My layout will have 5 hidden staging tracks within the lower and upper return loops. The turnouts will be controlled with Tortoise motors, NCE Switchit decoders, and fascia mounted toggle switches.
For each particular staging track I'm leaning towards controlling BOTH of the associated turnouts with a single toggle switch. As in select track 1 or select track 2, etc and both turnouts throw for track 1 or track 2, etc.
The other option is the control the turnouts individually which provides more flexibility (if multiple trains are being operated within the staging tracks simultaneously).
Which option would y'all recommend?
BTW, I plan to use RR-Cirkit BOD8 modules for occupancy detection/display within the hidden track areas.
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
Any staging yard with no more than a handful of hidden turnouts could benefit from Oliver Tansey's "Dendritic Control System" detailed in the May 2009 Model Railroader. This system uses the internal power-routing contacts of a Tortoise by Circuitron switch motor to trigger the next switch motor down the yard ladder. So all you have to do is select one track with a rotary switch, and all the turnouts down the way align to route that track to the main – no diodes required! I know this system works because I edited the article, built the example system used for the article's photos, and installed it on my home layout. Note that since each switch motor's resistance causes a voltage drop, you can't use this on too large a yard ladder, or you run out of power before you get to the end of the ladder. But it should work fine for a yard the size of the one in your diagram.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
The nice thing about Tortoises (compared to the copycat devices) is the low current draw. That low current draw means you can make diode matrices using cheap little glass diodes. A simple diode matrix and a rotary switch to select a track work work great.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for the replies so far but I don't think they address the question I intended to ask. I know the mechanism(s) I plan to use to control the turnouts for the staging tracks within the return loop.
The question is whether to have a SINGLE switch to simultaneously control the turnouts on both ends of each staging track or to have a toggle switch for each turnout to allow each turnout to be individually controlled?
Onewolf The question is whether to have a SINGLE switch to simultaneously control the turnouts on both ends of each staging track or to have a toggle switch for each turnout to allow each turnout to be individually controlled?
I have staging yard with multiple tracks and I use one switch control for each side. If someone is coming out on the other side of my ladder, they could run into a derailment from one switch throwing both arrival & departure to the specified track.
Does this help?
Neal
Tell us more about the 2 tracks in the upper left. Do they meet, or is there a crossover between them somewhere beyond the picture? At what point do the tracks become "hidden?"
Your layout is large <slowly turns green with envy) and will likely support multiple operators. Is it possible that one operator can be taking a train from staging while another is returning a train to staging? If that's the case, then I would argue for separate controls. If not and the staging section is actually a reverse loop closed at the upper left, then only one train will be there at a time and you may control the turnouts simultaneously with no problem.
Another thing to consider is if you might actually use one of your staging tracks as a loop in a continuous-running scenario when simply showing the layout to visitors or just railfanning by yourself.
If this were my own layout, I would opt for separate controls. For the small convenience of flipping one toggle rather than two, you sacrifice flexibility further down the line that might eventually result in a desire to re-wire.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
unless you intend to run two trains in the yard at once (a rarity) go with 1 toggle for two switches.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
The two tracks leaving the return loop on the left represent the double track mainline (eastbound and westbound) so there is a strong possibility for traffic to simultaneously enter and exit the staging tracks.
The assumption is the 5 inside tracks would be preferred for staging complete trains and the outside track would generally be kept clear for just running through the loop.
Basically it sounds like I should stick to individual turnout controls to afford the flexibility of simultaneous entering/exiting staging.
Do you have the ability to use this whole loop as a reversing loop as well, from either direction via crossovers further down the line?
The original Phase 1 of my layout has a reverse loop, but it's only accessible from one direction and requires backing to use it the other way. When I added Phase 2, fortunately, I recognized the problem and put in a second reverse loop so that I didn't have to do that backing up dance.
If you're going to make this a reverse loop, I'd suggest shutoff toggles for each of the tracks. Autoreversers generally have a lower power capacity than your main lines, so you don't want to have too many active sound engines idling in staging and using up those precious amps.
Yes there are crossovers farther to the left so this will be a reversing section. I plan to use a PSX-AR to control the autoreverse section. There will only ever be one train (1-3 locos) per track and only about 20% of my locos are sound (which is rarely turned on anyway). I find sound locos to be interesting for about 30 seconds and then annoying. :)
There is a third option, and since you are planning on using turnout decoders anyway, this is what I would do: have the Switch-It's control the turnouts individually and add a Mini Panel to control routes for the yard tracks. This would give you the flexibility of individual turnout control and the ability to throw ALL of the necessary turnouts for a yard track with the press of a single button.
To expand upon my previous reply: If you control both turnouts of each track with one switch, you still may have to throw as many as five switches to select a track, but using a Mini Panel and routes you can select any track with just one button. Also, after thinking about it a little more, I wouldn't have individual turnout control, but I would have separate ladder route controls. For each yard track I would have three buttons, one selects the route through one ladder, one selects the route through the other ladder, and the third selects the route through both ladders.
Or similiar, as I recall he uses Digitrax, so the mini panel would be useless. The same can be accomplished with the equivalent, such as the LocoIO, for Loconet.
Using routes to trigger both ends of the staging track with 1 button still leaves the option open to control each end individually - all at the same time. The key is the buttons are NOT physically connected to the switch decoders, but instead send messages to the switch decoders to operate things. Thus there can be one button on the panel that lines up staging track 1, but then there can be OTHER buttons that operate staging track 1's entrance turnout independent of the exit turnout, if desired. Fully flexible.
ROAR!
LION would wire switches separately. You trow a switch to clear entdry to a track, you normal the switch when the move is complete. For a train to depart you select the lever that controlas that thrack, and out it goes. You can put gaps at the ends of the sidings, so that a segment of track is only powered when the switch points to it.
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I have a yard similar to yours but it is 16 tracks wide and 45 feet long.We run 60 to 80 car trains so thats why the long yard tracks. I am also using Digitrax and using the DS 64s for the turnouts, I have an East and West staging tracks so I can throw both tortoise machines at once and not worry about another train entering the yard. I have cross overs on both mains before they enter the yard on both ends. So far we haven"t had any problems. We can run 4 trains on the layout at once with four operators and 2 40 foot passing sidings.
Also noted you are using Switch-Its - you can't use toggles with Switch-Its, unless you use momentary ones, which won't indicate the position any better than a pushbutton.
rrinker Also noted you are using Switch-Its - you can't use toggles with Switch-Its, unless you use momentary ones, which won't indicate the position any better than a pushbutton. --Randy
I'm using Switch8 MkII + button boards and Switch-it MkIIs which support momentary button toggle function. And I will be installing Red/Green status LED in fascia next to the momentary button to show current turnout status (controlled by Tortoise power leads).