Dcc wiring for the Atlas Midland Central


Ericsauto

Well-Known Member
* Sorry it should read " CENTRAL MIDLAND"

I am new to the forum as posting. I have been reading a lot about the Central Midland by Atlas. With all the comments I am starting to build a extended version of this. I have the Book #13 by atlas and I have read about wiring it for DCC but it is very confusing. Has anyone wired this layout for DCC? It looks as you could use reversing modules to the yard rather than all the switches that the book has to install.

I understand that Atlas has used these controller switches to shut the yard down so that your locos are powered down. Is this the way it should be done?
Also if you wired this layout , did you use all the blocks? Also Atlas plan does not look as if they are using reversing modules. Coming in and out of the yard it seems that you need one. I am making this a full dual mainline like the ones I have seen and I want to run trains , do scenery but not get involved in complicated operation.

Just want to save myself some head aches if I can. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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The more you read into DCC, the more intriguing it will seem. Atlas especially as it seems to make everything seem more difficult with their diagrams.

A really helpful site that a member pointed out to me on here was http://www.dccconcepts.com

Check that out, hopefully it will seem less complicated.

Welcome to the board!
 
For DCC, you really only need, at minimum, two wires from the control station, hooked up to any track, and you're done. You don't need control blocks, isolated yards, or any of the things required by DC. If you have a reversing loop, a DCC reverser will handle it automatically. DCC is really not that complicated and the web site DCC referenced will give you some good information. Read that and then come back with anything you need clarified.
 
I found this on the Atlas Forum sight and I think this is the answer I was looking for. Maybe you DCC guys can look at this and see if this is correct.

This is the Layout I am doing:

From The web site;


( Sorry I not sure how to post pictures yet)

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/data/Mark R/200975224754_20097512945_10029.jpg

The auto reverser has two inputs (from the main or power buss) and two outputs that you will connect to the entire yard. If you have sections of track within the yard that you want to turn off electrically, just use the output of the reverser to feed the on/off switches.

Wired in this manner, no matter which of the four tracks you exit the yard on, the reverser will automatically align the "polarity" to match.

HOWEVER .... this will only function with one train leaving/entering the yard at a time. IF you will have circumstances where two (or more) trains will be crossing that boundary at the same time, it will have to be broken into more sections with additional reversers .... and that can get rather confusing, but can be done.

Mark.

Thanks for your replies :)
 
Quick lesson. When you see a picture on the internet that you want to post, right click on the mouse and "copy image location"

Then paste that in between the tags
with no spaces.

url]


^^^^ thats with spaces.

Take the spaces out and you get

200975224754_20097512945_10029.jpg




As UP2CSX said, you don't really need to block or isolate anything with DCC. If you use DCC, your track should have a constant power, that goes with yards as well. I visited a model railroader a few weeks ago to pick some things up, and we were talking about atlas, and he said himself that altas just complicates things more then they really have to. Reason being Atlas sells their own products and when reading their mag, they will throw their products int he diagram to sell more. This is what i learned anyway. whether or not its true, i'm not sure, but i have no clue to why they would tell you to isolate the yard for DCC when you don't have too.
 
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Eric, the information you posted is correct in terms of wiring the auto reverser. Have you already laid the track? If not, this is a really bad layout, with too much track and too much complication for a small space. As Midrange said, Atlas does track plans to sell as much track as possible, not to make the best layouts. If you haven't laid track yet, make a sketch with dimensions of the space you have available and post it here. We can give you a lot of options that don't include unneeded reverse loops.
 
No I have not laid the track. The benchwork I was going to start on this weekend. I have read every layout book and this is the only one I found that works with what I have now.

Here is a quick sketch I posted to my web site. I tried to post it here but it takes up too much room.

http://ericsauto.com/id62.html

I have an existing part of my layout that I tore down last month. The existing part was from atlas and it was the Plywood Summit line. I like my roundhouse area and wanted to keep it along with some scenery I have done. I now made it 2 mainlines ( 24 & 22 inch radius) instead of the tight 18" radius they use. That track is down right now it it planned to go to the Central midland design. I want a minimum of 22" radius . I like to run passenger sets and a little larger Steam. I know I don't have the room to run Big Boys but I can run some decent stuff with 24" and 22" radius. I also like scenery. I want two mainlines because to enjoy running trains without a lot of operation worries. A yard is something I really am lacking.

Here is a link to my layout that I have torn down.

http://gallery.me.com/pohlmans/100109

( Notice the operating drive in movie theater)

This was the first layout I have done since 1978 ( when I was young) I learned a lot and I want to do a lot more and correct mistakes.
Remember, I am building a layout for people to see to enjoy.

The Central Midland would not be built exactly as they have it but most of it would be there.

Any Ideas some one has I would appreciate.

I have read this forum for two years and I wished I would have joined sooner. Thanks for the help .

** On the sketch at the top of the existing layout the two mainlines are about 3 " high going to the new layout and about the same height on the other two mainlines going into the future layout. Hope that makes sense.
 
I remember seeing pictures of your old layout. That operating drive in movie theater was really cool. :)

It's your layout so do what makes you happy but I'd still try to look at each section of track in the Atlas plan and see what real purpose it serves. For example, the green track in the middle of the lower loop. It has three spurs that look like they might hold two cars at the most. The tail track on the left isn't long enough to be able to handle more than a locomotive and one car and that's the only way you can get to two of the spurs. That's a fair amount of money spent on track and switches with no obvious purpose.

It looks like you're a scenery guy from you previous layout pictures. I am also and did my track plan so I could maximize scenery. The Atlas track plan leaves almost no room for scenery or even view blocks, so it's going to look like a big spaghetti bowl of track to a viewer. Again, it's yout layout, but I'd try to find a logical reason for each piece of track and eliminate the ones that just take up space.
 
yes I agree.

The green track in the lower loop is already gone in my plan. That will turn into my small downtown area or the new location of the drive -in.:)

2 or 3 of the spurs will be gone as well as a few of the yard tracks will be rearranged.

I am trying to remove that big spaghetti bowl of a look. I do like this plan for some of the " Hidden" sections it has .

Keep that link to my picture page and I will post as I go. If I don't like it after I build it then look for the pictures of it burning.:D

Again thanks for the comments. That is why I like this hobby , the people in it are the most helpful.
 
Here is a link to what I am thing of doing.

The red dots between the red lines are hidden track.

The blue dots are the change to a dual mainline. Notice I have removed the tracks I do not want.

I know this is a " Crude" drawing but that is all I have. This will gain a lot of scenery for me.

http://ericsauto.com/imagelib/siteb...4754_20097512945_10029.jpg&target=tlx_pichh7o

Next lesson I have to learn here is how to post a Saved picture to the forum:confused:
 
Eric, it was already pointed out to you how to do this by Midrange. Just copy the JPG filename from the properties when you right click on the picture. Paste it here but add the IMG tags at beginning and end. It will come out like this:

200975224754_20097512945_10029.jpg


The changes to the layout look good. You've removed a lot of unneeded track and opened up some space. It's hard to tell from your drawing but it appears you have a grade to the yard. Have you calculated how steep that grade has to be? I can't do it since there no dimensions.
 
Yeah I know he told me that but it seems that I am still having problems with the posting of pictures. I will figure it out.

As for the yard it is level and is 3 5/8" above grade. If you look at the lower loop as soon as you enter the turn it starts to descend . Before it enters the tunnel ( where the red line is) it will be at grade.

The rear of the layout where it enters the yard it will coming off the mainline at about 4 1/8 inches to the 3 5/8 . Not much of grade into the yard. I hope that makes sense. I think the grade should be ok.
 
That looks so much better. Its much easier to think of how it will look now with all that clutter track gone!
 
OK, but how much total run of track do you have to climb to the highest point, which sounds like over 4 inches? In order to keep the grade down to 2%, you will need about 17 feet of track plus another two feet on each end of the grade to transition back down to level. That's about 21 feet total. You need to calculate if you really have that much run to get to that high an elevation without a really steep grade. Atlas is notorious for layout plans with impossibly steep grades.
 
You are right about Atlas with the steep grades. It will be a steep grade coming out of the yard on the lower loop vice -versa coming up. I have a steep grade on my old part of my layout. That is why I widen the table and made the radius bigger to hopefully help with the grades. I know that is the problem I have to deal with. I had 4 % grades on my old layout and I handled that by running two powered engines or making sure that I used traction tires.

I found out by buying better quality ( Higher Dollar) engines/ locos that they will handle the grades much better that the cheap stuff. Yes it cost me a lot more for the hobby but it makes it so much nicer to run them.

My basement area is all I have. My wife threaten to throw me out if I take anymore space. :) I have to get as much out of this with the room I have. If I had the room then I would not have grade like this and I would have 26 minimum radius and life would be good.

My guess is that there is only about 7.5 feet of track before it gets down to grade. I don't know what that is in percentage but I know it is more than I like.

Even though I am using Atlas code 83 track I know that Atlas does things that tick me off sometimes with their plans. The main reason I chose this plan is that John Armstrong designed it and I think he is pretty sharp.

I am sure this will be tweaked a hundred times while I am doing it and I may squ-e-e-e-eze some more room somewhere.

Sure has been fun getting back in this hobby. Owning a business wears you down and this is my relaxation, sure relieves stress.

So if someone has a comment or I stated something wrong , correct me. I need all the advice I can get. Mistakes are part of a learning process and I am sure I am going to learn a lot.

Eric
 
Eric, the formula for calculating grades is Gradient(%) = Rise / Run. Doing this in inches, your rise is about 4 inches. Your run is about 102 inches. Dividing 102 by 4 gives you just about a 4% grade. Since you've already run 4% grade, you know the limitations. If there's any way you can lower the rise to 3", you'd make operations a lot easier and have less wear and tear on your engines.

I also have all the real estate that my wife will lease to me so I know your dilemma. All model railroads are a series of compromises so you do what you have to do. As long as you have your eyes wide open about the effects, it's all good. :)
 
Jim thanks for the calculations , those will help. What I have planned to do is take the tallest box car that I have and bring the rise to just a hair above that. I have a large box car that I use to make sure I am getting max clearances.

I have made that mistake before and I would suggest anyone building a layout to buy a tall box car to make sure you have proper clearances.

So I think I have figure some ways to modify this layout to soften the grades but they will still be there. I know there will be limitations but I guess I will deal with them. I am starting on some of the benchwork hopefully this weekend after my Honey Do's are done. Still have to make some more modifications on my old part of my layout first. Almost done with that and I will post some pix when I get time.
 
The more you read into DCC, the more intriguing it will seem. Atlas especially as it seems to make everything seem more difficult with their diagrams.

A really helpful site that a member pointed out to me on here was http://www.dccconcepts.com

Check that out, hopefully it will seem less complicated.

Welcome to the board!

Glad you enjoyed that site midrange.Richard Johnson who owns the company is a really helpful guy & his company makes some very useful products.I have no connection with Richard or his company,just that he has helped me with my layout wiring etc & nothing seems to be any trouble to him.:)
 
Jim thanks for the calculations , those will help. What I have planned to do is take the tallest box car that I have and bring the rise to just a hair above that. I have a large box car that I use to make sure I am getting max clearances.

I have made that mistake before and I would suggest anyone building a layout to buy a tall box car to make sure you have proper clearances.

So I think I have figure some ways to modify this layout to soften the grades but they will still be there. I know there will be limitations but I guess I will deal with them. I am starting on some of the benchwork hopefully this weekend after my Honey Do's are done. Still have to make some more modifications on my old part of my layout first. Almost done with that and I will post some pix when I get time.

When working out your grades don't forget that you can achieve the same grade in half the distance by lowering one set of tracks as well as raising the other set of tracks.
Eg you have a main line which needs to cross over another main line by 4". Using UP2CSX's formula as he said would take about 102" but by lowering one track by 2" & raising the 2nd track by 2" you can do the same clearance in 61". Using this method you could lower the grade to 2% over 102".
By using an open top baseboard you can achieve this.
 



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