I think in a practical sense, you are correct. But we know the pic is not to scale, so N could be a lot longer than it appears.
That wouldn’t make any difference, really. If the length is a concern, it’s not difficult to just extend it to 21, and insulate the diverging legs of 22, 23, and 24, making the reverse section 21-46.
I see there is only one connection between red and blue, at 3-4. I think for operational reasons, there should be another connection angled the opposite way - otherwise a train can get from blue to red but not back to blue unless it backs through 3-4. Wire the main loops of blue and red correctly and neither of those are a reverse section.
–Randy
Agree with Randy on a second crossover in the opposite direction between between red and blue
Thank you all for your comments. To help clarify things, switches 21 through 24 are all connected end to end. Switches 45 and 46 are connected end to end. The distance between switch 24 to switch 46 is 25”. The distance between switch 46 and the turntable is 24”. The total layout measures about 12.5 feet by about 19 feet. FYI, I am modeling the late 1940s through the early 1960s. A period of about 12 years.
The way I envision the trains to travel, on the two main tracks, is to the LEFT on track A (arriving passenger service), to the RIGHT on track G (departing passenger service), to the LEFT on track D (arriving coal trains), and to the RIGHT on track C (departing empty coal trains). Does this change anything?
The crossover from track A to track C is for passenger engines to be able to get to the maintenance yard and roundhouse. I agree there needs to be a way to cross over from track C to track A without having to back from the roundhouse. This is a slipup on my part. [#oops] I’ll have to fix this, but space is limited and I will have to work on it.
Now, if I have a departing coal train on track C (traveling to the RIGHT), and I want the arriving passenger engine to cross over from track A to track C, traveling to the LEFT, doesn’t this create some sort of reversing loop? How would I handle this?
Someone, a few months ago, suggested I put a break in tracks B and C where the letter V is located. They also suggested I break track
Hello Jack, well, you certainly got it going on now!! I’m in total sync with the 24-46 reversing section. Another crossover would definitely help you out! As a tidbit: a double crossover, say at V, set to crossover, would allow a single loco to traverse the entire inner and outer loops unattended. I see that would not be in your operational plan at this time, but just a point of interest, say for a track-cleaning car, for example.
Hi Cid
So, I would break the track just to the right of switch 24 and just to the left on switch 46? I don’t need to make track N a reversing section?
Jack
It doesn’t have to be on A to C it can be EE to XX or TT to WW
If you wire the track where in the diagram, the top most A, B and C rail is red and the bottom rail is black. DCC will tell the engine to go forward, no matter which way it points.
Because turntables spin 360 degrees, they are a reversing situation. I’m not up to speed on how Walthers handles that. My wag is that it is handled in the turntable, but someone will know. Otherwise all the tracks off the turntable are reversing issues.
I don’t see why.
I believe that is all you need! All the rest of the bus is consistent, including track N, only conflicts at that point.
And yes, per Henry, you will have to deal with the roundhouse tracks. But I think the split ring may handle it, not really sure. Google “wiring turntable for DCC”.
If it is the Walthers motorized turntable with the index control box, that handles the turntable reversing for you. There is a place marked on the rin where you are not supposed to put any stall or lead tracks, this is where the gaps are in the split ring.
–Randy
I have the Walthers turntable I am going to use. I guess it is time to unpack it and see what the instructions have to say about wiring.
I have an AR1 that I acquired sometime in the past. I can use that for the one reversing section. I guess I don’t need the PM42 I purchased unless I decide to divide my layout into districts. I’ll deal with that later.
If I have additional questions as I wire my layout, I will return to the group. Thanks to everyone who replied!! I would be in a hard place without your help.
Jack
Well, I started wiring my layout and immediat
There is a connection at turnout 4 (I didn’t see which turnouts you are using) and several of us suggested adding another crossover, so this diagram may need updated.
The other possilbity it that there are feeders that really do go to the blue track
Henry
Thanks for your reply. I currently have insulated connectors between switches 3 and 4. I am not going to add the additional crossover until I correct the current problem I have. I have not added any feeders to the blue track, but I will check to see if I accidently added a feeder to the blue track when I thought I was adding the feeder to my red track. I’ll let you know what happens.
Thanks, Jack
Since it’s electricity, it could be magic, but my money is on the feeders.
Well, Henry, it must be magic. I have several feeder pairs from my buss going to the RED track. I ran an engine and several cars around the track with no problem.
I checked the Blue track several times and found NO feeder wires. I checked to be sure the BLUE track was NOT connected to my Command Station. I checked that NO cars or engines were on the track. There is nothing across the rails of my BLUE track that would obviously cause a short. However, I have continuity across the BLUE track A & B rails and ALL tracks connected to my BLUE track. How can this be???
Finally, I decided to connect one feeder pair to my BLUE track and turn on the power. As you can imagine, I got the 4 beeps on my Command Station that indicates a short. Could there be a track connection somewhere in one of my yards causing the short?
I’m totally at a loss! Do you have any new thoughts?
Jack
Jack! You did remember to gap at 24-46, right? (and no feed to that section) Other than that, try isolating the turntable. And delete all cookies if you can’t log in. 
Is track NN continuous through the coal dumper? If so, the tail track forms a wye with turnout 43, so you need to insulate the point end of 43 to isolate the kickback.
–Randy
Cid and Randy
Thanks for your replies. The short answer is no, I have not insulated anything. This morning, I will insulate the Blue track just to the right of switch 24 and just to the left of switch 46. I will also insulate the point end of switch 43. While I have been working on my layout for quite some time, I am new to wiring a layout. Thanks for your comments. I would have never known to do the insulation. I see now why the insulation is necessary as I am learning a lot.
Jack
PS My father worked for several years in the Car Shop in the N&W Lamberts Point Yard until he was laid off during the depression. An uncle was a holster in the yard. As a child I remember they always called what we now refer to as turnouts, switches. I guess that’s why I usually call the switches.
OK, I have insulated the BLUE track between switches 24 and 46. I insulated the end of switch 43 from the kickback track. I still have a short! I decided to disconnect both BLUE tracks by the letter V, thus isolating the Lamberts Point Yard from the rest of the BLUE track. I also disconnected the end of track N from the turntable. I now have no short on the BLUE track outside the yard, but every rail in the yard (expect between switches 24 and 46 and the kickback track) has continuity with every other rail in the yard. Just to be sure, I again checked to be sure I have NO feeder wires from the buss to anything in the yard. There are none. So, the short is somewhere in the yard. Do y’all see any other place(s) in the yard that need to be isolated? This is frustrating but I’ll stick with it until we solve the problem!! Thanks again for your interest in helping me solve this problem.
Jack
Frustrating, I know. Try disconnecting the track and bus at W. Maybe it will narrow down the problem area to either north yard or south yard.