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Well I finaly got to wiring my 12 X 50 layout. I wanted to be able to have a continuous run of the double main as I have young kids and sometimes I like to just watch trains run, but I also wanted realistic operating sessions so I added return loops. These loops would also have sidings to serve as staging so that a west bound train that left the layout would return as an East bound. I also incorporated staging of four tracks in each loop. When I started woking out the wiring I decided a refresher was in order so I pulled out Kalmback's "Your Guide to Easy Model RR Wiring." when I got to page 27, fig. 4-2a I was somewhat confused. It shows wiring for a return loop using only one toggle. I became interested immediately as my Control Master 20 recomends leaving the reverse switch to the left to extend relay life and, like all railroads, the smaller the required budget the better (ie: fewer toggles). However, the way the diagram is set up the toggle is controling the loop and virgin leeds from the throttle are controlling the main. This seams to me to be backwards. If a person used the toggle to control the main line feeders and ran the trains into the loop from the same direction then the current could be reversed using only one toggle while the train was in the loop and stopping the train to manipulate current would not be required. I improved this circuit further by using an Atlas #200 snap relay to align the turnouts and reverse current all at the same time with the push of a single button. Now, when a train enters the loop and clears the throat, the turnout and current align to accept the new direction and all blocks on the layout under the control of that trains throttle are set to match.
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