent picking the points As for wiring, the two outer rails are continuous, but the inner four rails (each rail is isolated) require power to them, either through feeder drops (preferred) or via the connecting rail and the unijoiner. For a permanently affixed layout, drop feeders (you need six feeders, in total, for the x-over). The are very reliable, as long as you ensure nothing gets into the mechanism. Make sure you use proper momentary power to switch the positions. There is no circuit protection within the x-over (or any Kato switch) to protect them.
Thanks guys. I'll likely use my capacitive discharge power supply for the turnouts. It's 30+ Years old, but continues to work fine and it also prevents current overload on switch machine coils.