Need Help with Auto Reverse Loop

Mannix

New Member
I started working on my HO layout on May 17. The last week of June I had it up and running so when my grandson came to visit he had his first experience of running a railroad with some help. He is 5 years old. The layout is in a room 9' x 19'. I do not have any landscaping done at this time as that will be my winter project. The layout uses DCC (Prodigy Express). Needless to say I worked on this layout afternoons and evenings for about 6 weeks. I am retired!!

I now want to add a reversing loop so I can change the direction of my trains. My question is where do I install the insulated rail joiners and where do I wire the auto reverse module? I will be using the MRC Auto Reverse Module.

I am attaching a very crude drawing of the area where I want to add the reversing loop. The track that I want to add is in red. I have written some numbers along the tracks so that you can use those as a guide to tell me where I need to install the insulated rail joiners and where I wire the auto reverse module. Thanks for your help.
 

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60103

Pooh Bah
Does the other side of the track at 4 end or does it continue?
I would start the reverse section just after the switch on the new section at 1, and continue it around the new track past 4 and 3 and finish it wherever you come out at over one train length (be generous).If the other track at 4 is a spur, include it in the section; if it's the main line continuing, put insulated gaps after the switch.
Depending on how the rest of the layout goes and how you operate, you might not want to extend the reverse loop past 2.
 

Mannix

New Member
All of the blue lines (tracks) continue on to form the other parts of the layout. They are not spurs.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
If the line coming sraight down from 3 goes off somewhere, it should not be in the reverse loop. The bit about having the section longer than a train length is so that you don't have the locomotive flipping the section one way and the cars at the end of the train (with metal wheels) flipping it the other.
 
I use the MRC Module. The wiring instructions that come with it are good.

I'd think of the whole loop as the reversing section. Therefore I'd isolated both rails with insulated joiners like this;

View attachment 31399

Now, in my crude version of your diagram, 2,3,4 and 5 are all part of the reversing section of track. 1 is part of the "mainline" . That should work. :thumb: Keep us posted!

I am assuming that end of 2 and the end of 3 are stubs... if not, I guess you insulate there too.








 

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IC, well Mannix,

If you are still working on this.... put in the plastic joiners on both rails in the three places I marked...

...and insultate both rails in two more places; Where 2 ends on your sketch, and where 3 ends on your sketch.
 

Mannix

New Member
I will be working on this project next week, and I will let you know how things work out. Thanks for all of your help.
 

tweet469

New Member
I would install insulated railjoiners after each TO and the power to the midle of the rversing section. Tweet.
 
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