Reversing Loops

[Lodens5]

Hi there,

This is the first time for me in the forum,I am whating to know how many of you have reversing loops on your garden railroad, I am an electrician and understand how it works.Do you have much problems with the track shorting out at times? I am just in the planning stage and would like to have a reversing loop at both ends of the railroad.I would value any comments at all reguarding reversing Loops.

Cheers Dennis From New Zealand,it is 10.30 pm Monday

I suppose you are all asleep as I type this up, looking forward to hear from you all.

[John Busby]

Hi Lodens5

LGB do a set of two track sections which makes setting up a reverse loop very easy.

All the electrickery bits down to connecting a couple of wires to the in track boxes

The catch is that it is a mono directional loop your train must go round it the same way all the time.

I have the set of tracks but no instructions to go with it so as yet no reverse loop and still not sure I really want one

Would much rather have a turning triangle but cannot find the diode method of wiring it to keep operations simple and wiring down to something I can just about understand how it works.

regards John

[devils]

If you're using 45mm track you can get the LGB set that has all the switches included and theoretically means you won't notice the polarity change. I don't use reversing loops myself but using an auxillary switch on the point motor to switch the point and polarity at the same time is common. I suppose it depends whether you want the train to keep moving or stop at a station and change the loop polarity instead.

[lkydvl]

Easiest way to do reverse loops is to run battery powered locos.  Once the wheels are isolated there is no problem with reverse loops.

Andre'

[Anonymous]

Dennis mate;

These other people who have replied to you are living in a dream world. I am the absolute king of reversing loops, i have two and they are just the greatest thig. Not only do i have two loops but i have automated them as well.. Not only that but i have written an article on the subject; if you send me an email i will send you a copy of it. They are very simple to do and work so well you hardly realise you have them.

I don't live all that far from you and you can come and have look if you like, just on the other side of the Tasman Sea ib SE Queensland.

Rgds Ian 

[Lodens5]

Hi John,

         Thanks you your info, a great help.

[Anonymous]

absolute king of reversing loops 

Thought the King was dead?

[devils]

I see we live in Dreamland and Ian lives in Graceland!

Didn't two of us mention Ian's beloved LGB set ?

[Anonymous]

[emipapa]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if we live in Graceland or Disneyland and I don't care but I do know one thing. I do know that Ian is correct and I just hate to burst everyone's bubble with this information. If you check out the LGB - EPL Techniques booklet, check out page 16 and you will find a drawing that includes all the required equipment and a write-up on how to have a "Fully Automatic Reversing Loop". Hope this information doesn't cause any hard feelings.

Ron

ps  forgot to mention that you can enter this loop from either direction.

 

[toenailridgesl]

Polarity? What's that? My reversing loop has no insulators, gaps or wires.
Oh Yeah! I'm fully battery-R/C, aren't I? Silly me.

[Anonymous]

That booklet that Ron mentioned is very imformative and if you start reading at page 13 you will learn a lot about the background behind reversing loops.

My idea of a fully automted reversing loops is different to LGB; in that i even operate my points automatically, so that they are correctly aligned when the train leaves the loop, as well as when it enters it. I would be surprised if you could even dream about doing anything like that with radio control and even if you could the cost would be pretty high.

Even the matter of clockwise and anticlockwise reversing loops is not well understood by just about everyone. What Ron says is corret you can go around an LGB reversing loop either way but the direction of reversing is also to do with the direction it leaves the main drag and how it returns to it.

My article on this subject has been published in several magazines and was to be published in Depetsch just before LGB had all its problems.

I have had several email form forum membvers about this subject and i am prepared to debate anyone on the sunbject and i mean anyone.

Rgds Ian

 

[Anonymous]

That booklet that Ron mentioned is very imformative and if you start reading at page 13 you will learn a lot about the background behind reversing loops.

Ok, you can buy me the book and I will not say any thing about ICE in Wonderland and Antville.

William

[Anonymous]

William i wouldn't buy you anything nor would i take you anywhere you sound like a real dill to me!

Ian