Got it all set and working the way I want it. Looks like I was barking up the right tree with my work around, just the wrong branch.  

you can buy the entire full wave bridge in a single small package to save space... it will have the ~ and + and - markings

the cap might help flicker, if it's big enough (mfd capacity)

but remember you need to calculate a current limiting resistor since the LEDs by each run at about 3.6 volts and 20 ma max...

Since you say it works at least in one direction, you may have that done already.

So the full wave bridge in this case is used to provide a continuous output polarity, regardless of track polarity.

Without a sketch or something of how you've wired things up it's hard to say but I'm going to go out on a limb and say from your description your fighting polarity, vis the lights only work when the car is facing one direction but not that other. Not knowing what you've done I'm going to assume what you haven't done. To make the LEDs work regardless of which direction the car is facing along with the LEDs and dropping resistors you'll need a bridge rectifier and a small capacitor would be good too (to help with flickering). It's quite late so I'm not going to look for circuits to show you right now... However even though I said that this is essentially what you need to do:

https://www.coursehero.com/qa/attachment/3974530/

The AC side (the wavy bit on the left side) is the track pickup on your car. The polarity changes changes depending on which way the car is facing. D1 to D4 is the bridge rectifier. Load is your LED's and resistors. C is a capacitor to help smooth things out (will reduce flicker). Depending on how many LED's are in the car you could make the bridge rectifier out of LEDS (they are diodes after all). I could draw that one out later if you wanted but right now it's the day after I stared typing this post and I'm out of here.

- Tim

After posting this yesterday, I did some fiddling and configuring and found a work around. Not exactly a perfect solution, but it achieves the end goal.

I have one button programed for Ditch Finish On and programed as a momentary button. Then a second button programed with the regular Ditch light effect, also as monetary, which finished with the lights off. I also have the Auto Ditch Lights on Horn function enabled. Pressing and holding either button flashes the ditch lights, as will the blasting the horn, but the finish on button will end with the lights on solid and full and the other will turn them off.

Like I said, not perfect, but achieves the goal. Any other suggestions?

We were posting at the same time.    I'll check out your guide and adjust my setup from there. Thanks!!

There's no trick, you need a button to turn the ditchlightts on in the first place (which you will use to turn them off again), a button to flash them manually if you wish, or alternately setup the ditchlights on horn function (not as useful if you don't have a sound version of an LM I suppose) and the correct light effect, which you have..

It's all in the either the HC manual or the LM manual (I forget which), or alternately in my flashing ditchlights guide from 2021 here at RPUG: https://rpug.pdc.ca/index.php/topic,1204.0.html.

- Tim