a method and device which digitally controls moveable and / or stationary electrical consumers in a model railway . the power for the consumers is supplied over the track in the form of a square wave voltage signal which is frequency and / or pulse width modulated according to digital control information for the consumers generated by a central control unit of the model railway . a consumer , after having received a control information addressed to said consumer , applies a return signal to the track , which return signal has a higher frequency than the frequency of the modulated square wave voltage . this return signal is detected by synchronizing the detection to the square wave voltage such that the return signal is detected in periods of the square wave voltage signal which are free of signal edges .