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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Carl
Hi Brian: I'm
not a member of the group, but they always have a busy room at
the National Convention. Since my layout is finished, it isn't
an interest to me. I used John Armstrong's suggestions in my
planning, 20 years ago!! How time flies. If you join the group
they may have more options for help?? The design elements I did use were: Around the walls plan. Stair way up into the center for people, so no duck under. Double track main line around the room three times. Main Yard on one wall and three towns to switch on the other walls. Hidden in a mountain two reversing loops where the track drops, so one loop over the mains, and one under. During operating sessions the layout is run as a dog bone, so the main is three times clock wise and then three times counter clock wise. For
visitor displays I can run two trains on loops. 40% of the main is in tunnels, so it makes the runs appear longer. Carl. On 3/4/2019 8:28 AM, Brian Eiland
wrote:
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Re: Powering Hinged Point Rails
John Bishop
Hi Tom, Sounds like that will work fine -- and obviously does. My situation is a little different since I make my own switches, so there is no plastic do deal with, but electrically, we are both doing the same thing. I do like the desoldering braid across the hinge because it is so flexible. I assume the liquid flux you use is the rosin in alcohol type, which I also like, and any cleanup can be done with alcohol on a Q-tip. But as rule I find that is the rail is cleaned bright, then the flux- cored solder is fine by itself, even using steel rail. Again, I should qualify that I am in O scale, but using code .100 rail. John B
On Saturday, March 2, 2019, 7:49:33 AM PST, Tom Jones <tomjones4884@...> wrote:
John, Like the John who responded I have also modified over 500 turnouts of all brands including over 100 fast-track turnouts to make them truely "DCC Friendly" . I use 26 gauge solid wire. I don't do any pre-preparing (is that a word?) of new turnouts but I use liquid flux that needs no cleanup. If I am doing a turnout pre-install to the layout I solder a wire around the hinge from the frog to the hinge as John mentioned and then I flip the turnout over and solder a wire from the stock rail to the "frog rail" Ometimes depending on manufacturer you need to cut out a bit of plastic to accomplish this. You can do this also if the turnout is already inplace with a little more work. The hinge wire remains the same but you need to make a small 90 degree bend in your wire and snake it under the stock rail and on to your frog rail. Solder and then wrap your wire to the outside of your stock rail in a small 90 degree bend and solder. Not as eligant but you now have a completely DCC ready turnout. CAVEAT: This assumes you have an isolated frog and are not using anything like the Peco Electrofrog turnout. My 2 cents...tj
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Re: Wiring problem
Charles, I just checked on the w4dccqa groups.io site after logging in.
The photos should be an option on the left side panel. When I
click there, I see all the posted photos. Tim Timothy A Johnson, Tucson, AZ (www.sbb-bls-bahnen.com) European Train Enthusiasts, Central Arizona Chapter (www.ete.org) On 3/4/2019 10:58 AM, Charles Cauble
wrote:
I’m logged into groups.io and updated my account profile but I can’t find “photos”
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Re: New Turnouts
emrldsky
Are these the same as the ones in the older Kato HO turnouts? I know that some versions of those have jumpers to select power routing, or not.
Peace, Mike G.
On 3/4/2019 6:59 AM, wirefordcc wrote:
I have added the new Kato Unifrog to my website. See at: http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm
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Re: Wiring problem
whmvd
Hello Charles, Unfortunately, in-line pictures and attachments are not coming through. They have t be uploaded to the 'photos' section you will see when logged in to groups.io. Let us know when that's done, and somebody will be sure to chime in. Wouter
On Mon, 4 Mar 2019 at 15:24, Charles Cauble <drbeetlebaum@...> wrote:
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Re: Wiring problem
Jay
Hi!
Your Pic did not come through. 2 questions, did you put isolators at both ends of the reverser section? Are they far enough apart? Jay
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Re: New file uploaded to w4dccqa@groups.io
Trying not to put insulated gaps on curves. and try to minimize rail joints on curves. if you need to add rail joints on curves first connect them as two straight sections then make the curve.
Look at some YouTube videos on connecting track will help you understand the process.
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Re: New Turnouts
wirefordcc
I have added the new Kato Unifrog to my website. See at: http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm
If anyone else knows of changes of other turnouts that electrically change a turnout, please drop me a line. Thank you Allan Gartner Wiring For DCC
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Brian Eiland
Plus NMRA has a special interest group that plans layouts, you might look them up. Carl. ************************************************ I looked up this site that you quoted, and I didn't detect that there was 'active help' in designing a new track plan. And it appeared as though some of the material is very dated (I saw one reference to 2006). One of the reasons I was drawn to this conversation is that I am building a new double deck layout,...and I'm new to DCC,....and I am challenged by the electrical wiring. So I am definitely going to need help on wiring, and particularly reverse loops. Brian
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Mark Cartwright <marcdecapri@...>
Tom....
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
whmvd
Hi Tom, It *IS* a lot clearer, thanks! So far, after looking for about 5 minutes, I spotted four reversing sections, but I haven't paid enough attention yet to what's going on top right. There might well be a fifth lurking there. Truth is, I'm getting a bit dizzy! :-) Wouter
On Mon, 4 Mar 2019 at 02:02, Tom G. via Groups.Io <tjg81296=aol.com@groups.io> wrote: Tom,
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom O Hara
It is much easier to see with your colorizing. Someone suggested that you take this to the layout design group, and I agree that is a better place to get more opinions. But I would make a few comments to get you started. The left end with the yard has at least three reversing loops... maybe four. Including ones inside others. These would be very difficult to wire and maintain the logic. The middle second goes around and around with not much operation connection to the rest of the railroad. The right hand end is a spaghetti bowl of track that would be hard to build and goes around the same scenery in a confusing and, I think you'd find, very redundant path. There may be another reverse loop trapped between the right and left ends, but I am not sure. Again, I think this is more a subject for the Layout Design group. But I really hope you'll reconsider the center and right sections to have less track and a simpler flow. I think you'd like the operation much better. .....Tom
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New Turnouts
Daniel Thomson
Recent posts have had elaborate "recipes" for prepping various turnouts to make them more DCC friendly. Please be aware that some manufacturers have been doing the same. We may need to add time stamp information in describing some brand's pre and post upgrades.
N Scale Peco - Insulfrog vs Electrofrog may all be going to an improved DCC friendly "Unifrog". HO Scale Peco - Haven't heard any confirmation but might follow suit. I will try to get more info on the above. HO Scale Walthers Shinohara Code 83 - With Mr. Shinohara's retirement and no willing successor the bad news this last year was Walthers needed to find a new manufacturer. The good news is they found one. The great news is they will maintain the same dimensions and geometry of the Shinohara designs yet be adding the wish list of improvements brand new tooling will facilitate. Along with over-center spring action to hold points (no need to remove if switch machine driven) these are designed DCC Friendly including attached wiring leads. Even the ties will have starter holes on the underside for those who tack their track down. Walthers has announced the flex track, #4, #5 and #6 turnouts around April and larger turnouts late this year. We will need to reevaluate the DCC Friendliness of these improved models as they hit the market.
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom et all, I did a cut&paste of your colored track layout.
In the PHOTOS section: "Tom G's Layout" Hope this helps everyone. Paul O
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom G.
Tom,
Hopefully this is clearer. The main concern is that I have the yard approachable from both sides. Would that be considered a reverse loop even if I insulate the rail joiners at the switches and bus power on both sides individually? Am I incorrectly looking at the wiring? I color coded to make it clearer. I know, it's not perfect but you can differentiate the lines a bit more. I took a snip of each section Left, Center and Right. Links below: If there's a better way for all to view please let me know! Thank you! https://www.dropbox.com/s/ur1n6s459r2safj/TomG_W4DCCQA_LayoutYard_LeftSide.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/d9c8lb1xbh06kxi/TomG_W4DCCQA_LayoutCenter.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/84vf6h3t4edq9ld/TomG_W4DCCQA_LayoutMountain_RightSide.jpg?dl=0
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Re: New file uploaded to w4dccqa@groups.io
Bill Wilken
I usually use a razor saw to cut a thin gap in a section of very well glued down section of flextrack. You may not see any need to fill the gap with plastic. Insulated joiners typically result in a large gap and, if needed on a curve, can make it tricky to maintain the prevailing radius with a high degree of accuracy
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
On Mar 3, 2019, at 3:35 PM, w4dccqa@groups.io Notification <w4dccqa+notification@groups.io> wrote:
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom G.
I will color code the track lines
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Thanks. Tom
On Mar 3, 2019, at 1:40 PM, Tom O Hara via Groups.Io <tomohara314@...> wrote:
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom O Hara
I saw the image, but I couldn't follow it through the places where the tracks came close together. If you could reprint/rescan in a format that would be a little more clear in those areas, I am sure a number of us would take a shot at it. Perhaps other people have a better view of it than I do. I have definitely hunted down those reverse loops on other layouts as lots of us have. I once analyzed a layout for a friend who had a loop inside a loop inside a loop. We redrew the layout. .... Tom
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New file uploaded to w4dccqa@groups.io
w4dccqa@groups.io Notification <w4dccqa+notification@...>
Hello, This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the w4dccqa@groups.io group. File: RR Diagram.pdf Uploaded By: rhemker Description: You can access this file at the URL: Cheers,
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Re: Forgive my ignorance! Am I creating several reverse loops on my proposed layout?
Tom G.
Hi Carl,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Thanks for your response. This is N Scale Kato Unitrack with #6 turnouts. I’d like to have a panel but I haven’t gotten to that point yet. The plan is to us the Digikeijs DR 5000 along with their DR4018 switch decoder and DR4101 switch motor interface. I’d like to make a lighted panel for switch position as well. I planned to isolate the turnouts and not use power routing, forgive me I thought DCC you powered all track at all times. Thanks. Tom
On Mar 3, 2019, at 10:11 AM, Carl <carl.blum@...> wrote:
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