Do you know anybody with a DCC system that can program CV's? If the above suggestion didn't work I'd suggest a Decoder Reset as that is a great starting point for trouble shooting. Unfortunately, the EZ command Basic cannot program  CV's.

that's very interesting. I'd never heard of Zamak before.

Maybe upload a picture of two car's couplers? Do you have a photobucket or imgur account?

Seem's we've got another one!

Yeah, its kinda funny how little tweaks can improve so much.

I'm a little unsure what you are asking me. I never said he should replace the motor. He said he touched the motor leads to the rails, which wouldn't have fed pure DC.

You still need a decoder, DCC is pseudo AC in a way, DC motors wont function correctly and you risk damaging it.

Look, I see what you are saying and while you are TECHNICALLY correct, I still say gap both. I'm not stupid, I've ready many many books, articles, and papers on electrical circuits as a hobby. But Complete isolation is minimal extra work for a much better system. sure, it might work without it, but considering it is so easy, why not double gap when it simply makes two smaller systems.

Keeping things as simple is often best but in this case you can make two completely separate areas which, again, COULD make things simpler down the line, for almost no extra work. It is up to the OP how he wants to proceed and you certainly can have your opinion and suggest it however I ask that you not discount mine for being different when it works perfectly well.

Couple of reasons. One, i Like the look and function of the toggles better, two, I lost two of my switch controllers and have one turnout  where the plug was severed anyway, and three, I bet I could wire both sides of the crossover to the same switch. Chalk it up to personal preference i guess.

I might just have to do this as well

got the spacer pieces today. Thought I'd show what I'm dealing with. I haven't fastened anything down since, as the small cache of various pieces in the middle suggests, I'm tinkering with it still (now that I can see it in real life rather than lines on paper) so I might think of a thing here or there that I want to improve but this is the gist of it.

Lets say a short occurs on either side A or side B from something, be it a locomotive with damage, something left across tracks, a wiring issue down below, ect. By keeping segments completely isolated, you can troubleshoot much easier. Its how I did it when I used block control on my previous set up. I say, if somewhere down the line you might have an easier time by making one more cut today, go for it.

Trust me, I do know about block wiring. IT is safer to isolate both rails especially for two directional travel (since the current polarities will be opposite) and it provides protection from outside influence. Considering it is almost no extra work,  I say do both rails, its easier.

I do not envy you...

Man, You are sorely mistaken. When I was In ridge wood, we could site below 30 for weeks no sweat. Went camping at glen gray in mahwah once, dropped to -5 at nights

You need to electrically Isolate it. One way would be to remove the rail joiners on the divergent end of the turnout and/or one end of the siding then replace them with insulated joiners. Or you can cut through one rail. Be advised that BOTH rails need to be isolated in otder to have to different directions of travel at once. Then, attach a feeder wire to the siding through a switch (electrical) to turn it on or off.