Bob,
Are these tracks on a reverse loop or wye? A diagram would be helpful.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Insufficient data.
Your description does not even indicate if you have a reverse loop.
Please post a diagram.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Gotta agree with the others here. Doesn't sound like a reversing section from your description.
How about a track diagram?
Rich
Alton Junction
I have no idea what an AR1 or AR2 is but I presume the question is really where would one put the gaps for an automatic reversing loop controller. So with that The question is why do you think the gaps have to just be on the yard. Why not gap the entire loop?
When determining things like this it is often useful to just reduce the layout to its simple form. Ignore all but one of the yard tracks ignore the passing sidings etc. In this case I see a farily simple reversing loop with and I would gap accrodingly. From the point where the "loop" detaches from the yard, through the loop, and back through the yard from the other side would be my "reversing" section.
Then another question would be which side of the yard has the the lead track? Generally one would not want to have the switcher locomotive running back and forth across a autoreverser.
HHPATH56,
Are you referring to the diagonal yard on your layout where that turntable is located?
Texas Zepher I have no idea what an AR1 or AR2 is ........................
I have no idea what an AR1 or AR2 is ........................
The Digitrax AR-1 is an auto-reversing unit for DCC layouts.
The Circuitron AR-2 provides a 5 amp reversing capacity and incorporates an adjustable time delay circuit that will stop a train at each reversing point for a set period of time before reversing the direction.
I cannot tell if the OP is editing his initial post insteading of replying in a separate post to our questions. Or, maybe I just missed something in my initial read. It seems like the diagram got posted later, then the location of the yard was clarified. Whatever.
It is still tough to sort out that track diagram because when it is enlarged, it appears fuzzy. Add to that the complexity of the track layout and I am having a hard time offering advice.
As a general comment, you need to isolate the entire reversing section (or loop, call it what you will) by placing gaps in the rails outside of the reversing section. To make it work effectively, the reversing section needs to be completely isolated with all of the feeder wires inside the reversing secion wired to the output side of the AR-1. The input side of the AR-1 needs to be wired to the main bus wires, taking care not to place any main layout feeder wires inside the reversing section.
We could really use a clearer track diagram so we can make out the location of the various turnouts immediately outside of the yard.
Edit Note: I took down the two track diagrams that I previously posted because without a clear diagram from the OP it is difficult, if not impossible, to properly analyze the location of any reversing sections.
Rich, your first diagram is absolutely not going to properly gap anything, as a complete wye and a reverse loop (technically several loops because of multiple tracks involved) are totally inside your "isolated" area.
Also, you definately do not want to have it designed so that two trains can be entering/exitting the reversing section in different places at the same time, so you absolutely do not want to envelop such a large area into the reversing section. Make it big enough to hold a train, but not cover too large an area. Especially don't cover multiple unrelated tracks with a single reverser.
Honestly with the layout above, I would put a single reverser on each body track in that angled yard, as the mainline to the lower right forms several reversing loops, and the connections and other tracks to the left and above actually form a wye between the angled yard, the horizontal yard and the main line.
Several other areas of the layout have other reversing loops and wyes, so you're going to have a significant amout of reversing sections in this layout.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
HHPATH56Where do I place the double gaps and Digitrax AR1s on a seven track lengthy pass-through yard. The seven tracks merge at each end, which means that entry from either end would be entering a reverse loop on each track. Do I have to put an AR1 (automatic reverse module), at each end of each track, or can I make the gaps in the middle of each track, with a single reverse module for each track?
No, no. You put gaps at each end of the yard track to isolate the track as a reversing section so you can use one reversor per track.
Placing gaps in the middle of the track is not going to accomplish anything.
That track diagram is a real spaghetti bowl of a layout.
Someone needs to take the time to properly analyze it and identify the location of any and all reversing sections.
cv_acr Several other areas of the layout have other reversing loops and wyes, so you're going to have a significant amout of reversing sections in this layout.
Yeah, that may be the real problem with trying to get your arms around the track diagram for this large, complex layout.
The diagram posted by the OP is very difficult to figure out because it is somewhat blurry and fuzzy.
Someone needs to take the time to color code the rails, so that any and all reversing sections become visually obvious.