Loop switching

[cnw1995]

There isn't much switching on Chicago's Loop elevated or near the Loop anymore - oh, never mind.[;)]

[FJ and G]

Fred,

Fax [phone]) or email a diagram and I'll post it for you. Just doodle it with a pen.

Oftentimes, a pictures is worth a thousand words. [:D][:D][:D]

(sounds like an interesting puzzle)

[lionelsoni]

How many switches? And what does "back to back" mean? Facing-point ends together?

[phillyreading]

Jake,
Have you looked at the insulating pins to be sure they are in the proper location? Too many switches out there to say just where the insulating pins must be. One other thing to look at is the voltage for the swiches, is it high enuff for both switches to be thrown at the same time?
Lee F.

[Fred Bear]

One transformer for both trains, run from a ZW. Not seperated for each train. I'm not running and DCC or command stuff at all, it's all vintage Lionel stuff. Fiber pins insulate the switches only. The switches are set up back to back, the train runs clockwise only without a change of speed. As it approaches the switches, the connection of the wheels on the outside and inside(power) rail, makes the switch jump automatically, using the non derailing feature of those switches. When two trains are put down however, the switches do not throw as each train approaches, only when one train ( and it's always the same train) approaches. I've changed the locations of the trains making the train that would not throw the switch the last time, now first, and it will make the switch change, but then the 2nd train will not throw the switch. I'm perplexed! Jake

[Anonymous]

Jake

You are probably right---hard to understand--some questions!

I assume from what you say that you have a single crossover [one pair of back to back turnouts] between your two loops? [not a double crossover so you don't have to back from one loop to another after crossing(?) I assume ].
You seem to be saying that you have train activated non-derailing turnouts that only work for a single train?

I assume it is Conventional not Command, but how are you controlling you engines---is it set up as one power district for both loops operated by one transformer or one throttle?
Or, is each loop a separate district insulated from one another by a gap or fiber pin in the center rail at the crossover and powered by two separate throttles ?

I'm not sure I can help, but give some details and perhaps someone with your kind of set-up can help you.[:)]

[Fred Bear]

I have two loops connected with back to back 072 switches. With one train, they switch loops each pass nicely, wired so they switch automatically without a lever, in fact, the lever is not wired up at all. I thought I'd add another train and make two trains run on the same two loops, with the switches working automatically as each train touches them, they throw automatically. When two trains are on the track at the same time, for some reason they will not work as each train approaches and both trains end up on the same loop. ( I just went back and read what I typed, I'm gonna say 99% of those reading this will have NO idea of what I'm trying to say, but I don't know how else to say it). Is this happening with two trains because of some electrical trip that two trains are causing? Thanks to anyone that can decipher this mess! Jake