I saw there already is an current auto reverser question topic, and I'm sure many older ones, but I think my situation is enough different I started a new one; plus I didn't want to hijack someone’s topic.
The helix is still part of the main, and a double crossover presents no need for an AR. You do, or will, still need that one AR at the pinch point of your looped staging if it's served by one turnout.
I think we need the track plan.
You have to post your screen shot in one of the free photo hosting sites like Imgur.com or Flickr.com
Then the easiest way to share on the forum is to get the BB Link (bulletin board link from the earliest days of the internet) and control V directly into your post.
or follow these instructions
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thanks Bigdaddy, I think I got Flickr figured out and a plan view of the area posted. Which should help show the situation I tried to explan...
I don't see a reverse loop in that. A train coming in on one side, going through the crossover, up the helix, then reversing on the single track and back through has not changed the direction it is facing.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Okay, lets try this a third time. This time I posted what the staging level, helix, and a section of the single mainline looks like. Can you tell I'm new at this...
On my Flickr account, when I hit the arrow at the lower right, I get this choice for sharing, and I choose BB code
Then we can see it here
A train that enters the helix at the top, right to left, eventually comes back to the single track facing the opposite way. That, as you say, is the first reversing loop. I would gap after that tunout.
If I understand correctly, the arrow new crossover, is the proposed new crossover, you are not adding another crossover between the arrow and the outer loop.
From the outer loop of the helix, into the yard, is another reversing loop. I would put the gaps where the elevation 0 arrows are. Two AR's by my count, but I'm better with pics than with reversing loops.
I might not be reading your elevations properly, but I still see the need for the AR at the pinch point caused by the new crossover. It appears also that the point of intersection at the single tail at the higher elevation presents a phase conflict, and you'll need to reverse that as well.
If you have two trains, both running in either the helix or in staging, and not crossing one of the two reversible points, you can serve both places with the one AR.
Gee, I'm just having way too much fun trying to post my track plan... I thought I followed the steps on, "How to Post a Photo to the Fourum" correctly, guess not.Thank you for the count of AR's needed, at least I got that part right.
Scott
Selector, The single tail goes onto the second elevation of the layout; if I had shown that it really would have gotten confusing. With that said and I'm guessing the odds of two trains crossing the "pinch points" near the same time are low, could one AR work for both locations?Thanks, Scott
Why not just treat the 5-track staging area as a single reverse loop? Place gaps where the arrows point (marked Elevation = 0"). That way, all of the track work, including the turnouts outside the staging area could be wired the same way so that no reversing sections would occur outside of the staging area. Everything outside of the staging area would be in phase, the mainline tracks at the top of the helix, the helix, and the track work at the bottom of the helix.
Rich
Alton Junction
What Rich said. This is how my layout is designed, though it doesn;t go right to the helix, it goes fromt he multri track loop around the room to the helix at the other end of the run, then up the helix, back around the room, to a second multi-track loop stacked above the first one. The loops at the ends are the only reversing sections.
Since there can be many trains in the staging loop, perhaps the best way to do it would be to use a booster that can do autoreversing to power the staging loop. Though some autoreversers can handle fairly high currents. This is one case where the simple relay of the AR-1 would not be suitable, the current of a staging yard full of sound locos would exceed the relay contact ratings.
Interesting, I never thought about going that route, no pun intende, well maybe a little. That does give me something to consider, thanks guys!
mcsquish Interesting, I never thought about going that route, no pun intende, well maybe a little. That does give me something to consider, thanks guys!
You should do it for several reasons. One, it would only require one auto-reverser instead of two. Two, it would simplify your wiring protocol. Three, the single reversing section will be long enough to accommodate an entire train whereas the proposed two shorter reversing sections will raise problems with longer trains that cannot fit in the shorter reversing sections.
Oh be pushy, I want to learn as much as I can. What I’m not understanding is how the crossover and the turnout at the top of the helix won’t create short. Following the rail it turns back on it’s self.
Thank you for the knowledge.
scott
mcsquish Oh be pushy, I want to learn as much as I can. What I’m not understanding is how the crossover and the turnout at the top of the helix won’t create short. Following the rail it turns back on it’s self.
Maybe this will help. The following track diagram shows both rails on each piece of track, colored red and blue. If you follow it from top to bottom, there are no mismatched colored rails which means that there are no points of opposite polarity to cause a short.