How to wire a bachmam #6 crossover?

[kelly 2011]

I purchased 2 # 6 bachman crossovers I used them on a double track main and one power pack controlls both locomotives, how can the crossovers be wired so they cant send power to both locomotives at the sams time?

[Silveradobo]

Insulate the rails with plastic rail joiners.

[Jim Banner]

Kelly,
What is it you want to do?

(1) Do you want one power pack to control both locomotives?

(2) Or do you want the two main lines to each have their own power pack?  With two power packs, each one connected to its own main line, you would be able to control two locomotives independently if one were on one main line and the other was on the other main line.

In either case, if they were both on the same main line, they would both be controlled by the same power pack.

Assuming the second choice above, then Silveradodo is correct in thinking you need some gaps in the rails but apparently does not know where, or how to put them there.
___________________
_________\____________
            \   \
              x   x
__________\__\_____
___________\_______

If you can accept the above as a drawing of a crossover, then the gaps need to be where the two x's are.  If I remember correctly, the gaps are already there if you are using E-Z track.  If you look, you should be able to see them.  Underneath the crossover are wires connecting across these gaps.  If you cut them, then the two main lines will no longer be connected together.  If my memory is incorrect on this (I don't have any crossovers to check,) I hope someone will be kind enough to correct me.

Jim

[Jim Banner]

I have just been reminded that this topic was discussed before and that it is rather more complicated than I remembered it.  For details, follow this link:

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,8052.msg67087/topicseen.html#msg67087 

Now I remember why I prefer two separate turnouts and a pair of rail joiners.  That and the fact that two separate turnouts allows crossing over from the straight route on one turnout to the curved route on another, avoiding s-curves in both directions.

Jim

[Len]

This has been going on since the day after the #6 Crossovers were released with a "DCC Only" configuration.

When is someone at Bachmann going to admit this was a mistake, and start including detail instructions for modifying them for use in a "block control" DC configured layout in the box? Or at least in an easy to find location on Bachmann's own website.

What they really need to do is redesign the things with the gaps already in place for the DC crowd, and include jumpers to bypass the gaps for the DCC folks. We wouldn't see these "How do I modify the #6 crossover" threads over and over if they had done that from the start.

Len