The Atlas O 3-Rail 21st Century Track System has solid rails attached to a frame of plastic ties. Track is available with nickel silver or solid steel rails.

The plastic ties naturally insulate rails, including outside rails. Outside rails are not bridged together.

Track sections are assembled using rail joiners in each rail. Special joiners are available for mating to other track systems.

#6093 "Insulated Rail Joiners" are used to construct isolated outside-rail track blocks. The jointers have a thin peice of plastic that fits between rails and prevents them fgrom touching.

Insulated Rail Joiners replace the stock metal joiners between track sections to create an isolated outside-rail and/or center-rail track block. A track block is created by placing Insulated Rail Joiners between track rails at desired block boundaries.

Insulated Rail Joiners can be used with any track type. A sequence of isolated outside-rail and/or center-rail blocks are easily constructed using Insulated Rail Joiners at the ends of blocks and a wire terminal joiners at a rail joint within each isolated rail block.

Wire connections to isolated outside-rails or center-rails are made with #6090 "Terminal Joiners."

The #6010 '10" Straight Terminal Track Section' can also be used for wire connections.

Rail breaks only at track joints can be inconvenient. Any conventional track section can be provided with a "rail-break" by cutting the rail.

Cuts should not be made too close to the end of the track section; leave, say, at least four ties from an end to hold the cut rail in place.

Either outside, center, or both rails can be cut. A rotary tool is used to make the cut.

Remove any burrs and clean off metal particles. Check with a continuity tester or ohm meter to make sure the cut completely severed the rail and that no burrs are bridging the gap.

If the open gap is undesired, it can be filled with hot melt glue or sealer.

An isolated rail is contructed with a cut in two track sections, with a terminal jointer between any two tracks forming the block.

Atlas O 3-Rail isolated outside-rail track blocks can be interfaced to Three-Rail Innovations' controllers by connecting isolated outside-rail and center-rail to the terminals of a controller input pair. The controller will be activated when a train is in the isolated outside-rail block and center-rail power is on. Activating a controller input with center-rail power simplifies implementation and is useful for operating trackside accessories

An outside-rail transformer can also be used so the controller is activated when a train is in the outside-rail track block, whether center-rail power is on or not. An isolated outside-rail transformer should be used for all controller inputs used for multiple train operation "Automatic Train Exchange" (ATX), block control "Train Block Controller" (TBC), or for train control features using the "Two Relay Controller" (2RC).

Now you are ready to use isolated outside-rail track blocks to operate trackside accessories. Click the bar to see how.