Auto-Reverser Question


RCShadow

RCShadow

Member
I am adding a new addition to my layout (see drawing below) and wanted to ask if I could get away with just one auto-reverser. I also wanted to ask where would be best place to insulate one section from another. I really appreciate the help and any input you may have before I make my purchases for track, turnouts, and auto-reverser.

NCE Power Cab
Upgrading to a SB5 Booster along with the new addition.

My thanks in advance for the help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stoker said:
I can not tell exactly what the track is supposed to be. I see right angle turns? There is potential for 4 reversing legs if those right angles are indeed track but I think there would be a way to handle this with just two. I thought part of that drawing showed your table initially.
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I am sorry for the confusion. All the lines are indeed track. The whole layout is elevated in the air about 8'. There is no tabletop involved. I appreciate the reply.
 
Stoker said:
I see. I am hardly an expert on this. I wired my first reverse loop 35 years ago, and my second last weekend, and both of these involved a single leg rather than a complete wye like you have. I see a couple ways to do this using standard Atlas reverse switch's but I am not familiar at all with DCC and what an auto reverser can actually do. Sorry to muddy the waters, I initially thought the square parts of your drawing were part of the table. :eek: I bet someone with experience in precisely what your situation is will offer some advice a bit more useful than mine.
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I appreciate it Stoker. It's nice to get replies nonetheless. I am also fairly new to this and just cannot seem to wrap my mind around this.

I am fairly certain I can get away with one auto-reverser but I want to make sure before proceeding.

From what I have read, the auto-reverser senses the need to change polarity of the track as the loco crosses into the actual "reversed" section.

Thank you for the input.
 
Ok. I drew out the track with two colored pencils and think I have it! :)

If I isolate the wye's (these may be just simple turnouts as well) completely where the polarities change and use two auto-reversers I should be good to go.

Of course, if anyone can see a flaw in my logic, I'm all ears.
 
You should only need one reverser, connected to the straight section between the two wyes(including the bottom turnout of the top wye and the top turnout of the bottom wye).
 
CSX Robert said:
You should only need one reverser, connected to the straight section between the two wyes(including the bottom turnout of the top wye and the top turnout of the bottom wye).
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Thank you Robert. I just got up and will look at what you say later on today. I appreciate the response.
 
If you are running DCC it is possible to have 2 reverse loops controlled by one auto-reversing unit. I have wired my layout like that. It just means that if a train runs onto one of the reverse loop sections both reverse loops have their polarity flipped.

Its a good way of saving money on low traffic reverse loops but will cause the unit to trip out if you have two trains trying to flip the polarity at the same time.

You just wire from the auto reverse unit to the first reverse loop section then feed the second reverse loop section off the first
 
the two red sections need to be isolated and powered through an auto-reverse unit it just flips the polarity when the wheels bridge the isolating gap if the polarity is the wrong way round. You don't want to run a train that is longer than the isolated section otherwise it will be trying to reverse polarity at both ends and will trip out
 
I guess you could run a train longer than the isolated reverse loop section if you have only got plastic wheels on the carriages.
 
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