Dumb auto reverse question

[peahrens]

FlattenedQuarter

Layout Will be DCC if it makes a difference

 

Just for info, note that you can edit your posts as needed.  You will see an edit button on your own posts that others do not see. You can even edit the title.

But sometimes a subsequent reply is a better update.  Just fyi.

[dehusman]

"Auto-reversers" do not reverse the direction of the train.  They do not reverse the direction on the engine's DCC decoder. They reverse the polarity of the track in the reversing section.  

[gregc]

FlattenedQuarter

I'm new to this and a little confused. When your running two trains on ona layout and one enters an auto reversing section of track and triggers the polarity reversing, what happens to the other train?

you probably know that DCC track voltage alternates (AC).  The decoder rectifies it and then controls the polarity of the rectified voltage to the motor to control it's direction

but just because the track voltage alternates doesn't mean the that the polarity of adjacent rails can be different because a short will occur when a metal wheel bridges the gap.

an auto reverser controls the polarity of the rails on one side of the gaps to a reversing section so that when there is an inevitable short at one end of the reversing section or the other, the reverser very quickly reverses the connections between the rails in the reversing section so that there is no short.

frog juicers do a similar think, changing the polarity of an all metal frog if there is a short across the gap to the diverging rail.

[richhotrain]

York1

 

FlattenedQuarter

When your running two trains on ona layout and one enters an auto reversing section of track and triggers the polarity reversing, what happens to the other train? 

Not a dumb question at all.  Even after using DCC for two years, I still have questions.

The other train will not be affected.  The decoder tells the locomotive which direction to go, regardless of the polarity of the track. 

If the other train remains outside of the reversing section, it is unaffected. However, if the other train is entering or exiting the reversing section, it may trigger the auto-reverser depending upon whether or not the polarities are matched or mismatched.

Rich

[York1]

FlattenedQuarter

When your running two trains on ona layout and one enters an auto reversing section of track and triggers the polarity reversing, what happens to the other train?

 

Not a dumb question at all.  Even after using DCC for two years, I still have questions.

The other train will not be affected.  The decoder tells the locomotive which direction to go, regardless of the polarity of the track.

 

[FlattenedQuarter]

Will be DCC if it makes a difference

[FlattenedQuarter]

I'm new to this and a little confused. When your running two trains on ona layout and one enters an auto reversing section of track and triggers the polarity reversing, what happens to the other train?