What is the name (make, model and item #) of your set?  What is the name on the controller?  Did the controller come with the set?

The most important parts of the reverse loop are the 4 insulated rail joiners between the loop and the 2 routes of the turnout. 

"The Complete Atlas Wiring Book" (book #12 - available at hobby shops) goes through the wiring of a reverse loop.  It's a good book, though you don't always need the fancy and expensive Atlas electrical switches that are shown.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear NGM,

I'm not 100% sure, but I think clips (long and short) come with every form of track: set, 4 pack and bulk.  Whoever sold you the track should have some to give you. 

In a pinch you can use 2 rubber bands per joint around the outside of the end ties.

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik 

Dear Bill,

Thanks for the kind words.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear kz,

Have you pulled the styrofoam out of the box and looked on its back side? More tracks are stored there.

If you still need new track, let me know.  joebarbATwwtDOTnet

Dear All,

Just as a reference, the 283 and 284 turnouts are the left and right Atlas code 100 custom line #6 turnouts, 9.5 degree frog angle/angle of departure.  Metal frog can be powered.  Black ties, Nickel silver rails. 

EM,

You may have to change your corner shelf pieces if you use the ladder configuration..

Watch the parallel spacing between tracks.  At least 2" centerline to centerline.  (see nmra.org website.)

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik   

Dear Ab,

This is a question specific to the "Large Scale" section. 

Try posting it there with the title "Battery R/C Big Hauler replacement parts".

Also, you could click on "search" and enter "battery R/C".

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear All,

An educated guess if you'll bear with me....

Yes, a DCC reversing module may work with DC but only under these four (4) specific conditions:

1.) The main line is the "block" or "power district" that is "reversed" or "flopped" by the output of the reverse module.  The DC power pack directly feeds the reverse loop track and the input of the reverse module. 

2.) A DC train approaching the reverse loop turnout must take only one direction: the direction that causes the rails to match the loop's (unchanging) polarity, that of the power pack. 

(I will leave it as a mental exercise to figure out what would happen if the wrong turnout direction were taken.)

Taking the correct turnout direction, the train crosses over the first pair of insulating rail joiners (without event) and proceeds around the loop.

When the front wheels cross over the second pair of insulating rail joiners, they short to the mismatched polarity of the main line power district, causing the reverse module to "flop" and switch the mainline to the other polarity.

3.) The speed of the train (voltage of the power pack) must be high enough to allow the reverse module electronics to operate properly.

4.) The short curcuit "impulse" (=extremely small time) current of the power pack (probably related to the speed of the train) must be high enough to be detected as a short by the reverse module, allowing its output to flop to the other polarity.

You may wake up now. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik       

Dear EM,

Consider doing your siding as a ladder instead, as it eliminates the "S" curve formed by the divergent route and the curve to get the siding back to parallel.  As an added bonus your siding will be longer.   

\
l\
l \
l  \
l   l
l   l
l   l
l   l wall side
l  /
l /
l/
/

Sorry it's backwards from your drawing.  The straight route of the turnout leads to the "siding" close to the wall.  The divergent route of the turnout leads to the main route far away from the wall.

Using 18" radius-30 degree (regular) curve sections, the Atlas "snap switch" or Bachmann "EZ-Track" remote switch would replace the last curve in the 90 degree corner.  It's a little more complicated with numbered switches.

What are the turnouts that you are using in your diagram?

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: fixed ascii drawing, added "bonus" sentence      

If you want (perfect) G half straights, 4 are packaged with a G 90 degree crossing.

If you could find a glue or cement that works on the plastic ties, you could build a custom cut length of G track by cutting out of the middle and leaving the ends alone, not disturbing the black blades, rail connectors and slots under the end ties for clipping 2 track sections together. 

I  just "live with" half straights with one end undisturbed, and the other end hacked up.  Two rubber bands around the outside of the end ties keeps the cut end connected to the next track section.  Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik. 

PS..Does anyone know what type of plastic the ties are made of, and what type of glue or cement works on them?     

Dear Gene,

If you solder to the inside of the track rails, you run the risk of having a solder/wire blob that interferes with the wheel flanges, bouncing the car or de-railing it.  I suppose you could file the blob until the wheel flanges cleared.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Dear W.,

Since you know how to check continuity, (Ohm-meter?) just check that all 4 pickup wheels on each side have less than 1 Ohm resistance between them.  (Off track.)

Yes, all 4 front truck wheels (are supposed to) pick up power.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Edit: spelling

Dear Nelson,

You're welcome and thanks for the compliment. 

Your additional explanations complement my tutorial nicely. 

I wanted a larger lamp for more current draw (thus more effect) than the automotive test lamp.

I have a background in electronics, so yes, I am confused at a much higher level..

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Do the DCC turnouts have wired metal frogs?  If they do, the polarity of the powered frog would be your electrical indication of turnout direction.. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

Some simpler tests...

Try working the polarity switch back and forth, which may get some dirt out of the switch contacts.

Try running it in the opposite polarity. 

Lay the engine on its side on a soft surface so as not to damage it.  Make sure that moving driver linkages won't snag something on the soft surface. 

There are 4 axels that have electrical pickup (8 wheels total).  The middle driver axel, which has no wheel flanges (aka "blind driver") does not.

Apply track power, one wire to any left wheel, the other wire to any right wheel, until you find a combination that spins the motor and wheels.   

Leaving one wire on a good pickup wheel, (say, the left one) move the right side wire to a different right wheel.  If the motor doesn't spin, you've found a bad right wheel pickup. 

When you've found and noted all the bad right wheel pickups, change the right wire to the good right pickup wheel, and move the left wire until you have found and noted all the bad left wheel pickups.

Note that you can read motor voltage (previous post) on the center terminals on the rear of the polarity switch.  The front of the boiler just pulls out to gain access.  Careful not to yank on the smoke or polarity wires as the front pops off.   

Hope this helps. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik       

Edit: added the words in italics

Dear W,

Well, with 16+ volts at the track you should be setting land speed records.

Whatever is wrong is most likely in your engine, as you state that the wheels and the tops of the rails are clean. 

Possiblities:

Electrical:  Bad electrical pickups, broken wires (especially from the front truck), unplugged pickup wires from bottom plate, fouled motor brushes/fouled commutator, open motor winding(s) , bad solder joints, bottom plate pickup arms not resting on brass bushings.

Some of the newer Large Scale models had a second switch behind the smokebox door for track polarity.  (First switch smoke on/off, second LS/NMRA)  If you have a polarity switch, (not likely in a Big Hauler) that could be also be a source of electrical trouble.

George Schreyer's excellent web page:

http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips1/big_hauler_tips.html 

Note: Multiple chassis versions are covered - some things are not applicable to all versions. 

Since you have a Volt-meter, the most useful reading would be motor voltage as your engine is running.   To read this, you would need to connect a wire from each of the two motor terminals to the outside of the engine.  Small alligator clip leads would do, or temporarily solder wires to the motor terminals.  Put your meter on a trailing car, such as a flatcar or gondola. 

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik