Hi There

[lpsfu48]

Perhaps double tracking will be best? : excepting the circles? I have to do some measuring to determine feasibility.

 

[Zerogee]

Hi Larry!
I had started to write a reply to your last-but-one post, but Dave posted his while I was typing and pretty much said everything that I was going to say...

If you have room to double-track the part linking your two loops, so that (in electrical terms) you've simply got a very "squashed" oval so that the train never actually reverses direction along one part of the track, then yes - that will make your wiring and operation very much simpler. As Dave said, if you have "return loops" that rejoin the same piece of track then the electrics get complicated under DC power....

A quick sketch would be very useful if you can post one.

Jon.

 

[lpsfu48]

Yes, I am in the process of doing a scale drawing and am thinking the room is going to be very cramped. I may have to go back to the garage, to do a similar installation. However, if the room I am wondering about is sufficient, then it would be an ideal use of it. My study is 9 foot 4 inches by 11 feet and I have to do a scale drawing to see if there is any way to make that sort of completion using two tracks side by side with circle loops using 4 foot diameter track. It would mean removing a computer desk that I rarely use but would be worth a try on paper to scale at first. I am just short of finding a compass to make the circles on graph paper and when I do, I will post a picture.

 

[Homo Habilis]

Larry:

You might consider using one of the free track planning software packages.

I purchased the Anyrail software for mine but used the free version to see if I would like it.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I thought the Massoth auto reverser would work on DC as well? Not really complicated relative to the rest of the hobby items.

Greg

 

[lpsfu48]

thank you for that, Greg. I may just try that prior to using double track.

 

[lpsfu48]

so, here is a picture of my first step…. my plan is to go through a tunnel into that book shelf, and coming out in a right angle and along a wall and through another book shelf, along another wall , and do a circle like the one you see here. Any comments would be appreciated. I am wondering about double track , but not sure yet. I am trying to find some auto switch tracks but cannot find any yet on line; and that would hold up my production for another 6 weeks. LOL{•~•}

 

[idlemarvel]

Could you explain what you mean by "auto switch tracks" please? Are you looking for some kind of automated point? LGB manual points have a point "lever" that operates like a sprung point. Many small layouts can use these to run without need for point motors or any degree of automation.

 

[lpsfu48]

When you look at the top left side of the picture where the tracks come close to each other, I am considering two options. Option one is to put in a track switcher that when the train comes around the circle, it joins in to the other track and goes through a tunnel on the same track . Option two is to build parallel tracks that go through the tunnel together and go around the room then do another circle like the one you see in the picture.
I am not familiar with the types of switching tracks. Is there a switcher that will automatically switch when the train comes to that point? If you are aware of such , perhaps you could supply a proper name that can be googled and purchased?
Larry

 

[Paul M]

When you look at the top left side of the picture where the tracks come close to each other, I am considering two options. Option one is to put in a track switcher that when the train comes around the circle, it joins in to the other track and goes through a tunnel on the same track . Option two is to build parallel tracks that go through the tunnel together and go around the room then do another circle like the one you see in the picture.
I am not familiar with the types of switching tracks. Is there a switcher that will automatically switch when the train comes to that point? If you are aware of such , perhaps you could supply a proper name that can be googled and purchased?
Larry

What you need are sprung points as mentioned in post 28. These work by the Tram pushing the points over , it also means that the team will go round the circle in the opposite direction each time

 

[Zerogee]

Agree with Paul, as far as the track is concerned you just need a Point ("Switch" in US terms) that stays in whichever position it was last run through - as the train/tram enters the loop it will travel round in whichever direction the point is currently set for - as it comes round and exits the loop again, it will push the point over to the other position, where it will stay - the next time the train comes along the track it run round the loop in the opposite direction, then repeat the process each time.... however as mentioned earlier, if you're running DC track power then you'll need some fancy electrics to avoid a permanent short-circuit - Greg mentioned that the Massoth DCC reversing loop module may work in DC mode too, which would solve the problem (at a price), though I've never used one of them like that as I've always run DCC. There are other ways of handling the problem, using track contacts to trigger polarity-switching, but these are often more complicated to wire up - if the Massoth module will do the job then it is a pretty simple set-up with minimal hassle.

Jon.

 

[lpsfu48]

Agree with Paul, as far as the track is concerned you just need a Point ("Switch" in US terms) that stays in whichever position it was last run through - as the train/tram enters the loop it will travel round in whichever direction the point is currently set for - as it comes round and exits the loop again, it will push the point over to the other position, where it will stay - the next time the train comes along the track it run round the loop in the opposite direction, then repeat the process each time.... however as mentioned earlier, if you're running DC track power then you'll need some fancy electrics to avoid a permanent short-circuit - Greg mentioned that the Massoth DCC reversing loop module may work in DC mode too, which would solve the problem (at a price), though I've never used one of them like that as I've always run DCC. There are other ways of handling the problem, using track contacts to trigger polarity-switching, but these are often more complicated to wire up - if the Massoth module will do the job then it is a pretty simple set-up with minimal hassle.

Jon.

Thanks Jon, so, what kind of power should I be using to avoid this short circuit you say would be permanent?

 

[lpsfu48]

Thanks Jon, so, what kind of power should I be using to avoid this short circuit you say would be permanent?

Sorry, Jon I believe you answered my question already.