Can anyone explain to me how power works for a double slip switch track when using DC? I'm not looking for how to wire it to switch, but how power travels through it when passing a train through it. I want to have a double slip switch that would allow the inner main line track to pass through it to a yard or to be able to switch onto the outer main line. Where would the power from the inner main line end and where would the outer main line begin? If I'm passing it through the outer main line (not running it on the mail line) to the yard and the outer main line is operating a train will that power affect the train crossing the main line? I'm using AnyRail 5 software to plan my future layout and the double slip I have in there is Roco 22246. Are there others that operate better than that one? If so, what makes them better? I'm looking for a 15 degree double slip. Any help or information would be appreciated. Thank you!
Most double slip switches have the acute frog (on the ends of the switch) isolated. If you draw a line between these frogs, everything above the line is connected together, and everything below the line is connected together. In DC, the double slip needs to be a block all by itself. Run two wires to it, one to each stock (outside, or top and bottom as described above) rail. You could come up with some way to power it through contacts on the switch machines or throws, but it's easier to just have a selector switch for the double slip. I'm sure someone will come up with an example that isn't wired this way. Tim Rumph
