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CN6401
Crew Chief
Canada
909 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2012 : 10:49:05 PM
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I Have a an engine facility and yard surrounded by a reverse loop and I'm not sure how to power the yard and engine facility for Digitrax DCC.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to wire the the yard?
Do I use AR-1 wiring or Main Bus Wiring?
BTW the engine facility has a Turntable another reverse loop type wiring.
Ralph |
Growing old is mandatory . . . growing up is optional
 ©
A Touch of Yesterday©..............Weathered Rail Cars. |
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BigLars
Fireman
USA
7363 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2012 : 10:58:50 PM
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Ralph,
A picture of the track plan would help try to solve the question. |
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simon1966
Fireman
USA
2861 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2012 : 07:56:31 AM
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HI Ralph
Indeed a picture is worth a thousand words. But I suspect that if you have a loop of track coming to a throat, and what amounts to a 3 way turnout with the outer branches forming the entrance and exit to the reverse loop and the center being the route into the engine facility that you will need to have gaped rails on the exits of the points going around the loop, feeding power to this loop form your power bus via an AR1 or other auto reverse device.
Indeed the turntable will need reverse accomodation as well.
PLease note this is speculation on my part as to what your track plan arrnagement might actually be? |
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nhguy
Fireman
USA
3665 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2012 : 2:17:01 PM
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Without seeing the loop in question, it should be operated off it's own power buss as a district with an AR-1. The engine facility and the yards should be on their own power buses as districts, so when one shorts it won't affect the other. If you wire in an AR-1, or any other auto reversing unit for that matter off the same power bus (wire pairs) the powers the approach are surrounding track, if a short occurs in the reverse loop it will also take down the circuit feeding it. This is an unintentional short that may go back to the command station/booster and may shut the whole railroad down. This happened to me early in DCC operation.
The best way to wire a reverse loop with DCC is to isolate it on it's own bus. Gap both rails to it at both ends, run its own pair of bus wires for it and include the turnouts if any in it, drop feeders for the loop and only wire the loop rail feeders to it. Connect the AR-1 controlled block to the booster using a PBD-1 power block distribution terminal. These things are wonderful and make troubleshooting and wiring DCC layout a breeze. Mike Train House also sells them in their DCS line as a 12-port terminal block. They come in 12 and 24 terminal packages. They are rated at 15 amps. Plenty for DCC. Two wires from the booster to the terminal block and 12/24 pairs of bus wires to the various power districts. I insert my circuit breakers for each district in between the terminal block and the power district bus wires. You can keep them all in one area making wiring neater and more convenient to access.
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Bill Shanaman
Superintendent, New Haven RR in the 1948 to 1952 era
PMRA President 2013-14, OpSIG Member
NCE User Since 1999
Sugar City, Colorado |
Edited by - nhguy on 07/29/2012 2:57:10 PM |
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closetguy
Fireman
USA
1288 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2012 : 7:08:25 PM
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Ralph
As stated, an AR-1 is used to power the reverse loop. It's so simple to install. Isolate the loop just after the switch. connect buss power to the Ar-1 and wire the loop from the AR-1. Pretty much fool proof. The yard may be a different beast. You should probably isolate it from the loop. Digitrax's PM42 is a 4 district unit with auto reverse function. It will help with any shorts.
I like to keep my DCC wiring simple. A few main districts and a few sub-districts.
Post a picture and I'm sure the experts here can help you out
Mike M |
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Neil M
Fireman
Australia
2173 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2012 : 05:13:35 AM
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I think you are meaning something like this?
and I would wire it as follows. The black is the main layout and the green and red are wired to the main layout through separate automatic reversing circuits |
Built a waterfront HO layout in Ireland http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=22161 but now making a start in On30 in Australia |
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closetguy
Fireman
USA
1288 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2012 : 5:52:52 PM
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Yo Neil!
The red would be on an AR-1 and if you hook the yard up to a PM42, it will automatically reverse polarity for the turntable. So Isolate the yard as it's own district. The Loop can be part of the mainline with the AR-1
Mike M |
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CN6401
Crew Chief
Canada
909 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2012 : 11:27:33 AM
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Thanks Neil, that is close enough, pretty good actually. Except for a few extra spurs that it.
Thanks for doing the drawing for me.
I've been making all my turnouts with a Fast Tracks fixture but I'm tempted to use Peco turnouts in the yard since they automatically route power. Good idea if you want to shut down the engines not in use to help reduce the noise from the sound equipped engines.
Thanks
Ralph
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Growing old is mandatory . . . growing up is optional
©
A Touch of Yesterday©..............Weathered Rail Cars. |
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Topic |
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DCC Wiring for Engine surrounded by a Reverse Loop
