Dumb 3 rail question
- Thread starter ICG/SOU
- Start date
Depends on how you wire it 
But no. Part of the intent behind 3 rail was to avoid polarity issues. The outside rails are the same pole, and the inside rail is the opposite.
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Mercedes-benz o370 history
But no. Part of the intent behind 3 rail was to avoid polarity issues. The outside rails are the same pole, and the inside rail is the opposite.________
Mercedes-benz o370 history
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Any track arrangement where the train continues moving forward and ends up going the opposite direction on the same piece of track is a reversing loop. Anything else on that section of track is just extra stuff.
Bear minimum reversing loop:
http://www.scottpages.net/LayoutElements.html
http://rail.felgall.com/rlt.htm
Disclaimer: I have not read either of those pages but they look like they might have good information
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BLACK SILVER SURFER VAPORIZER
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Now, TYPICALLY it's more common to refer to a reversing section, as it's rare to have an entire loop isolated like the one pictured above. Instead there is a bunch of track involved in the layout and one smaller section allows the train to get turned around.
In this picture you can see the reversing loop has additional track attached to it and the reversing section is actually quite a bit smaller piece of track.
The result is the same. The train goes the opposite direction on the same piece of track without having to stop.
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Algerian cooking
In this picture you can see the reversing loop has additional track attached to it and the reversing section is actually quite a bit smaller piece of track.
The result is the same. The train goes the opposite direction on the same piece of track without having to stop.
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Algerian cooking
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Another way to turn a train around is to use a reversing wye.
Starting at the bottom the train goes up through switch 1 to the right, backs through switch 2 toward switch 3, through switch 3 where it changes direction and goes forward down to switch 1 and out where it came in headed the other direction. This can use less track and space, but also requires more interaction and unless the spurs of the wye are very long it can not accommodate a particularly long train. Typically only a locomotive is reversed through a wye. I guess it's kind of a toss up whether a wye or a turntable are more appropriate but there aren't many turntables left in the world. Wyes are much more common, but they're rarely a wye just for reversing equipment. They're usually integrated into additional trackage and only one side of the triangle needs to be added.
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Teen Nonude
Starting at the bottom the train goes up through switch 1 to the right, backs through switch 2 toward switch 3, through switch 3 where it changes direction and goes forward down to switch 1 and out where it came in headed the other direction. This can use less track and space, but also requires more interaction and unless the spurs of the wye are very long it can not accommodate a particularly long train. Typically only a locomotive is reversed through a wye. I guess it's kind of a toss up whether a wye or a turntable are more appropriate but there aren't many turntables left in the world. Wyes are much more common, but they're rarely a wye just for reversing equipment. They're usually integrated into additional trackage and only one side of the triangle needs to be added.
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Teen Nonude
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ICG/SOU
HO & O (3-rail) trainman
I'd like to create a modular O layout that instead of just running trains in circles, I could do something with. My idea is to start with a diamond, then adding interchange tracks in which one part will be a small interchange yard. At the diamond is a crossing of two different railroads, so cars would be dropped off and picked up.
Wiring wise, when I begin to add those interchange tracks, if in HO, I'd have a short once I added the 3rd interchange track. I then started thinking where the other mains would go, and figured if I put balloon/reversing loops, then I could get some continuous running (of sorts).
The idea came to me that I want to be able to demonstrate what railroads do instead of just running trains in an oval all day.
Wiring wise, when I begin to add those interchange tracks, if in HO, I'd have a short once I added the 3rd interchange track. I then started thinking where the other mains would go, and figured if I put balloon/reversing loops, then I could get some continuous running (of sorts).
The idea came to me that I want to be able to demonstrate what railroads do instead of just running trains in an oval all day.
Growth in the hobby
Look into building some industrial siding switching. That can be lots of fun too. And general classification yards and such. Anything more than watching bits of plastic zoom around a circle for a few hours.
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UGGS
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ICG/SOU
HO & O (3-rail) trainman
Yep, there will be a couple of industries (grain delivery, a pulpwood lot, paper delivery, a team track). My vision is to be able to have one railroad interchange with the other, have through freights, have locals (originating from the interchange yard), switching in the yard (it'll be small, like an arrival departure track, then a couple of tracks for sorting cars for interchange, cars for locals, etc.).
Classification would be fun, but I don't/won't have the time or space do it, so I figure showing how something is broken up/built up on a small interchange yard would work easier.
Track will be a single track main, with one, maybe two passing sidings (I'm thinking one per main, so a train could be shut down while the crew is on the law).
I figured O scale since I have some already, and O scale engines sound so much nicer than HO, and the potential for detail is higher, even in 3 rail.
Classification would be fun, but I don't/won't have the time or space do it, so I figure showing how something is broken up/built up on a small interchange yard would work easier.
Track will be a single track main, with one, maybe two passing sidings (I'm thinking one per main, so a train could be shut down while the crew is on the law).
I figured O scale since I have some already, and O scale engines sound so much nicer than HO, and the potential for detail is higher, even in 3 rail.
