My ONE and ONLY project ...

[Selector]

...or, as the instructions suggest, stagger the gaps. In fact, I don't use insulating joiners. I keep my train room strictly controlled in humidity, so I never have to worry about closing gaps or widening ones. I just leave 1/16" gaps over which the wheels run just fine, thanks very much. However, I stagger them across from each other by about 1/4". That way, no two metal tires ever cross the gaps simultaneously. If you don't wish to be constrained to train lengths only as long as those that will fit nicely between the two sets of gaps, then double up on the gaps. I make one staggered pair across from each other, and then at the distance of the length of the longest passenger car truck, I make a second pair of staggered gaps. All per the instructions. This way, a pax car that has lighting can't short across the gaps because any one truck is fully contained between the four gaps at each end of the reversed section. I can run long coal drags, or 12 heavyweights behind my BLI Niagara, even though my reversing section is only 10 passenger cars long.

The thing to remember is that the decoder doesn't care which rail has a positive curve or a negative one in the square wave AC current that is DCC. The PSX switches in milliseconds, so the decoder doesn't even notice. It can switch several times inside of a minute, and not give the slightest hint of it. Rearward, the long consist, with its tail end still outside the far side of your PSX controlled rail segment, trundles right along across the far gaps, into the reversed length, and out the near side behind the loco as the loco moves onto the main and along it again. This facility, trains much longer than your reversed track length, is VERY handy. A bit more work (two more pairs of staggered gaps), but I really enjoy not having to worry about train lengths across it.

 

[2Tracks]

Tony....the gaps are 3/32, but I have HO. I wouldn't be hard to take a couple pieces of loose track and with some strip wood, pieces of business cards or even a round tooth pick (it's 1/16 inch) between the ends of the track and see were the car wheels set.......
I have expansion gaps in my track, but since I needed to isolate that piece of track electrically, I had to make the gaps bigger.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Thought this would be fun ...

Here is a 5 or so minute video of the layout, as perceived by SCARM. The video shows one lap of the "intended layout", one lap of the freight line and one lap of the passenger line both in Engineers View.

https://vimeo.com/231806836

Hopefully, this will give you guys an idea of how things will/might look - less the rendering issues. If nothing else, this will give you an idea of the "lay of the land" and the various elevations of the layout. It might also offer some insight as to where scenery may go and what that scenery maybe. If that fails, then it was just good fun to make...

With any luck, the next video will be of the "actual layout" and not an animated one

 

[goscrewyourselves]

The only thing I had to redo, is the rail gap at the insulated joiners at each end of the loop, I had to make them bigger so the train wheels would not touch both at the same time. I used black styrene pieces to fill the gaps........

You shouldn't have to insulate the gaps that much. I am guessing you have a short reversing section and a normal length train covers over both ends.

Modeling the roaring 20's
President of the Lancaster Central Railroad
President of the Western Maryland Railway

The physical length of the track in the reversing section (between the points/turnouts) is 47" so I don't think I will have issues with a train not being contained within that length. I seriously doubt I will run a train longer then 47" or even as long as 47".

...or, as the instructions suggest, stagger the gaps. In fact, I don't use insulating joiners. I keep my train room strictly controlled in humidity, so I never have to worry about closing gaps or widening ones. I just leave 1/16" gaps over which the wheels run just fine, thanks very much. However, I stagger them across from each other by about 1/4". That way, no two metal tires ever cross the gaps simultaneously. If you don't wish to be constrained to train lengths only as long as those that will fit nicely between the two sets of gaps, then double up on the gaps. I make one staggered pair across from each other, and then at the distance of the length of the longest passenger car truck, I make a second pair of staggered gaps. All per the instructions. This way, a pax car that has lighting can't short across the gaps because any one truck is fully contained between the four gaps at each end of the reversed section. I can run long coal drags, or 12 heavyweights behind my BLI Niagara, even though my reversing section is only 10 passenger cars long.

The thing to remember is that the decoder doesn't care which rail has a positive curve or a negative one in the square wave AC current that is DCC. The PSX switches in milliseconds, so the decoder doesn't even notice. It can switch several times inside of a minute, and not give the slightest hint of it. Rearward, the long consist, with its tail end still outside the far side of your PSX controlled rail segment, trundles right along across the far gaps, into the reversed length, and out the near side behind the loco as the loco moves onto the main and along it again. This facility, trains much longer than your reversed track length, is VERY handy. A bit more work (two more pairs of staggered gaps), but I really enjoy not having to worry about train lengths across it.

I see I have a lot to take in and fully understand about this part of the layout. At this point though, considering the above reply, I am going to try to keep things as simple as possible with only 1 set of gaps at either end of the reversing section.

Tony....the gaps are 3/32, but I have HO. I wouldn't be hard to take a couple pieces of loose track and with some strip wood, pieces of business cards or even a round tooth pick (it's 1/16 inch) between the ends of the track and see were the car wheels set.......
I have expansion gaps in my track, but since I needed to isolate that piece of track electrically, I had to make the gaps bigger.

Thanks mate, appreciate it.

So this does bring me to another concern (as if you didn't know this was going to happen). I hate using those little plastic insulator rail joiners, they never seem to work for me, or I don't have eye sight to get them to sit properly. As such, I am seriously considering just cutting the gaps with a dremmel cutter using the width of the cutting wheel to determine the size of the gap. In theory, that sounds pretty good; however, now I will have an "unsecured" length of track with neither end being physically connected to any other track. I can see the potential for track misalignment doing it this way BUT also know that is how many of you guys do do it. So, other than perfectly laid track that is fixed in position, how do you prevent the possibility of the track moving out of alignment resulting in derailments?

 

[tootnkumin]

Crandell, ​Would that reversing track, gap arrangement, also work with DC?

 

[goscrewyourselves]

I finally bit the bullet ... tonight/this morning I began taking out the HO layout down to the bench work. I have to admit, it wasn't the easiest of things to do. Standing back and looking at what I had done, good bad or indifferent, and knowing it was about to end up on a junk pile was a bit sad. Anyway, now I have begun I have to finish and get the bench work prepared for the new. So it really is a case of "out with the old and in with the new."

 

[tootnkumin]

You'll get a lot more trains in there for compensation.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

While it was a little sad, I keep thinking of what you said. While this isn't exact, I'll get a least twice the running track and trains to go with it. More importantly, I'll be able to run some reasonable sized trains as well, so it isn't all bad

 

[Selector]

Crandell, ​Would that reversing track, gap arrangement, also work with DC?

I believe, so, although I haven't wired but a rudimentary DC layout, and that was years ago. I have been DCC since 2006. I would think it would work except for one thing...as soon as a DC-only can motor gets a reserved current, it wants to reverse in direction as well, and that means stalling over the gaps. In DCC, the decoder keeps feeding the same DC digital current to the can motor which continues to turn in the same direction, even if the polarity/phase shifts right over the gap.

However, if you have the double gaps at each end, and use a DPDT to switch polarity on either end as needed, the gaps should prevent any conflicts if the longest metal tired truck can be contained within the boundaries of the twin set of gaps. Even if they are picking up current for lighting.

That's the way I see it. Maybe someone else can do a thought experiment and confirm.

 

[tootnkumin]

Thanks Crandell. I'll run this past our club electrician to see if it's a solution to situations on the layout.

 

[ianacole]

I caught that myself, believe it or not, see above. Thanks for the confirmation mate re the PSX-AR wiring, that boosts my confidence no end.

Who say's you can't teach an "Old Dog" new tricks

Well, my wife says that about me quite regularly The revised track plan looks a lot better! Looks like a lot of fun! I, like you, like to set trains a-runnin' while I work on something, having them run around the layout without a lot of intervention, if any, from me. Your layout will accommodate that running mode very well.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Ian,

That is what I like to do as well - sit back, watch, relax and only get involved if I have to or want to.

I am continuing with the removal of the HO track and scenery and what a mess! So far, it looks as though I am going to be able to use the HO bench work including the Ply, so long as I didn't do something stupid like "Glue AND Screw" it to the frame work which I probably did

 

[Iron Horseman]

Is there an alternative?

There might be. It depends upon why you wanted that track there to begin with. But I see you have already converted into a "real" reversing loop.

I like the idea of using curved turnouts to eliminate the "S" curve/s as well as using the "natural curve to get from the freight line to the passenger line as shown in "pink".

It doesn't even need to be a curved turnout as the track departing from the curve can go on a straight tangent until it meets the departing track of the other turnout.

I knew that a train would need to do an almost full loop of the layout to get to the next track over, that was something I can't seem to get around the way the plan sits.

Sometimes I design them that way on purpose. It forces a "longer" run from one point to another.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Horseman,

Yep, this time around I am taking a much more "critical look" at what I am doing. While I'm not big on 100% reality etc, it does have to be practical and have a purpose, even if neither of those things are logical.

I do like the idea of the curved turnouts, in this case they seem to make the track flow much smoother. That has to be on the positive side of reducing track problems.

The design you first saw with the "fake reverse section" wasn't thought out properly on my part. To start with, I didn't think it formed a reverse loop but now think I understand why it did. Secondly, I focused on the little siding and needing to get an engine in and out, not a complete train. As said mate, I just didn't think it through properly.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

The removal continues but here is where I am at for now:

Have to clean off some of the glue but that isn't all that hard - it comes off pretty easily with a chisel and some scraping. With any luck, I'll be able to lift the ply and use that for the "cookie cutter" method.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Well, I've run into a problem as I suspected I would. I DID "Glue and Screw" the ply down to the sub frame and am having a hell of a time trying to get it off.

Any suggestions or do you recommend I just leave the existing ply and use that, I know that would be easier BUT will make me using the cookie cutter method a little tough I think?

 

[tootnkumin]

Get yourself one of these, or the better one with twin, contra-rotating blades

and cut out the pieces of ply till you only have the underframe left. Just watchout you don't hit any nails or screws. You can use it then to cut out your cookie cutter roadbed by setting the cut depth to just penetrate the sheet. It will cut curves quite readily also.

 

[goscrewyourselves]

Toot'n,

Thanks for the tip mate but the problem is removing the ply from where it was glued to the frame work. Getting the screws out is easy just not lifting the ply from the frame/cross members.

I have been thinking about the problem and think I have three options:

1. Leave the ply in place and use (sigh) foam etc,
2. Cut the ply out between the frame work/cross members and leave the ply on top of the frame work,
3. Leave the ply as a base, use the cookie cutter method with new ply and place that on top of the existing ply using risers screwed to the existing ply, if that makes sense.

Either that or take all of the bench work out and start from scratch which would be a waste of time and money seeing as what I have is almost exactly what I need for the new layout, bench work wise.

 

[tootnkumin]

#2 was what I was meaning, #3 would be an option but would limit accessibility to wiring etc. Go with #2. A jigsaw will do that too, just that it's easy to break blades when you can't see what's underneath.

 

[santafewillie]

Tony - Option #2 is probably your best option although not the easiest one. As Toot said #3 could lead to wiring accessibility issues.

Willie