I am building around the walls layout and would likle to set up circuitry so I can have continuous running back and forth at times. I would like to wire something up with easily obtainable components. Say from Radio Shack.
Dave, I can’t help you but some of the gurus around here can… but I’m bettin’ they want you to be a little more specific so they’ll know how to help you.
Jarrell
Lets assume I have a straight piece of track, say 4 feet long. I run the train and when it gets near one end the polarity reverses and the train backs up till it gets to the other end where the polarity reverses once again. What circuitry do I hook up to enable this to happen without buying 2 commercial reversing switches plus detectors?
Rob Paisley has such a circuit on his page: http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/AutoRev4.html if you are so inclined to build your own. But you won’t find all those parts at Radio Shack, you’ll have to look into Digikey or Mouser.
–Randy
Circuitron makes a couple of reversing circuits, one with a delay. You’d need one at each end, and at about 50 bucks each that could get expensive. Peerless Industries Inc. also makes an automatic reversing unit, a delayed stop unit and one to stop a train and restart it in the middle of the track. They’re more expensive at around 75 bucks each. They’re in the Walthers catalog or maybe your LHS could order them for you. There were construction articles in the February, 1988, November, 1986 and November, 1985 editions of Symposium on Electronics in Model Railroader on reversing circuits.
Are you using DC or DCC? those circuits the guys mentioned only work for DC.
Reversing DCC like you want to do is a little harder!!
Ken.
No DCC, just straight ole DC. I was thinking of some sort of relay with a momentary switch on each end. I wonder if something could be scrounged out of an old computer power supply.