Greetings to all. I am an old(er) guy returning to the hobby after a long absence. I have noticed so many changes that it is impossible to mention them all. A little history. I had a small 4 x 8 ho layout some 30+ years ago, a simple layout for my youngest son and I to build and operate, (him the operator,me the builder), just a standard loop around with a small yard and a couple of spurs for industries, small transformer and about 4-5 atlas pwered snap switches, about 6 diesel locomotives, (4 were dummies), and about 20-25 cars. Now that I am retired I would like to take up the hobby again but like I said before, so many changes mostly in the field of electronics etc which I have no knowledge of. My youngest grandsons have come across some of the engines,track,cars and buildings of yesteryear and would like to see it up and running again. So recently I decieded it would be good motivation to get back into the hobby again. I had a room that I cleaned up and got to work building a layout for the boys and myself, being that it is quite likely that it will be my last one, I went with one that was larger than my old 4 x 8. The benchwork is built (I impressed myself with the finished product), and the track is in somewhat in place, now here is where hopefully you all come in. I have all kinds of problems with electrical (dc). I may have created what I have researched and found out may be a reverse loop,this may or may not be a fact, but more so, I have no idea where it may start/end. I would wonder if I were to draw up my plan and post it if someone would be able to help me out. I (we) would be gratefully appreciative. Sorry for the long winded story, (but like I said I'm retired now so have the time) Thanks again.
Sure, post away. There's a thread on posting pictures and diagrams in the General Discussion forum. Read that and come back with questions.
You're new, so your first few posts will be looked at by moderators to make sure you're not trying to sell vinyl siding. That will pass after a few posts, but your first few posts will be delayed.
Questions about reverse loops usually end up in the Electronics an DCC forum.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Welcome to you!
We'll help all we can, including to urge you not to limit yourself for any reason, least of all due to your advanced age. Yeah, a lot of us are old(er) as well, and we know that it can bring some distinct limitations and challenges, such as bending down and getting under a bench to fix some wiring...or just to install it. But when you say this layout will probably be your last, don't bet on it! Unless we hit the jackpot with this one, you will probably want an improved version before a year or two, so think what you can do maybe to incorporate this build into a new one, or at least to recover a lot of the expensive materials that you don't want to replace. Trust me, if this build gets old quickly, and there's always that danger, it will be because you have learned lots, including what bores you about model trains.
Post some ideas, and we'll help as and when we can.
Reversing tracks can be loops or 'wyes', any place where one rail makes contact with a rail that is fed the opposite phase/polarity somewhere else along the same contiguous length. If you could take a decent photo and post what you have, it should be quite clear where you might have a short taking place, almost always at a turnout (switch).
to the forum.
A large block of text, like your post, is hard for some of us to read. Fortunately your generation learned punctuation and capital letters, while later generations did not, but some paragraphs would help.
Posting pictures in this forum is unlike any other. You have to follow the directions here
One trick about reversing loops is to imagine one side of a box car is white, the other black. As you look at your layout from the side, if you can see the white side and the black side on the same piece of track, there is a reversing section.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Hi Darrell!
Welcome to the forums and back to the hobby!
The easiest way to prove that you have a short in the track plan (if you aren't sure if that is the problem) is to use two different coloured markers to follow your rails around a layout drawing. If there are no reverse loops then the colours should never end up on the same rail, i.e. the red rail will always stay red and the blue rail will always stay blue as you follow the rails around the drawing. If your red rail runs into the blue rail, that shows you that you have a short.
The next step is to decide where to put a reversing section so that you can change the track polarity at the point where the short occurs. Sometimes it is obvious. Other times it is not.
The usual method in DC is to use a DPDT switch which will flip the polarity of the track outside the reversing loop when a train is in the reversing section.
If you can post a drawing of the track plan we can suggest where to put the reversing section(s).
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hi again Darrell,
This explanation may help:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/287395.aspx
Hi Darrell. Welcome on board.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought