Journey of a thousand miles starts with a single chuff (redux)

[rogertra]

It struck me that if I turn the plywood foundation around, I'll be at the roundhouse/turntable and can work on that while it is  "on the layout" and then turn it around when the distant section is finished and readly to go. 
Sometimes I'm slow. 
Gene

Gene.

Some people are fast.

Some people are slow.

And then there's people like me, neither slow nor fast, we're just half fast.

[SteamGene]

I've been working on the yard leads for South River Yard - the visible yard in Leesboro.  It suddenly dawned on me that if I didn't finish the turnout controls for the Gordonsville (east) end of the staging yard, I'd have a major problem when the tablework above it got fastened down and track got connected.  So off came the east end of South River Yard's tablework and I've been finishing the loco storage area (east) and figuring the machines for the turnouts.  For at least two the only logical answer is the Atlas above table remote machine - which is fine, since that area will never be scenicted anyway.  
So tomorrow I'll buy some more Atlas switch machines and some steel wire on my way to my doctor's appointment.  
Glad I figured it would when I did.  
BTW, I bought two old, small Bachmann power packs on eBay to handle switch machines and other such chores.  Nice prices on both of them.  One cost less, but S/H was more, so they came out about the same.  
Gene

[trainmanchris]

so if ppl are talking about track then i have a question. how would flex track work on a mod-u-rail module? or on a table layout with 1" thick foam board? just realy long nails or what?


Chris

[SteamGene]

Not sure what a mod u rail is, but fxlex track works on foam.  Best deal is to put down glue and the weight or tack it down until the glue sets.
Gene

[SteamGene]

The turntable is in.  Who has ideas on how to send power to the roundhouse tracks?
Gene

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Gene,

In earlier postings of this thread your plans were to convert to DCC. 

Here is a superb MR article by Mike Polsgrove on wiring a locomotive DCC decoder into a motorized turntable:

DCC corner: Wiring a DCC turntable
Model Railroader, November 2003 page 115
( COMMAND, CONTROL, DCC, DIGITAL, ELECTRONICS, "POLSGROVE, MIKE", TURNTABLE, MR )

It is completely DCC controller driven, no control panel needed.  A relay that powers all the roundhouse tracks is driven by the headlight output of the locomotive decoder. 

His schematic calls for a reversing module, yet I'm pretty sure that the Atlas turntable switches polarity on the bridge rails as the table rotates every 180 degrees, so it shouldn't be needed.

I'm not sure of the instructions that come with the turntable.  Atlas Book #12, "The Complete Atlas Wiring Book", shows that one side the TT roundhouse and approach tracks are "A" polarity, the other side "B" (or the opposite) polarity.  Be careful to observe each track's polarity when hooking them up to the roundhouse track power relay. 

Be careful to wire up the bridge track's power to match the polarity of the (always powered) approach track(s).  If you have a run-around track, (dual-adjacent approach tracks?) I would make sure that both are "A" polarity, or both "B" polarity, but not a mix.       

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[SteamGene]

Joe, Thanks, but there are two problems. 
The first is I'm not converting to DCC.  It has been DCC from the beginning. 
The second is that I'm using a Walthers built up 130 foot table, not the Atlas.  It comes with an excellent controller/ power source. 
I broke down and bought Atlas joiners/power leads and slid them completely onto the rails.  I'll wire them with an on/off switch to keep any locos in the roundhouse from being automatically powered when I turn the layout on.
The problem right now is convincing the track to lie low enough so that it's at the same height as the turntable itself. 
Any suggestions from anybody on fastening the round house to the layout tablework ( the roundhouses sit on homosote over plywood.
Gene

[grumpy]

You can purchase different thicknesses of cork in sheets from a lumber supply store . glue the round house to the cork then glue the whole structure to the homasote or if you luke you can use double sided tape.
Don

[SteamGene]

Since I already have a problem with the roundhouse being apparently higher than the turntable, the first option is out.  I hadn't thought of the second, which might work as long as the tape isn't too thick.  The problem, obviously, is making sure the roundhouse tracks mesh correctly with the turntable.
Gene

[Joe Satnik]

Gene,

Congrats on all of your progress. 

Polsgrove's article covers DCC power to the roundhouse tracks, but without a control panel.  You want a control panel.

Re-reading your 3-9-07 post I now see that your "slowly -- very slowly - convert to DCC" comment refers to your many locos, not your layout.           

I mis-read "Atlas above table remote machine" in your 8-30-08 reply as "Atlas above table turntable with motor". 

So much for speed reading.     

A mention of your "brand and type" of turntable and other critical info in your 9-17-08 question would have helped us give you the answer you were looking for. 

Your replied "I broke down and bought Atlas joiners/power leads and slid them completely onto the rails".  With all your skills and experience you weren't asking us (9-17-08) how to connect power leads (wires) to a track section's rails, were you? 

All I can add is to use a momentary (called "push-button" by some?) switch between the track power bus and the track.

Is it hard to run a DCC controller with one hand?  If you wanted to get really fancy, you could engineer a "20 seconds on" timer circuit so as not to have to hold down the momentary switch while running the DCC loco in or out of the stall.  Another thought: momentary foot or knee switches to free up 2 hands for the DCC controller.  Still another thought:  Set (push) the DCC handheld controller down on top of the momentary switch for that stall.   

Which questions were not answered in your previous thread "powering track in roundhouse" of 6-25-08?

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,5928.0.html

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

edit: change "track" to "track section's rails"
edit: add "Still another thought: Set....stall."

[SteamGene]

Thanks for the compliment, Joe.      I was having problems soldering leads to the track, which is why I went with the joiner-leads.  IMHO, Walthers should have given better instructions for both laying the track and wiring them.  The track probably should have been one of the first steps.  You are correct in that I should have mentioned Walther's turntable and round house. 
In any event the problem now is getting the roundhouse service tracks down to the same level as the turntable tracks. 
Gene

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Gene,

Found this at the Walthers website: (HO 130' TT instruction manual)

"Your new turntable automatically reverses track polarity when turned."

(COMMENT: No DCC auto reversing unit needed.)

"As a result, the unit has two electrically insulated areas where the track on the bridge is not powered.

These are identified on the underside of the lip by the "NO TRACK" lettering (also shown on the mounting template).

Working approach and fan tracks must be installed away from these areas – we suggest placing them at 90° to the approach tracks.

You can, however, add an unpowered display track at these points if desired."

(end instruction quotes)

Polarizing the bridge and stall tracks would be simple with an Ohm-meter:

Turn the DCC system off. 

Use the main approach track (correctly polarized with the rest of the layout) as your "standard polarity". 

Hook track power (DCC Bus Feeder) wires up to B1 and B2. 

Rotate either end of the bridge to line up with the approach track.  Check that the right rail of the bridge has continuity (low Ohms connection) with the right rail of the approach track.  Left bridge rail, left approch rail also.  If not, swap the wires on B1 and B2 and re-check. 

Rotate either end of the bridge to any one of your stall tracks.  While holding down (activating) the momentary switch for that stall track, check that the right rail of the bridge has continuity with the right rail of the stall track.  Left bridge rail, left stall rail also.  If not, swap Atlas joiner/power leads on that stall track and re-check. 

Repeat for each stall track.

The "No Track" area must not fall between an approach track and an adjacent "run-around" track (if one exists on your layout).

If you have 2 approach tracks from the same mainline, one from the east, the other from the west, the "No Track" area must fall between the two approach tracks.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[SteamGene]

Joe - You have one on me!  I went to the Walther's site, found the turntable, but the only instructions I found on that site were the instructions that came with the turntable.  How'd you find them?  They are much more detailed than the hard copy I have.
Gene

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Gene,

http://www.walthers.com/instructions/0933/09330000002829.pdf

It's a downloadable Adobe file link found at:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2829

Note the snip of the Walthers instructions ends about 1/3 of the way down my last post. 

I wrote the last 2/3.

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[SteamGene]

That's what came with the bridge and what I found on the site.  Thanks. 
Gene