BEGINNER; NEED HELP

[RBRADB]

 1 BUILT MY LAYOUT TO THE
"ATLAS HO LAYOUT-27-TRANSBAY INTERWOVEN , DCC TYPE WITHOUT THE TRACK TURNTABLE. IT HAS A DOUBLE FIG.8  REGULAR  SECTION AND 2 REVERSING TRACKS. I AM USING THE BACHMANN EZ COMMAND CONTROL SYSTEM AND BACHMANN LOCOS. I HAVE THE 2 REV.TRACKS CONNECTED TO AN ATLAS 210 TWIN AND THE OTHER TRACK TERMINALS TO 2-ATLAS 205 CONNECTORS. ALL 3 ARE CONNECTED TOGETHER. HOW DO I CONNECT THE EZ COMMAND TO THE TWIN/CONNECTORS?

[jward]

i am guessing the layout is wired according to the instructions in the atlas book? if so, you'll have to cut the flat plug off the red cable, seperate the two wires of the cable, and screw them into the atlas terminals.

[Doneldon]

BRAD-

I haven't looked at that Atlas book for quite a while but I believe it was written before DCC came on the scene in a big way. Accordingly, it has those Twin controllers and so on to avoid problems with the reverse loops. One of the many beauties of DCC is that you don't need such complicated wiring. You do need automatic reversers (actually one should do the job) for the two reverse sections but you don't need the rest of that stuff.
                                                                                                   -- D

[judgethe]

i am guessing the layout is wired according to the instructions in the atlas book? if so, you'll have to cut the flat plug off the red cable, seperate the two wires of the cable, and screw them into the atlas terminals.

when i received my new e-z command controller, it came with extra cables. 1 of them is without any flat plug at the end of it. i used this loose end and attached it to my hornby power track.

so if your e-z command doesn't comes with that loose end cable, just cut off the flat plug  that will do as described by jward  

[Doneldon]

judge-

Yes, use the cable without the connector on one end. You can solder it to the rails or rail joiners. By the way, DCC likes more than one feed except on truly small layouts. That's actually a pretty good idea for any layout because we can use fairly capacious stranded copper wire under the train board and that carries electricity much better (i.e., with less current reducing resistance) than nickel silver, brass or steel track.

                                                                        -- D

[jward]

the fact that the railroad is described as using an atlas twin for the reversing loops instead of an atlas controller leads me to believe that the directions for dcc wiring were followed. an atlas twin is two dpdt switches wired for reversing loop use, in one package. they have no provision for the use of more than one power pack like the controller does.

[r0bert]

layout
https://secure.atlasrr.com/mmMOD1/Images/10027.jpg
Atlas DCC wiring diagram
http://www.atlasrr.com/DCC/Layouts/DCC_Wiring_HO-27.pdf

[Doneldon]

jward-

You are exactly right. I was just thinking that he
doesn't need to screw around with electrical
switches if he has the auto circuitry.
                                                       -- D

[Joe Satnik]

DCC and auto reversers do simplify the wiring,

however,

you still need both rails gapped or electrically isolated on one end of the turn around loop,

the same on the other end of the turn around loop (4 gaps total),

and (to be practical) a train short enough to fit between the gapped or isolated ends.

Plastic wheels on the caboose end can lengthen your train, but now you have plastic wheels grunging up your track.