My track plan has an outer oval with an inner figure-8. So I am wondering what I need to insulate and how many reversing sections that turns out to be?
I am currently insulated at each corner of the figure-8 and plan to use one reversing circuit breaker from Tony’s. Is that enough and will it allow me to run 2 locos at a time in the loops or just one?
Thanks for all the support in this forum.
[%-)][8D]
Cheers, Jake
I’ll put my neck out there and state that I believe if you wire both cross arms of the X in the middle of your oval with the same polarity, and the crossing itself is isolated, then the auto reverser will work fine, regardless of the number of locos you have inside the oval.
(Shoot! Is that laughter I hear…?) [%-)]
With a crossover between sides of an oval like this, you will always have a problem when there is an engine (or a wired car, like a lighted passenger coach) at each end of the crossover. At this point, the reverser will not know what to do, because one polarity is necessary at one end, and the other polarity at the other end. Even a metal wheel which is exactly on the insulation point could cause this problem. With a “double cross” design, you create an additional point where this would be a problem. (Only 1 additional point, though, because the other end of the second crossover would not be in conflict.)
It would be better to put a separate reverser on each arm of the double crossover, but if you are only running 1 engine in the whole double crossover at a time, then you can probably get away with 1 most of the time.
Sounds like Ii have truly complicated my life but what else is new!! [banghead].
Guess I will try to do just one loco in the X. Thought maybe with DCC would figure that part out but …understand the need for two reversers. Sounds like I should rip up track instead! [sigh]
Thanks for the insights.
You’ve got two loops, one outer and one inner figure 8? are the two loops connected? do you have four turnouts connecting the figure 8 to the inner loop?
If that’s right you have two reverse loops and will need two reversers. I tried using one (cheapskate) and it didn’t like it!!
Ken.
Ken - you have it correct and I guess the concensus is as you have found out and others have predicted.
Were you able to use one loco in the figure-8 with only one reverser?
Mine was two reverse loops but not in a figure of 8, and yes one loco two loops and one reverser works ok.
As long as you watch those metal car wheels at the rear of the train.
Ken.