Okay folks let's talk reversing loops...

Hi Ya'll,

In the past I have used reverse loops and did the manual switching of polarity myself in order to turn trains around in a reverse loop.

Now the question... has anyone come up with an automatic way to do this other than converting everything to DCC? Any advise would be welcomed.

As always...thanks,
 

CharlesH.

Member
I remember an MRC ad in MR (September 2003) that mentioned something of a reverse loop decoder that did all the reversing automatically.
 

Iron Goat

Member
I have a "DUMB" question.... if you have a DCC layout, with turnout motors powered by DC can you still use the above decoder on a reverse loop where the switches (and "naturally" the decoder), are powered by DCC ???

Thanks...
 

mykroft

New Member
Yes, the automatic reverser works fine with DC powered turnout motors (It isn't wired into the turnut controls, just the track.)

CharlesH.: That's MRC's DCC Automatic Reverser module, AFAIK it only works with DCC.
 

Ray Marinaccio

Active Member
Bob,
You can do this by using a reverse switch activated by the position of your turnout. Rather than reversing the polarity of the loop it would reverse the polarity of the rest of the layout.
You could use sensors to throw the turnout automatically by the train when it's about to leave the loop.
If you have a loop at each end of the layout you would connect the feeder wires to the other loop so the polarity would not reverse and have the turnouts wired to switch together. If you use sensors you would need them on both loops.
There are some drawbacks with this idea.
You can't switch the turnouts when a train is running on the layout unless it's on one of the reverse loops.
Running more than one train could be complicated. As one train exits a loop any train on the rest of the layout (unless it's in the other loop) will reverse.
 

jwmurrayjr

Member
Bob and Ray! :)

Those DCC auto-reversing gizmos work great with a DCC layout, but not with a DC layout.

Also they don't work with a DC loco running on a DCC layout, only with decoder equipped locos. The DC loco will just go back and forth in the loop.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
Getting it automatic depends on how much layout there is. If you have a display layout that consists of 2 reversing loops and a length of single track in between, you can probably do it with a contact in each reverse loop. This could set the turnouts and change a DPDT relay (contacts on a switch machine?) to reverse the mainline. The simplest solution would require to to run the same way around the reverse loop each time.
 

Ray Marinaccio

Active Member
OK, a little confusion here.
The system I described is for a DC system.
I got the impression Bob (vanda32547) isn't using DCC.
The reverse switch would be a DPDT switch connected to the turnout points.
 

Woodie

Active Member
I use Peco turnouts, and motors, and they also have a clip on DPDT switch (which clips UNDER the turnout motor, and uses the turnout motor pin), that operates when you throw the turnout. So throwing the turnout will also do the polarity at the same time.

This the sorta thing you're looking for?
 
YES...you guys are correct am not using DCC only DC...

I will do some reading on the PECO turnouts to see what you are talking about. I have uses atlas turnouts on past layouts and switched polarity manually when reversing the locos on the ISO tracks. I might continue doing it that way but was looking for a better solution. Keep those suggestions coming since I am building a new layout from scratch I have time to make those decissions.

Regards,
 

Pitchwife

Dreamer
This is a double reversing loops diagram that I came up with that is pretty much like Ray was talking about.

reversing_loops.jpg
 
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