Thoughts on reversers


With the move up stairs my train layout, I'm can't use a loop so I'm ether need to put double track with widen ends on each end or single track with sidings and a reverser loop on each end. I'm am using dcc. And wondering on the best reverser to price sence I have a small budget for my trains. The price on them may be the deciding factor on if I do the double or single track. And for those thinking duck under is the way to go. It's not a option with my back. And the span will be to wide for a swing out or lift out. Two doors side by side closet and enter closets 4 foot wide.
 
With the move up stairs my train layout, I'm can't use a loop so I'm ether need to put double track with widen ends on each end or single track with sidings and a reverser loop on each end. I'm am using dcc. And wondering on the best reverser to price sence I have a small budget for my trains. The price on them may be the deciding factor on if I do the double or single track. And for those thinking duck under is the way to go. It's not a option with my back. And the span will be to wide for a swing out or lift out. Two doors side by side closet and enter closets 4 foot wide.

I don't recall exactly but this had to be less than ten dollars or I know I would not have gotten two of them.
WIN_20151104_104455.JPGI've been pretty careful in my track designs and have not needed them yet.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how complex I can get without resorting to a reverse loop, though I am seeing a need for one somewhere on here at some point.

Good Luck!
 
I'm ether need to put double track with widen ends on each end or single track with sidings and a reverser loop on each end. I'm am using dcc. And wondering on the best reverser to price sence I have a small budget for my trains.
The price of these units has come down in the past few years. I would think you could get an MRC or Digitrax unit for $30. The solid state ones are still more pricy. I would consider yourself very lucky if you find them much cheaper as new guy did. In fact I would have guessed the circuitron units would have been closer to $40-$50 range, each.

Here is a thing Litchfield did on some of the options- https://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/home.php?cat=55
 
The price of these units has come down in the past few years. I would think you could get an MRC or Digitrax unit for $30. The solid state ones are still more pricy. I would consider yourself very lucky if you find them much cheaper as new guy did. In fact I would have guessed the circuitron units would have been closer to $40-$50 range, each.

Here is a thing Litchfield did on some of the options- https://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/home.php?cat=55

I gotta look but I'm a CHEAP so-and-so, so I'm pretty sure they did not cost no 40-50 dollars!
 
My Bad! they were $34 and change each from the order record I checked, must have thought I was going to NEED them or I would have spent that on rollers!
 
That's why I'm glad I hooked up with somebody who does auctions! He may bid 20 bucks on a lot for something he KNOWS he will make 100 on so the rest of stuff in the lot is 'gravy' or JUNK and just piles up. You've already made your money back and then some but you STILL got all this stuff that is not worth the time to try selling it all individually unless you have a store TOO!
 
...I'm ether need to put double track with widen ends on each end or single track with sidings and a reverser loop on each end...

You may have already thought of this, but just to make sure - if you do a double track main that balloons into loops at the ends (a "dogbone" style layout), if you have any crossovers between the two tracks you'll still need to set up reversing sections.

...I have a small budget for my trains. The price on them may be the deciding factor on if I do the double or single track...

Remember, in most situations you don't have to use an auto-reverser, you can just use a DPDT switch. In fact, I think it is better to not use an auto-reverser when practical - it's better to prevent a short than to detect one and recover from it. With a single track into a single turnout reverse loop, unless you have spring switches you are going to have to throw the turnout anyway, so an auto-reverser really doesn't gain you anything because you can just go ahead and reverse the loop when you throw the turnout. There are even several ways to tie the reversing of the loop to the throwing of the turnout so that it can still be one action.
 
Any links to tieing the two together? I may be interested in that method myself. Being new i am reading and trying to absorb as much info as possible
 
Any links to tieing the two together? I may be interested in that method myself. Being new i am reading and trying to absorb as much info as possible
If one is using the Tortoise brand turnout motors, the extra contacts just happened to be a DPDT switch. One just runs the reversing loop power through those contacts and the polarity lines up with the rails.
 
Any links to tieing the two together? I may be interested in that method myself. Being new i am reading and trying to absorb as much info as possible

If one is using the Tortoise brand turnout motors, the extra contacts just happened to be a DPDT switch. One just runs the reversing loop power through those contacts and the polarity lines up with the rails.

If you are using Tortoise turnout motors, that is the cheapest and most straight forward way of doing it; however, you will have a momentary loss of power when the contacts are switching over. Another method is, if you are controlling the Tortoise with a DPDT switch, replace the DPDT with a 4PDT and use two poles for the tortoise and two for the reverse loop. If you are using twin coil switch machines, you can wire in an Atlas snap relay in parallel with the turnout motor and control the loop with the relay.
 
Probably why it was 34 dollars is these opti sensors that activate it.
WIN_20151106_071336.JPGI am reluctant to mess with these yet, plus I'm finding that with the room I have I can get pretty complex without having a reverse loop.
 
Best available DCC reversers are from DCC Specialties or Tam Valley which also makes the Frog Juicers. Easy to install and great customer support.
Wayne
 
For my reverse-loops, I use a hare or wabbit from DCC Specialties to auto-throw the turnout's tortoise as needed. Combined with an auto-reverse unit, you have completely automated auto-reversing. My top level is a loop-to-loop set up this way, and you can set a train running there and just let it go... the auto-reversers handle polarity, the hare or wabbit handles aligning the turnout.

I believe you could still skip the AR unit and just use the tortoise's built in DPDT for polarity switching, but I already owned a few solid-state AR units from a prior layout, so just used those for near-instant polarity switch.
 



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