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11
RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: ISOLATING CROSS-OVER IN A LOOP
« Last post by G8B4Life on April 14, 2026, 06:21:37 AM »
I don't know what brand of track your using but zooming in on that 90 degree crossing it appears each leg of the crossing is well and truly isolated from each other.

There isn't anywhere particularly special that the AR-1's should be attached to, as long as they are powering the correct piece of track. Using your first pic as an example, for the BL-TR (Bottom Left - Top Right) leg I'd attach an AR-1 roughly where the tape measure is. For the TL-BR leg I'd do the same thing, mirror image of the first (this is based on the legs being isolated with the plastic joiners at the green lines). Then the AR-1 are powered (input) by what ever is powering the inside track loop, and the output of the AR-1's power the legs of the cross.

- Tim
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General Discussion / Re: Short Circuit Protection
« Last post by alco_diesel on April 13, 2026, 08:25:22 PM »
Thanks guys. I’ll pursue it with RE.
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Who's Using Stay-Alive/Keep-Alive, PBM-2 Capacitor Modules?
« Last post by LVRR1856 on April 13, 2026, 07:54:42 PM »
I'm like Coal Valley - non so far. See how it goes. Moving on to loco #5 & 6, I did buy a PB-1 for a future if needed ? Switcher maybe ?
All the first installs are 8 axel loco's, run great.
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: ISOLATING CROSS-OVER IN A LOOP
« Last post by carpediem4570 on April 13, 2026, 06:27:23 PM »
Thank you Tim for your advice.

My plan is to put the plastic joiners where the green lines are, in picture one.

Is there any place in particular where the ar’s should be attached to the track?

Do I have To do anything to the cross to isolate the north-south from the east-west or it it already isolated?

Thanks again for the advice.
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Who's Using Stay-Alive/Keep-Alive, PBM-2 Capacitor Modules?
« Last post by CPRail on April 13, 2026, 08:39:18 AM »
I use the TSC Keep-Alives. It's what I started doing my installs with. So far, 90% of my installs barely have enough room for the LM, the Keep-Alive and a Speaker. There's no room for the relatively huge RailPro PBM-2! I do have one Rapido loco factory installed with their Mo'Power unit, but it barely gives me 3 seconds of power, so I'm not sure about it, but the rest of the install is working perfectly, so I'm not worrying about it!
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: ISOLATING CROSS-OVER IN A LOOP
« Last post by G8B4Life on April 13, 2026, 08:23:28 AM »
Yes, you will need two AR-1's, one for each leg of the cross.

You have put the insulated (plastic) joiners in the wrong spot, they really need to be where you have put the green lines in your first pic, just after each turnout (while what you have done would technically work the length of track to auto-reverse in is realistically too short to to work well). As these legs are quite short you need to be sure that you don't bridge the insulated joins at each end of a leg at the same time with something that conducts, like and engine or something with wheel wipers or you will get a short.

- Tim




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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: LM-3S
« Last post by sieggs1 on April 13, 2026, 01:27:10 AM »
Mrpicks,

Very well. I sent them several LM-3S modules and an LM-3S-21 and they were able to diagnose and fix all of them.

You should be in good hands.

Rob S.
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: Who's Using Stay-Alive/Keep-Alive, PBM-2 Capacitor Modules?
« Last post by sieggs1 on April 13, 2026, 01:24:45 AM »
Coal Valley BNSF,

Excellent. What's your secret? Clean track? Good wiring? Long wheel-base locomotives?

I ask because I am getting back into model railroading after 35 years and I am re-learning all the fundamentals. My old locos from the 1980's run better on RailPro than they did when they were brand new. But I needed a keep-alive for my SW1500 switcher and some other locos to keep them from stalling over unpowered frogs and track that, in the summertime seems to oxidize faster than I can clean it.

I recently started building my own keep-alive capacitor units and I was wondering if anyone else does the same. They can be really cheap and work better than the commercial ones.

Rob S.
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Re: ISOLATING CROSS-OVER IN A LOOP
« Last post by carpediem4570 on April 12, 2026, 08:52:31 PM »
All righty then:

Got the track laid on the three ovals and the reverse loop section.  To test the track for problems, I ran my dc locomotive and cars. 

I isolated the four directions of the cross in the reverse loop with plastic fish plate.

Had a dead spot on the cross and once across that, the locomotive reversed direction.  Who knew, lol.

Switching direction on my power pack allowed me to go on my merry way.

Wiring this for railpro, I will install my auto reverse units.  I still have to figure out how to do that.  Do I need one or two auto reverse units?  Will I have to rewire the cross with jumper lines?  Where do I isolate the track?

Well, it’s a learning curve.  A pleasant one.  Glad I’m retired, lol.

The red arrow points to the cross.  The blue lines show where I used plastic fish plates.

Kind regards,

Max
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RailPro Specific Help & Discussion / Wire gauge
« Last post by loco_man4449@hotmail.com on April 12, 2026, 06:53:13 PM »
I will be installing the LM-5S-GP into USA trains diesels. I am looking for a recommended wire gauge for connecting the board to components. Thank you in advance. Any other helpful tips would be appreciated also.
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