MTH DCS

Anonymous · June 17, 2005, 5:03am

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to have the MTH DCS engines use a Reverse loop.

spankybird · June 17, 2005, 12:27pm

I assume your are refering to 2 rail MTH Gauge1.

it seems to me that I remember reading about MTH having a problem with this. I have e-mailed a friend to see if he knows.

BTW - I run DCS on ‘O’ gauge 3 rail with out any problems.

tom

bobgrosh · June 17, 2005, 12:56pm

I have read elsewhere that it can not be done. Trains must be placed on the track in only one orientation and can not be changed.

Big_Boy_4005 · June 17, 2005, 1:59pm

I would think it would have to be the same as with DCC, which I know can handle reverse loops. I can’t imagine it is impossible. They wouldn’t try pushing the system on 2 railers with a flaw that large.

Why not ask MTH?

spankybird · June 20, 2005, 6:24am

I received a response from a friend that I e-mailed on this. Here is his opinion

QUOTE:
Hi Tom,

Good to hear from you.

Yes, DCS is polarity sensitive (at least at the moment). If you do not have the train oriented correctly with regard to which rail is the DCS signal rail, they will not operate. The same as if you connected the red terminal from your TIU to the outer rails and the black to the center rail-it does not run.

I have extremely limited experience in the DCS two rail area (about 1/2 hours worth). Note that the O gauge 3-2 rail locomotives have a rail polarity switch to help this situation.

Either way, reverse loops with two rail DCS are going to be a problem.

Rumor has it that a new D/C TIU is under development. I do not know if this is true–it came from the MyLargeScaleForum (seems we have gone full circle).

In order to accomplish a reverse loop in two rail, one would probably have to resort to the same sort of relay/polarity switching as with conventional two rail. This is a semi-educated guess on my part.

Let me know if any of this helps.

I did also ask MTH and have not received an answer back yet.

I would appear that they need to do some work on this. [:(] (now is that an understatement or what)[B)]
tom

Big_Boy_4005 · June 20, 2005, 6:06pm

I believe the way that it is done, is the same as with any 2 rail operation. An electrical block is placed in the reverse loop, and while the train is in that block, the polarity of the exit block is flipped.

tmcc_man · June 20, 2005, 6:09pm

i do not run mth, and i do not think that ther is a way to have a ps2 engine run on a reversing unit.

spankybird · June 20, 2005, 7:44pm

On 2 rail O gauge it does. MTH has a built in rail polarity switch on the engines. [8D]

I really don’t understand how they missed this on Gauge 1. [B)]

Anonymous · June 21, 2005, 7:21pm

I have two reversing loops both of them worked perefectly from the very first. I have one clockwise and the other anticlockwise. The answer of course is to go to MTS.

Rgds ian

Bucksco · June 21, 2005, 8:49pm

Ian,
Put your flak jacket on!

P.S. I’m with you I run MTS!

Anonymous · June 22, 2005, 9:03pm

Yeah mate MTS is exxy to get into but after that it is saving money, time , work and effort all the way. I had my troubles with it to start but i can see how flexible and simple my very complex layout is and you couldn’t even think to do it any other way.

The reversing loops are cheap and easy to do. The clockwise etc is to do with how the switch is arranged in your main loop to feed the loop and if you have two one at each end of your lasyout you can regulalry reverse direction of travel around your main loop all the time and regularly. without any shunting and wirh very little effort.

regards ian