Jonathan's Layout #3

[Terry Toenges]

I'm loving it. Such a huge amount of work you are putting into it and it will be such a neat layout.

[jonathan]

Thanks, guys.

Indeed, I was starting to do a lot of measuring and math.  Just figured there had to be an easier way.  I'm sure I didn't invent the thread trick, but it came to me while I was staring at the length of the expanse, wondering how I was going to manage a straight line.  Felt like magic at first.  Now I'm wondering why it took me so long to think of it.

Yes, once I finish this last loop, and get the reverse "Y" put in, I'll get up on a ladder and shoot down on the layout, so the overall track plan will become evident.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jonathan]

I have never put a reverse loop into any of my layouts.  This is a first for me.  So... I'm hoping for some free advice as I start to piece together my reversing Wye.

Here is my curved turnout.  The main route is up to the left.  The divergent reverse Wye is up and to the right:

DSC_0159_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I've isolated the entry in to the Wye, at the top of the turnout:

DSC_0162_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

So far, so good.  I will also isolate the second leg of the Wye at the other turnout.  Sorry, didn't shoot a pic. As I begin to wire it up, I may ask for a sanity check along the way.  

The frog on this turnout is really long.  Another first for me will be powering the frog.  There is a handy little tab to which I've soldered a wire and fed down underneath:

DSC_0160_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I intend to wire the frog to my switch machines. Been doing some studying.  Hope I have this straight...

On my machines, I use tabs 2-4 to wire my signals. Gotten used to that.  For the frog; I THINK I connect tab 5 to the frog, then connect tabs 6 and 7 to the North and South rails:

DSC_0158_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Scary part; I won't know which rail goes to which tab until I run a loco through it (a loco I don't care about presumably)  

That sound about right?  

Regards,

Jonathan

[WoundedBear]

Jon.....

I think I have this exact set-up under one of my no.8 turnouts.

Lemme try and get a couple pics of it tomorrow.

Sid

[jonathan]

Awesome! Thanks Sid.

[jward]

Have you  considered using the tortoise contacts to control the polarity of the wye tail track? You really don't need an autoreverser if you use the contacts. You can also use the contacts on the SPDT switch you use to control the tortoise to control signals and panel lights.

[jonathan]

Jward,

That's a great idea! Thanks.  This is especially good news as this layout is DC. Didn't know you could do that.  Will have to study and plan.  I assume I only need one tortoise to control polarity of the tail track.  I really need this machine for the long frog on this particular turnout.  As there are two more turnouts in the wye, which don't need powered frogs or signals, I can use one of them for polarity.

In the meantime, I've soldered a couple feeders to the tortoise:

DSC_0168_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

For now the frog is connected to tab 5, inside rail to 6, and outside rail to 7:

DSC_0167_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I'm still wiring up parts of the layout; no DPDT switches to any of the turnouts, yet.  So, it will take me some time to get to testing my work.  I'll get there.

While we're waiting:

I'm not quite to the golden spike, but you can now see about 95% of my track plan by now.  Here's some elevated shots of progress so far:

DSC_0166_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0165 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0164_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

DSC_0163_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Difficult to get a shot of the whole layout in one frame.

Regards,

Jonathan

[jward]

you are correct that you only need one tortoise to reverse the polarity but you will need to use all 6 contacts. I would use the one on the single tail track to control the polarity.

[WoundedBear]

Yep.....same set-up, but I used different tabs.

1 and 8 are from the toggle switch and power the tortoise itself.

2 and 3 are L and R rails.

4 connects to the frog itself.

I checked continuity with a multimeter before making final connections.

Hope this helps.

Sid

[Len]

There are two SPDT switches in the Tortoise. One connects to terminals 2,3 & 4 and the other is on 5, 6 & 7. The pin outs are:

2 - Normally Open
3 - Normally Closed
4 - Common

5 - Common
6 - Normally Open
7 - Normally Closed

Either one could be used to control power to the frog.

They can also be combined and used as a DPDT switch to control the polarity of the reversing section of a wye or reverse loop.

Len

[jonathan]

Thanks, guys. That's a big help.  I'll noodle with it for a while. Len, according to the Manufacture diagram, it looks like tab 5 is the common, like tab 4.  Have I got it wrong?

Regards,

Jonathan

[Len]

Thanks, guys. That's a big help.  I'll noodle with it for a while. Len, according to the Manufacture diagram, it looks like tab 5 is the common, like tab 4.  Have I got it wrong?

Regards,

Jonathan

Ooops! You're correct. I've gotta see about some new glasses real soon now. Corrected my earlier post.

Len

[jonathan]

A little too windy and wet to remove leaves from the yard, so I was able to spend some time with the layout this weekend.

I have 8 turnouts and machines installed.  It was time to wire 'em up and try to run a locomotive to test things out.

I don't have a control panel, yet. So the toggles are just laying there for now:
DSC_0177_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I made a quickie distribution area for my wall wart (12V:1amp).  All the turnouts get power through here:
DSC_0178_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

OK. On to the testing.  Here's a B'mann loco that runs very well, but doesn't fit into my scheme. If I burnout the motor, I'll live, but still a bit sad. Anyway, it's already on the siding, waiting to climb the grade to the second tier:
DSC_0170 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

I have set up a temporary solution for my reverse wye, while I noodle out the tortoise wiring.  The first tier, maniline provides power to the track into the first leg of the wye:
DSC_0171 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Here, you can see the loco about to cross onto the track powered by the second tier throttle. Not too dangerous, as long as I remember to match polarity.  I simply cut the track here and filled the gap with plastic.  Not pretty, yet. That's for later:
DSC_0172_02 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

The loco/train is now free to travel around the second tier loop for a while.  In the meantime, I can switch polarity on the first tier mainline in preparation for the return.

Once that's done, I can throw the switch for the curved turnout and start my return to the mainline:
DSC_0173_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Return to mainline throttle happens immediately after the curved turnout.
DSC_0174_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

Now I can cross out on to the mainline and run as fast as I want:  
DSC_0175_01 by Jon Vogel, on Flickr

That's all for now.  Will be pretty busy now that the holidays are here.  Probably won't have much to show and tell for a while.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Ken Huck]

This keeps getting better each time you put something up.

I'm starting to understand your track plan.  It looks as though you could run three trains on each separate level
independent of one another ? ? ...and then cross when passing cargo.

I'll be working on the upper level yard and engine facility over the Christmas Holidays.

See you next near.

Ken

[Trainman203]

Hoo-boy, electrical.  My least favorite thing to do right along with carpentry.  You don't see it much here, but computer geeking has become another facet of model railroading that I avoid.