Reversing

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I'm new to Model Railroading and am Very Ignorant.  I rigged up a reversing setup on my layout (I used three turnouts arranged in a triangle), but when I connected the tracks, they shorted out.  Duh!  Of course they did, but isn't there a way to rig a reversing setup?  (I have a DCC locomotive.)  (Sort of like when you pull your pickup into somebody's driveway and back out so you're looking back the way you came.)  I've seen pictures of this kind of arrangement, but they use two turnouts and a wye.  I thought that was probably so the tracks fit together better.  The way I had it, I was going to have to add in a little one and one-eighth piece of track.  I can get a wye if I need to, but it's the short I don't know what to do about.  Can any of y'all tell me what to do?

It just this minute occurred to me that I might could insulate the track somewhere in that arrangement.  Would that work?  (Somehow, I doubt if it would be that easy.)  (Just in case that wouldn't work, my question still stands.)

[Len]

Electrical blocks are required for wiring a wye or reverse loop without creating a short.

This page has info on doing it for DCC and regular DC layouts: http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/model-railroad-wiring.html

Len

[Joe Satnik]

Nice find, Len.

It covers many of the important chapters found in the Atlas #12 wiring book.

Thanks.

Joe

Edit: changed "parts" to "chapters".

[Len]

Joe,

One of these days I may get around to doing a post with the 30 or so, not counting manufacturers and Yahoo Groups, handy MRR links I keep in my bookmarks list.

Len

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All right then, I'll get on that page.  Thanks.

[jward]

does one of the tracks in your arrangement (which is itself known as a wye) dead end? if so, it is possible to wire an atlas snap relay in parallel with the switch on the stub track, so that this stub changes polarity when you throw the switch. instructions on how to do this come packaged with the snap relay. in the meantime, to eliminate the short so you can run trains normally, you will have to use insulating rail joiners to electrically isolate this switch and the stub ( called a tail track) from the rest of your layout. once you get the snap relay, you can wire the tail according to directions.

the atlas snap relay is probably less than half the price of the autoreverse unit you wopuld otherwise need to switch polarity, and you'd still need to isolate this section from the rest of the layout.

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Okay, I think I understand, except for one thing.  They have a sketch (on that wiring web page that Len mentioned) that shows reversing both the isolated section and the main line.  I understand why I have to reverse the isolated part, according to which fork of the wye needs to match the main line, but why can't the main line stay like it is?  It seems to me that I would just have to make sure I don't run a train into the mismatched fork.  (I hope I'm not being too obtuse).  And yes, I like the "snap relay" idea rather than the automatic "module" because I would be better able to tell what's happening.  Thank y'all for your help and your patience.

[jward]

you are right. you don't need an autoreverser for your mainline. just reversing the tail of the wye will do the trick. a good rule of thumb is that anywhere a train can turn around and run the same section of track in the opposite direction while still moving forward, you need a reversing section. if the wye is the only place you can do this, it is the only section that needs special wiring. this applies whether you run dc or dcc.

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Thanks, jward; that's just exactly the answer I was looking for.  It's a relief to get that settled in my mind.  Now I can move on to a different track.  I'm sure it won't be long before I stumble on to something else I don't understand.

[guslcp]

You are not alone...
I've been at this for close to 50 years and still run up against head-scratching situations...
You gotta just keep plodding along...

Gus.

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Cool!  Looks like I'm among the Right People.

[[email protected]]

Looks like everything I ever learned about electricity just flew out the window.  I just received the wye I ordered. It's supposed to be "electrically gapped", but for the life of me, I can't see a gap anywhere when I check for continuity with my ohmmeter.  I expected to see one leg open while the other leg was closed (and vice versa when I flip the switch).  What I am actually seeing is all rails (respectively) connected as if there were no gap.  I can see the relay contact swing from one contact to another, but shouldn't I see something change with my meter?  Is there a circuit diagram somewhere?  What I'm seeing with my meter indicates that I would have a short circuit relative to the main line just as if I were using an ordinary (ungapped) turnout.  Am I wrong when I expect to see one leg open?

And here's something else:  I can't seem to figure out how to connect this wye to the other track sections.  I can connect to one leg, but the other leg looks like it needs some kind of special something.  The ordinary turnouts connect just fine, but one leg is longer than the other to make room.  The legs on this one don't have any length.  It's labelled as a #5 turnout.  Am I supposed to cut away part of the roadbed of the piece I'm trying to connect, or is there a special piece I can order that will fit?

Any light y'all could shed would be greatly appreciated.  I keep thinking all this would be fun if I can get to where I understand it.  I guess that kind of understanding comes slowly but gradually.  (And that's okay.)

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Here's a question about connecting power to that wye:  The instructions say to connect the transfer switch to the accessory terminals of my controller.  My E-Z Command controller doesn't have accessory terminals.  (And that's another question:  why doesn't it?)  Also, how do I connect this controller to my isolated section of track?  Is there a splitter I can order, such that I could piggyback at the "To Track" jack?  Is that even how you're supposed to do it?  As for all the ordinary accessories, I could use a whole other transformer, but if I'm going to control the train, it looks like I have to connect to the E-Z Command controller.  I've seen in the catalog where I can get sections of track that have power connectors on them.  I wouldn't mind using those, but then I would need wires with those little connectors on both ends.  Can I order something like that?  (I hope I'm not really as dumb as I must sound.)

[Jerrys HO]

Here's a question about connecting power to that wye:  The instructions say to connect the transfer switch to the accessory terminals of my controller.  My E-Z Command controller doesn't have accessory terminals.  (And that's another question:  why doesn't it?)  Also, how do I connect this controller to my isolated section of track?  Is there a splitter I can order, such that I could piggyback at the "To Track" jack?  Is that even how you're supposed to do it?  As for all the ordinary accessories, I could use a whole other transformer, but if I'm going to control the train, it looks like I have to connect to the E-Z Command controller.  I've seen in the catalog where I can get sections of track that have power connectors on them.  I wouldn't mind using those, but then I would need wires with those little connectors on both ends.  Can I order something like that?  (I hope I'm not really as dumb as I must sound.)

It is better to use a spare dc pack or wallwart from a cell phone or old toy. Tapping in to the DCC rails will draw current from your system when you switch. This also causes a lower voltage to operate the switch thus making it operate slower or hesitant.

[Joe Satnik]

RW,

There are no accessories terminals on the E-Z Command unit. 

You will need to find another source of 12 to 16VAC to run your turnouts.

If you have a Local Hobby Shop (LHS) nearby, they probably have boxes of used

starter-set DC power packs (that have accessories terminals) for a very reasonable price.

You need to trim the roadbed of any track pieces that you want to attach to the main and

divergent routes of the #5 (& other numbered?) HO E-Z Track turnouts. 

Since I don't see insulated rail joiners (connectors) in the on-line catalog, I assume that

Bachmann doesn't make them, and I'm allowed to say that Atlas makes them (#0055).

They take the place of the gaps.

If you are running DCC, go get a DCC auto-reverser.  Your turn-arounds will be much easier.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik