Greetings all
I am wondering about doble slips or scissor switches are they a DCC nightmare? Trying to replicate as much yard track work I can and this particular yard used a couple of double slips.
thanks
Double slips are no different than wiring a conventional turnout as far as DCC is concerned. If you get a Peco Insulfrog double ship switch, the only precaution is to insulate the tracks that diverge from the frog on one end.
DOUBLE SLIPS: in a ‘word’: “TRICKY”
Tricky electrically.
Tricky mechanically
Tricky functionally.
They take the place of a double Xover, or two ‘Y’s’ base to base, and use less space. They are used by RR’s in passenger throats where space is at a premium.
'SISSOR’S XOVER’s are a more reliable solution but take up much more room. The ‘Crossover’ section is problimatical - electrically - but todays commercial products insulate the ‘X’ from shorting.
My ADVICE: Keep it simple unless you are looking for a major challenge.
They do NOT take the place of a double crossover!!! They are a perfectly legitimate and viable piece of track. They aren’t THAT tricky.
Check out this topic, and look at the diagrams and photo.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19576
What exactly would the challenges be? I ask because I’m planning on installing a Peco double slip switch on an upcoming chunk of my layout–my prototype had one, and while I can’t really replicate a lot of features from the prototype, by adding small “touches” like the double slip I can produce a similar sort of feel (not to mention saving six inches of turnout on a six-foot layout module makes a car-length of difference when switching!)
I would not be using the double slip switch as the entrance to a reverse loop.
We have three Peco Insulfrog double-slip switches on the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club’s HO-scale layout, which can be operated on both conventional DC block control and DCC, and they were just as easy to wire as any regular turnout.
Go for it Jetrock. The operation is really fairly simple once you examine and understand them. All they are is two normal turnouts placed on top of one another. The way to look at the situation is which of the 4 paths do you want to use.
Label one end A and B, and the other end 1 and 2. The paths are A1curved one way, B2 curved the other way, B1 straight across one way, and A2 across the other way. That’s the logic of the double slip. Two machines to run it, four combinations, piece of cake!!!
Maybe i have something to learn. They both have two entry points - and two exit points. Either entry - can use either exit.
In the case of parallel mainline tracks (like a dogbone) I would choose the Double Crossover because it uncomplicates the straight away running. Yes, you would still have to deal with reversing section(s).
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I went to your recommended thread, and read all posts. It’s still a multi-purpose, multi-functional, multi-piece of complicated trackwork , and I didn’t say “impossible”. I said “tricky”, and not for the 'uninitiated.
Our club has two for double track entry to 14 tracks. All turnouts require some maintenance over time. Our club also has some resident geniuses. Our two slip switches (two motors) equire more maintenance than all the others - combined.
'My comments stand.
Thanks for the commnets and suggestions
Good Evening All:
I use two tortoise machines and one DPDT switch. Hook it up where both tracks are straight and then the two tracks will be curved at the same time. That will give you all four combinations. Trust me it’s a piece of cake.
Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob
Don, the thing is you don’t get to choose which piece of complex track you need, even though the logic looks the same. The situation will dictate which is required. The double slip is used in the case of two intersecting tracks, the scissors crossover is used with two parallel tracks. Multiples of both are employed in this photo. There are 4 scissors crossovers made with double slips!!![:0][:p]
The wiring of a Peco double slip with insulfrog is one wire on each side. If you have the space, solder the wires to the NEXT piece of track as the double slip is expensive.
The Electrofrog double slip requires that you have contacts on your switch machine to change its polarity. (You can avoid this if you can run over the dead frog.)
If you are using DC and block wiring, you can wire the double slip as an X section. Use the switch machine contacts on one end to connect the double slip to the appropriate block at the other end.
And you can make very interesting double crossovers if you replace the regular turnouts with double slip switches.
Elloit:
Only the prototype would make a mess like that!!
Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY
Bob
There must have been a reason for all that, but when the photo was taken, it had all but disappeared.
By the way Bob, be careful using the “M” word, Fergie holds the rights, and likes to charge for it’s use.[swg]