Keep or change this?
- Thread starter Habbyguy
- Start date
hamltnblue
Active Member
Will the smaller one even work if you have anything but a couple of cars? Also without the smaller one what would be the purpose of the larger one?
hamltnblue
Active Member
I personally favor it. Life will be a lot easier. I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions as well
FunValleyLine
Member
The second is simpler and gets rid of the reverse loop.
Without the reverse loop you lose the option of turning a train around. If that matters to you.
Without the reverse loop you lose the option of turning a train around. If that matters to you.
hamltnblue
Active Member
Run a consist with 2 loco's facing opposite directions and you won't have to turn the train around 
. If you're running steam that's a different story. I run mainly in 1 direction unless switching.
. If you're running steam that's a different story. I run mainly in 1 direction unless switching.
Habbyguy
Member
Run a consist with 2 loco's facing opposite directions and you won't have to turn the train around
No steam here, but great idea with 2 loco's facing opposite direction.
Thanks
FunValleyLine
Member
Yup your right. I run steam and cabooses. Another thing I was thinking was just dont connect it and turn it into a spur or siding.
Al Silverstein
New Member
Actually either layout will be just fine if you redefine what is the reverse loop area.
The concept of what is a reverse loop changes when one enters the wonderful world of DCC in as much as you are running your trains with no real need to manually control the polarity/phasing of the rails. Reverse loop controllers are designed to handle the polarity/phasing for you.
Consider this solution. You can easily divide your layout into two power districts. The creation of the two power districts is simple. First trace with a pencil, pen, or marker the outer loop of the layout. You will note there are only four turnouts on this loop. Isolate both rails of the turnout where the rails diverge into the inner area thus in effect creating two power districts.
1) The first power district is the outer loop of the layout which allows any train to travel in uninterrupted continuous running around the layout. The power for this district is routed from the command center through a circuit breaker to the rails.
2) The second power district is all track other than the outer loop of the layout. Note that depending upon which of the four exits a train uses to enter the main loop will determine the direction the train will move on the main loop. The power for this district is routed from the command center through a circuit breaker through a reverse loop control to the rails.
Sometimes the answer is simple.
Al Silverstein
Model Railroader since 1965
DCC user since 1994
The concept of what is a reverse loop changes when one enters the wonderful world of DCC in as much as you are running your trains with no real need to manually control the polarity/phasing of the rails. Reverse loop controllers are designed to handle the polarity/phasing for you.
Consider this solution. You can easily divide your layout into two power districts. The creation of the two power districts is simple. First trace with a pencil, pen, or marker the outer loop of the layout. You will note there are only four turnouts on this loop. Isolate both rails of the turnout where the rails diverge into the inner area thus in effect creating two power districts.
1) The first power district is the outer loop of the layout which allows any train to travel in uninterrupted continuous running around the layout. The power for this district is routed from the command center through a circuit breaker to the rails.
2) The second power district is all track other than the outer loop of the layout. Note that depending upon which of the four exits a train uses to enter the main loop will determine the direction the train will move on the main loop. The power for this district is routed from the command center through a circuit breaker through a reverse loop control to the rails.
Sometimes the answer is simple.
Al Silverstein
Model Railroader since 1965
DCC user since 1994
Last edited by a moderator:
Habbyguy
Member
Well with more thinking, I elevated the track that is against the top and right wall 3 1/4 ". And also the siding is to high also to connect to the yard . So with that happened, I do not have any room for any reverse loops.
Main line is already done so I am sticking to my plan. I will post some pics tonight.
Main line is already done so I am sticking to my plan. I will post some pics tonight.
Last edited by a moderator:
habberguy
See if this version helps a little w/ your plan. Made that long track below the yard to bottom loop just a yard siding. Also put a backdrop between the top/right side & rest of layout to kind of create hidden staging. The big gap between the main & siding is more of a function of your CAD program than what you can actually put down especially w/ flextrack. Make the back drop just high enough to not see those tracks but low enough to reach over using a step box. just in case of a derailment or whatever.
See if this version helps a little w/ your plan. Made that long track below the yard to bottom loop just a yard siding. Also put a backdrop between the top/right side & rest of layout to kind of create hidden staging. The big gap between the main & siding is more of a function of your CAD program than what you can actually put down especially w/ flextrack. Make the back drop just high enough to not see those tracks but low enough to reach over using a step box. just in case of a derailment or whatever.
