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layout from shutting down when short circuits (like de-rails or an operator
running a switch) occur in any given power district or sub-district. If a short
occurs in one district or sub-district, only that area of the layout shuts down,
the rest of the layout keeps operating.
2.3 To set up power districts & sub-districts:
1. Determine how you want to arrange power districts and sub-districts.
2. Double gap the rails at each end of the power district and single gap for
sub-districts within districts.
3. Connect a Digitrax booster and power supply to each district. Use a
Digitrax Power Manager (PM42, etc.) with your booster to set up sub-dis-
tricts.
4. Connect the Digitrax boosters to the command station via LocoNet and the
General Return wire on pin4 (GR).
2.4 Do I have enough power to run my trains?
Use the “quarter trick.” Once your Digitrax command station and booster(s)
are installed and the layout is powered up, use a quarter (or other piece of con-
ductive material) to short both rails at various places on the layout. If you have
enough power at that location, the booster for that power district will chirp and
shut down. If the booster does not shut down, then you need to lower the wir-
ing resistance to allow reliable short-circuit detection.
2.5 Reversing Section Wiring
You can operate reversing sections automatically with Digitrax Complete Train
Control using an auto-reversing booster such as the DB210/220 or a reversing
section controller such as an AR1 or PM42. You must double gap (complete-
ly isolate) both ends of the reversing section just like with any other layout.
Note that automatic reversing will not properly work with analog (non decoder
equipped) locos. When the polarity change occurs, decoder equipped locomo-
tives will continue at the speed and in the direction commanded but any analog
engines running may respond to the polarity change by reversing direction.
To handle auto reversing, you need two devices, one that acts as the system
polarity reference and another to detect a polarity mismatch and correct it.
For example, if you are using two Digitrax boosters, one acts as the polarity
reference and the other handles the polarity reversal for the reversing section.
You can also use a DB210/DB220 and PM42 to handle automatic reversing
sections.
A single Auto Reversing Booster can be used to handle more than one reverse
section however, the unit can only fix a polarity mis-match at one gap at a time.
If more than one train is entering or leaving the reverse loops connected to a
single booster at the same time, a short will occur. More than one train can be
in the reverse loop at any time but, only one can cross a double gap at a time.
