Dual Lines Sharing a Main

This layout takes advantage of the Station or Merge and Spur Bitswitches and will allow the operation of up to four trains.

If the Station BitSwitch is used the first train to enter either line in the station will be stopped and held until a train enters the station on the adjacent line.  At that time the Station BitSwitch will check the next controlled area (in this case the Spur area) to determine if the track is clear.  If clear the BitSwitch will release the first train that entered the station and hold the second train until the next forward control area is clear.  The second train will then be released.

If the Merge BitSwitch is used the first train entering on either line will be stopped only if the next forward control area (in this case the Spur area) is occupied.  Any train entering on the adjacent line will be stopped until the first train has cleared the next forward control area.

Once a train is released from the "Station or Merge" the Spur BitSwitch is in control.

The Spur BitSwitch checks the next forward control area AS DETERMINED by the set direction of the track points ahead (the track points must be motorized and wired to the Spur BitSwitch).  If the points are set  to a block that is vacant the Spur BitSwitch will not stop the train. If the direction set is occupied the train will be held until the block is vacant.  Activating the motorized switch to a FREE spur will also release the train.

The Block BitSwitches simply check the next forward section of track.

This Layout 2 requires;

1    Section Control

1    Station or Merge BitSwitch

1    Spur BitSwitch

2    Block BitSwitches

7    Track Sensors