calling Jim Banner - wiring q?

[engineerkyle]

 Hi guys,

The wiring diagrams that come with the Tortoise don't show what I want to do, I think.

I thought I had heard that you can use the middle six anodes on the tort as a switch. I envisioned having one toggle, a DPDT switch, to control the DC current which throws the switch motor, AND wiring track power (AC current) through the remaining anodes on the Tort to reverse the "polarity" of the isolated, reversing section of my track at the same time.

Is this possible, and can someone 'splain how to do it?

Thanks in advance,

EK

[Jim Banner]

EK, yes you can do that.  There should have been a piece of paper with your Tortoise machine that showed which connection goes to which switch contact within the Tortoise.  If you have this, then the link below may be enough to get you going.  If not, let me know and I will draw up a diagram of which connection goes to which rail, then post it.

http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/loop/loop.html

Even though the diagram at the above link shows a loop, it could just as well be a wye.  And if the reversing section has a turnout at each end, you can often still use this concept by wiring both turnout motors together so that they both throw at the same time.

[engineerkyle]

Thanks,



..but I don't see what connections to use for the track power and which to use for the reversing section of track. I don't think I'll mind the "wait" while the loco sits in the reversing section.



Maybe someone could sxplain it further... thanks in advance.



EK

[Jim Banner]

I hope this diagram makes it a little clearer.  The wires are shown connected to the pads on the piece of circuit board that sticks out of the bottom of your Tortoise Machine.  You can solder wires to these pads with a small soldering iron or you can buy a socket that fits on the end of the board and solder the wires to that. 

If the locomotive causes a short when it enters the loop then swap either the two main track wires or the two loop track wires but not both.

The delay is caused by the time it takes for the DPDT switch inside the Tortoise Machine to switch over.  During the delay, there is no power to the loop track.  If this is annoying, contacts in the Tortoise Machine can be used to operate a DPDT relay and the relay contacts can reverse the track polarity virtually instantaneously.

[engineerkyle]

I don't think it will be annoying for the loco to wait a second on the reversing section.

Thanks Jim, this is just what I was looking for!

EK

[grumpy]

Would this completely eliminate the need to use of the Digitrax AR1,
Don

[Jim Banner]

Would this completely eliminate the need to use of the Digitrax AR1,
Don

In the case of a simple loop or a wye, yes. 

A complex loop with a turnout at each end of the reversing track, usually, as long as you tie the switch motors together so that both switches throw together. 

A complex loop with three or more entrances onto the reversing track, usually not. 

Turn tables that require polarity reversal, no. 

[grumpy]

Thanks Jim
Don

[engineerkyle]

Hi guys,

I hooked up that tort to double as a reserving loop DPDT switch, and thanks to Hippie and Jim Banner, I was able to wire it right the first time, and it works great.

EK

[Jim Banner]

I love it when a plan comes together.