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4 Responses to How to Wire a No 6 Double Crossover
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Gavin,
I had the same question from a fellow National Model Railroad Assn (NMRA) Same exact switch. First you need to sketch the rails out and meter what has contact to what rails such as the outer main rails and where they have power or ohms. On your switch the switch rails will flow power in the direction the switch is thrown. IF you are running different polarities on each main track In other words trains going in opposite directions then throwing both sides to the center crossing then there is a polarity problem when you cross the diamond. But if both tracks polarity direction are wired in the same direction. then it should not be a problem.. The diamond should wire to one switch through your switch motor such as a tortoise so the diamond track in that direction will get the power on each rail. The other switch power should stop at the diamond. It should measure that way with a meter.. You have 2 extra switch circuits on a tortoise motor and one can work the frog for that switch. That should take care of the frogs, That circuit for each frog power should have main feeds from the outgoing main rail from that switch. (The single track ) If I remember right on the one I helped with the outer main rail was cut half way between the two inline switches . That is because the shinohara individual switches direct the power to the switch direction and when that happens the non used side will actually short if a train crosses the gap on that outer rail. Shinohara 3 way switches will do the same thing. on my Shiohara 3 way switches I insulated both rails from the yard tracks and if I bring an engine past those insulators when the switch is turned away from that direction. you will have power from the opposite rail.on that rail So as long as your engine is sitting between the double insulators and the switch rails with the switch thrown away the you just have one side of the power getting to the engine. But when you throw the switch to align with the engine then you have both sides of the power and the engines run. Same thing will happen when you are coming down the straight on this switch. If you have the first switch straight but the second switch is turned when you cross the rail cut between the switches it will short.
For each main rail out your power for both rails should connect before the switch for each track.
that power should follow the direction to through the switch in the direction the switch is thrown.
Each direction of the diamond should wire to one switch matching rails from that main track. That power should not follow through to the rails past the diamond. For tracks with opposite polarity power on the other track, one side most likely will need to be on a reversing circuit to get the trains across the diamonds without shorting. That side should should run that block long enough to get the full train (with metal wheels to all clear the rail cut so it will continue on and switch back to the polarity on that side when it continues past the rail cuts for the next block.Actually if there is trains approaching different directions to this switch there should be 2 auto reverse circuits. If you labeled your drawing A and Btracks on the left side and C and D on the right side then you will need a auto reverse for track A and a second for track C (or track B and Track D if you put the auto reverser circuit board on the other side. On My layout I will have a two track each opposite polarity and it will be a single cross over. To Cross over to the other track the second track will need an auto reverse circuit. This is a lead to get over to the station platform track. After the station stop the train needs to cross back over to the other polarity so at the next cross over the switch will be insulated at that crossover again and the auto reverse will switch the polarity back on the run to go back to the original track. Actually my double track is actually a very long dogbone run and the return trip in on the other track. The section that needs the auto reverse can be done a head of the train with a manual double pole double throw electric switch. But for about 30 dollars for each auto reverse circuit it is worth the system to switch it over as you will find more times than not you will forget to throw that switch and your engine will short crossing the insulators or cut rail at each end of the block. But like I said it is much simpler if both main lines are in the same direction. But I don’t know your layout. Just follow your meter and it will be doing what I said it will be doing. Keep the diamond wired to one side or the other of your main lines. It should not be wired hot through that whole cross over rail (Switch to Switch) or to the other direction of the diamond. Each switch should stop continuity before it crosses the diamond from your main line track
In Review 4 tracks into the switches that means 4 power sources. None of them should power into the other switches. The diamond should be powered to one side of main lines and the other direction should not be powered to the opposite track of the diamond. Power your frogs from your switch motor of that switch and you should be insulated between all four switches including the cross over for that direction. Clear as mud right. This switch can be complicated or simple depending on your polarities. Even if this was four separate # 6 Shinohara Switches and a separate diamond in the middle the way it works is the same (only in this case does the diamond flow through power all the way on the diamond in that direction in which your track on one side of the diamond will need both rails insulated and that will go for the opposite direction track too. My diamond example here would be in this case an atlas diamond…….Thanks Newman Atkinson
I didn’t follow that explanation, I’m afraid. One thing I know is that the two routes through the diamond MUST be electrically isolated from each other. I think that keeping the polarity of all the sections of any particular route through the system (especially those crossing over from one track to the other) will be easiest if you use Cab Control for your whole railway (if using DC Analogue Control) – for this you need changeover switches between each Controller and all of the track feeds. If you have more than 2 Controllers, you need (a) rotary switch(es) to select the Controller to be connected to any particular Track Feed. I’m a complete novice at model railway electrics and I managed to set up my railway so any part of it can be controlled by any one of 3 controllers, just by taking everything one step at a time and building up from basic principles. The connections you need will depend on whether the crossover has “live” or “dead” frogs and, if the former, whether or not you wish to switch the polarity of the frogs via microswitches or rely on the point blades (the simplest way). I have used the latter and, although it’s not sup[posed to be as reliable as using microswitches, I’ve had no problems yet. Unfortunately, I have not yet found out how to wire up a Single Slip Point, so I’m going to set up a little test bed to play about with it and try to find the way to do it. When I’ve completed my little journey of discovery, I’ll try to post my findings – but it seems it’s difficult to put these things into words without the benefit of diagrams or pictures.
I would think this would not be difficult. If you wired a #6 turnout than this would be the same times 4. I have a half crossover (2 #6 TO back to back with a 25 degree crossing. There is no special wiring required. I do not power my frogs as I found that gave me to many shorts, especially with metal wheels on freight cars. I found no benefit from power frogs.
Now if this was a double slip crossover, that would be a little more complicated.
Good luck!
Russ. The double cross over is not too bad to do. You are right treat each #6 switch individually. Since the diamond is fed from the direction connected to them there is no cross over power from the other direction. I will feed the diamond from the switches on one main line side and insulate both rails on the other side of the diamond and those will feed from each of those two switches. If running engines with lots of wheel contacts on the engine usually don’t have to work about the insulated frogs, But when you run smaller engines such as a track Mobile or good Ol’ Thomas the tank engine the wheel contacts are less and therefore might loose power crossing the frog especially running slow. Making my own switches I have eliminated the frog power problem and when the switch motor throws it back feed from the rails to the frog to the track direction I need the power to feed. Even my little American General Steam engines work well through them.Like you I am building a single cross over pair of switches and even with just the two, treat them as if you are wiring each individual switch. I think you and I are thinking about the same. Newman