I have a Kato double cross-over planned for our evolving layout. The layout is effectively two large circuits (ovals). Up until this question came to mind, I was planning on running trains in the same and opposite directions around the layout with the only obvious caution if the trains were on collision courses (that I plan to avoid!!). But with the coast being clear I planned to route any given train across the double cross-over turnout and run the opposite direction.
Do I need some sort of self-reversing circuit and separate districts to make this work?
Thanks in advance
Are you running DC or DCC? The short answer is probably "no problem," but there will be different things you need to do depending on how you control your trains.
Also, are you intending to automatically control the turnouts on the crossover? That's a different issue.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I will be running DCC.
As far as the crossover turnout control, I can do whatever. I am planning to electrically switch the Kato turnout with a DPDT-type switch and not DCC control, but I can do whatever is best.
Thanks for your help.
If both your tangent tracks are of the same polarity (no return loop involved),no you don't need any reversing device.
Depending on the size of the loops, you might want to use insulated track joiners or simple gaps so that the loops are electrically isolated from each other. If you do that, you would also want to run separate track power buses for each. This isn't necessary, but it would allow you to add separate circuit breakers for each loop for protection and fault isolation. But, those are "nice to haves" and not requirements, by any means.
For simple, short loops though, it's not worth the effort. Just wire the loops the same. As most wiring books suggest, pick a color scheme, like "red wire to the outside rail, black to the inside rail" and stick with that for everything.