Hi, I’m using DCC with a power bus wire and I want to include a crossover using 4 turnouts in the middle of a folded dogbone and to avoid a shorting issue my thought was to isolate the area right before and right after the turnouts using plastic connectors on both tracks and wire that to an autoreverse device. But I wanted to get some feasibility advice before proceeding. Thanks in advance for the help
Easiest way to handle a dogbone is to make each of the end loops a reversing section (you need 2 autoreversers). Then you can put in whatever crossovers or sidings yuou want along the shank and not have a problem. The chank are should be wired as if it were two parallel tracks - So that the rail closest to the fascia on each track is the same bus wire, and the rail closest to the backdrop on each track is the other bus wire. Any number of crossovers, single or double, then do not matter.
–Randy
Randy hit it on the head. I have a double track with crossovers and I’m using PSX-AR auto revers from DCC Specialties, and that does it all.
Good luck!
Neal
I already have a single autoreverse module and was hoping to just isolate the section where the crossovers are unless that just isn’t feasible. Thanks
You can read about options at the attached site. See the section on Reversing.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/track_2.htm#c4
Apparently making the crossover area the only reversing section can be done, DEPENDING on certain things such as train length, number of trains that can enter/exit the reverse section boundaries. Read carefully.
I have something similar but included an auto reverser on each end. It just seemed more logical to me in terms of how I thought about the reversing. With my NCE Powerhouse Pro 5A, I was able to use the inexpensive OG-ARs. Just $32 each. But note they do not work with NCE PowerCab or Digitrax Zephyr. Best to discuss with Tony’s to ensure compatibility with your system.
Thanks for the response and links, of course I have a zephyr 
Which is exactly what I am doing on my new layout which is currently under construction.
Rich
Do yourself a favor and buy a second auto-reverser. It will make your layout life much simpler.
Rich
What Randy and Rich said
ANd that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing, since my track plan at this point is really just a giant dogbone that has 2 tracks wunding around through my space, with staging loops at each end.
The crossover itself is almost always going to be too small to be the reversing section, as even two moderately sized diesels will usually span the entire thing. That’s another reason to go with reversing in the end loops.
–Randy
On my new layout which is still under construction, in its simplest terms, it is a double mainline with loops on both ends to form a dogbone.
In the middle of the layout, the double mainline runs parallel to itself, effectively forming a 4-track mainline for about 20 feet. Within this 20 foot 4-track mainline, a series of 4 double slips permit trains to cross over from one mainline to another. All four mainlines and the four double slips are all wired the same way (in phase). That requires the loops to be reversing sections.
To prevent shorts due to ill-timed simultaneous entry and exit to and from the loop, each mainline is controlled by its own auto-reverser, so a total of four autp-reversers.
Rich