Subject:
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DCC reversing loops
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 5 Jun 2003 07:27:20 GMT
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Viewed:
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2023 times
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I am sure I saw someone writing about reversing loops but now I can't find it!
Anyway, this is what I did this evening in about 10 minutes. I cut both rails
of a straight track section being careful to get the cuts aligned then did
another cut through each rail exactly 5 cm (just a tiny bit less than 2 inches)
from the first two. So what I have is a 5cm section of track that is isolated.
Of course I only cut the metal track and not right through the plastic. I used
the finest metal cutting saw I have.
I made two of these then laid a dog's bone track circuit, that is two track
loops joined by a single track.
This works perfectly under DCC, the Lego motor wheels are just a bit less than
5cm apart so a motor does not cause a short circuit but the dead section of
track is short enough that the train does not stop, in fact on mine the lights
do not even blink yet there is no hint of a short circuit.
The 9volt track switches include electrical contacts which must be bypassed
either by Lego track power connectors or by doing what I did which was to solder
fine jumper wires under the switches so that all 'left' tracks are electrically
joined and 'right' tracks likewise.
For DCC operation this is all you need to do, no other fancy electronics or
extra connectors, just a 5 cm section of isolated track within each loop.
Note that an unmodified motor will immediately reverse when it passes over one
of these section so you either have to be very quick on the reversing handle or
use only DCC enabled motors. I guess multi motor locos would operate OK but do
not connect them together electrically.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: DCC reversing loops
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| (...) I did a dual reversing loop for our club layout. You don't need to cut anything. You can do it all lego pure. (URL) picture will show how to connect that unconnected inner rail to the proper power. Use a standard track connector and then use a (...) (21 years ago, 5-Jun-03, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: DCC reversing loops
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| (...) it! Here, David Koudys made a post about this: (URL) Anyway, this is what I did this evening in about 10 minutes. I cut both rails (...) inches) (...) isolated. (...) used (...) track (...) than (...) of (...) lights (...) I tried this and 5cm (...) (21 years ago, 6-Jun-03, to lugnet.trains)
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