Trying to decide whether to have a wye into staging area or not on the new layout plan.
Way back in the dark ages I had a wye (sons' layout???) into a switching yard. Am thinking of having a small staging yard on the new layout that would go out into the workshop area. At the moment I am primarily DC, but have started collecting some DCC locos. Current layout is set up so that I can run one or the other.
If I have a wye or reverse loop set up for DC, do I need to do more than add an auto reverser to the section? If it is too complicated, I could just set it up with a single direction approach to staging. Would just have to do more 0-5-0 switching once a train was in the yard.
Long way from laying track, but a basic plan is at hand. Would like to be thinking ahead so the access hole to the workshop would be in before started construction in the main room.
Thank you,
Richard
Your situation is pretty much what I had with my layout, except for multiple wyes and turntables. Basically, you just wire the reversing unit in place of the reversing switch. Some auto reversers have recommendations for gaps to be spaced a certain way, but it really is pretty much plug and play these days.
I have had good luck with my PSX-AR units.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Using the automatic reverser would do when you go to DCC. I use Digitrax AR-1's on my layout. Works just fine and I am no electronic or DCC expert. 2 wires from the AR-1 go to the "main" part of the layout and another 2 go from the AR-1 to the isolated section of the "Y". Just follow the simple directions that come with the reverser and the reverser takes care of everything else.
Mark B
cowmanIf I have a wye or reverse loop set up for DC, do I need to do more than add an auto reverser to the section? If it is too complicated, I could just set it up with a single direction approach to staging. Would just have to do more 0-5-0 switching once a train was in the yard.
If you are using just DC, an auto-reverser will NOT work - they are for DCC layouts only. You will need a DPDT reversing switch for the yard/wye.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
A wye is easy to wire. you have a mane lion running east and west. You have two switches bending off of it to the tail track or even to a small terminal.
You gap the Y side of both of those switches. If the east switch is set for the yard the yard gets all of its power from the east tracks of the mane lion. If the west switch is set for the yard, the yard gets all of its power from the west tracks of the mane lion. YOU CANNOT SET BOTH SWITCHES TO SERVE THE TAIL!
If neither is set then the tail track is isolated or if a small yard, then it receives its power from the hostler's panel.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
cowman...If I have a wye or reverse loop set up for DC, do I need to do more than add an auto reverser to the section?..
If you have a wye working in dc and you want to convert to DCC, you do not have to do anything more than add an autoreverser, but you really don't even have to do that. You can just continue to use whatever method you were using to swap the polarity of the reversing section.
jrbernier If you are using just DC, an auto-reverser will NOT work - they are for DCC layouts only. You will need a DPDT reversing switch for the yard/wye.
That is what I thought as well.
How would a PSX-AR or an AR-1 work on a DC layout?
Rich
Alton Junction
Rich,
DC polarity switching and DCC Auto Reverse are not the same. I though about this too, and had to prove to myself thatit does not work on DCC. Many of the auto reverser manufactures have a note to that effect...
DCC auto-reversers will not work on a DC layout, but you can still use a DPDT toggle switch with DCC when you convert from DC control.
Thank you all for your replies. Looks like it will be doable. Now to get a plan drawn up that will work in the space available.
Thanks again,
If the one switch at the tail is powered by a tortoise (or any other machine with break-before-make DPDT contacts) you can simply wire the tail to take power from whichever lead the points currently favor. In DC every loco in staging will suddenly reverse (but all save one should be standing on dead rail.)
In DCC, the pause will be longer than that of an auto-reverser, which will cause any moving loco to 'stutter-step' and could cause sound to either pause or shut off completely. Since I'm a pure analog DC person I call on the DCC gurus to elaborate on this.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with staging on loops)
tomikawaTT In DCC, the pause will be longer than that of an auto-reverser, which will cause any moving loco to 'stutter-step' and could cause sound to either pause or shut off completely. Since I'm a pure analog DC person I call on the DCC gurus to elaborate on this.
Although the auxiliary contacts within a Tortoise are rated at 1 Amp, they may not be able to handle the voltage and current draw of the DCC signal if a locomotive with sound is repeatedly within the loop, and may eventually burn out or stick.
I had an engine turning wye switched with Tortoise contacts - Worked great for about a year, until the contact did get 'tacked' - I fixed the issue with an Atlas 'Snap Relay' powered off of the remaining Tortoise contact. This worked fine for the next few years untill I went DCC - In fact it worked on DCC now that I thing about it. The AR1 was on the wye to the branch line. The problem with using the Tortoise contact is a dual one: The have only a 1 amp rating, and they do not move together all the time - getting you into a dead short problem sometimes. Driving an external relay that is designed for the load is the best solution. You can take the Tortoise apart(void the waranty) and adjust the contacts if you like.