Tis funny. I started model railroading in 1958 or thereabouts. Joined a club. DC only. Had built a 4' x 6' layout - a loop with a switchback siding. Played a bit. Since I was familiar with PRR, that became my rr or choice. Then, I got drafted and disassembled the layout. Never did get back to building one, the club was sufficient for me.
Here I am, now 80 yrs old. Put priority to my bucket list to build a layout. A few years ago, while I was still working, etc. Bought a Digitrax Zephyr and started a collection of BLI engines. All DCC. Now, here I am: Got the shelf brackets up. Got the 2" thick pink foam, cut to 12" width. Have shelf 24' long by that 12" depth. Used AnyRail to design several layouts from which to choose. But let me say this: Learning model rr is a very long way from 1958. And DCC has a learning curve that is almost ridiculous. The NMRA had standards and RP's. But all the systems don't match. MTH has DCS. And other Proprietary stuff. Makes you kind of wonder. Remember Mantua couplers? Well I started with them and had to change to Kadee's. Why? Because that's what one did for a club, etc. Now, if you start with a simple DCC system like Digitrax, you get sidetracked by all the other choices. And if battery power gets going, what do we do with all our DCC? Ouch. Get ready to re-mortgage your house. All IMHO and thanks for letting me vent. But we can be newbies even if 80 yrs old. 
Morgan Bilbo, new to DCC, modeling PRR 1952.

F YI..our club uses a Shinohara C100 (old version with double crossbars on the point rails) three-way in our passenger yard..unmodified for DCC.  It works just fine with all of our rolling stock.  We feed power at the point end using just point-stock rail contacts (a real no-no..but it works).  And, so far, nothing shorts out at that "trouble spot" adjacent to the point-closure rail connection.  I did jumper wire the point-closure rails because the rail joiner connection that came with the Shinohara 3-way was useless as an electrical connection.  Depending on what vintage you have, there may be another little short prone spot adjacent to one of the frog wing rails.  Just trim back the wing rail and/or put a little dab of JB weld on the tip of the wing rail and you'll be good to go.

I know that many will advocate converting the Shinoharas to be DCC friendly by removing the crossbars on the point rails.  Run it first to see if you have any shorting problems caused by those crossbars.  Chances are you will not..and you can save yourself a bit of tedious work.    It's a particularly difficult conversion on the old, double-crossbar Shinoharas...not so bad on the single crossbar versions. 

Hi!
Has any one used this system for their layouts yet?
It definitely looks intriguing, especially if you already have some Raspberry Pi' 3's laying around.
It is here: http://www.sprog.us.com/pisprog.html
They also offer a 3D Printed case for it.

Jay

Hi Jay, I have not used it so far but have considered it. Model Railroader recently did a review on this and found it to work pretty well using either Android or Apple throttle apps. I am currently using a Lenz DCC system so I might not need the Sprog part but using the Lenz computer interface, which I already have, I should be able to interface to the Raspberry Pi to use cell phone throttles and JMRI for programming etc. 

Hello 
I have built the atlas Ho-16 layout from the atlas book 11 atlas ho layouts for every space. I have purchased a Digitrax Zephyr XTra. Being new to model railroads, and Dcc, I’m looking for advice as how to wire this. Do I need the plastic track joiners. If so where should they be placed. Also do I need any other dcc electronic devices .
Any advice is greatly appreciated

Tim

Tim,
Generally you won't need to isolate most places.
Reverser loops are different animal.
That layout looks like there are no reverser sections.
On a layout that size, you might want to consider a Digitrax PM42 Quad Power Manager.
This would split up the layout, for electrical short protection.

Jay

Please be patient as I’m new to this. Are you saying that I need a digitrax pm42 ? I can purchase one.  Do I then wire from zephyr to pm 42 then to track bus ? Or 4 power lines to 4 different areas of track from pm 42 

Can my n scale  DCC decoder equipped locomotive haul other locomotives that are analogue or only DCC ready on my future n scale DCC layout or do they all have to have decoders and programmed to my nce power cab?Thanks,Don

Hello Glenn,Understood.Other than disconnecting them electrically,to follow the lead loco,would I have to have decoders in all of them and program them individually in my power cab and controll them individually?I apologise,if these questions sound silly and stupid to you,but I honestly don't have a clue.This is all new to me and bottom line....I'm hooked on trains!If you could help me ,you'd be my HERO!👍😁Don....have a good one!

---

This may have been overkill on my part.
All of my engines have decoders in them.
The Double Headed units are consisted in JMRI.
This was under the consist tab in JMRI.
Each consist is given their own address.
Even my 4 unit passenger consist is one address.
This makes life much easier.

Jay

Tim

I don't have access to the Atlas layout design you refereed to so I don't want to comment on the specifics of the layout or if it would require a PM42.
I do know this from experience. You can wire and Run your layout with the Zephyr. Wiring provision for a future PM42 might be advised. If you can Post a copy of your layout to the Group may make things easier.
Placement of the plastic insulation joiners is critical. Now is the time to decide what you want to do with your layout in the future, and install your buss wiring accordingly. Take into consideration if you want to create blocks, and possibly future automated signaling, operating crossing gates etc. Trying to create blocks at a later date can be more difficult.

Good Luck
Chuck
Brick NJ 

Try here, this what I found,
https://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/150-HO16

Jay

Tim, If the layout is indeed that of https://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/150-HO16 as Jay has suggested then...
1. There are no reversing loops so no DCC polarity reverser is needed.
2, You might want to isolate one or more sections for either electronic circuit breaker or track occupancy detectors for signaling, etc. Passing sidings are a good location for this.
3. The easiest way to do #2 is to provide plastic isolating joiners on all 4 rails of the frog end of mainline turnouts/track switches.
4. Doing #3 forces you to provide individual DCC power feeders to all isolated sections of track. Drop these feeders down under the layout to connect to either a common DCC bus following the general flow of track... OR as each track section is fed through individual occupancy sensors or circuit breakers added now or later to suit your plans.
5. Put your DCC command station/booster near the middle of the layout "L" and fan out the DCC track power bus in both directions to flow under the layout, but do not connect it up into a continuous loop. Use #18 or larger wire for the DCC main bus... in twisted pair or 'zip' cord.
6. If you plan on using accessory decoders make provisions for a separate DCC feeder sub-bus to power those units. In that case provide an electronic CB (PSX is the suggested brand) for the main DCC bus feeding the track and wire up the accessory sub-bus directly from the booster output.  

DonV

Hello Tim:

The isolated track can also be wired as a program track. Then once programmed you can switch to DCC and test run the locomotive without picking it up.

Carl.

Tim, If the layout is indeed that of https://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/150-HO16 as Jay has suggested then...
1. There are no reversing loops so no DCC polarity reverser is needed.
2, You might want to isolate one or more sections for either electronic circuit breaker or track occupancy detectors for signaling, etc. Passing sidings are a good location for this.
3. The easiest way to do #2 is to provide plastic isolating joiners on all 4 rails of the frog end of mainline turnouts/track switches.
4. Doing #3 forces you to provide individual DCC power feeders to all isolated sections of track. Drop these feeders down under the layout to connect to either a common DCC bus following the general flow of track... OR as each track section is fed through individual occupancy sensors or circuit breakers added now or later to suit your plans.
5. Put your DCC command station/booster near the middle of the layout "L" and fan out the DCC track power bus in both directions to flow under the layout, but do not connect it up into a continuous loop. Use #18 or larger wire for the DCC main bus... in twisted pair or 'zip' cord.
6. If you plan on using accessory decoders make provisions for a separate DCC feeder sub-bus to power those units. In that case provide an electronic CB (PSX is the suggested brand) for the main DCC bus feeding the track and wire up the accessory sub-bus directly from the booster output.  

DonV