Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
4 Responses to 3 Way Turnout Problem
Leave a Reply
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
Download Your Free Catalog
Use Tiny Railroad Micro Controllers
Model Train Help Ebook
One very simple way to overcome the problem is to very slightly increase the length of the insulated fog by painting on some clear varnish for about 2mm along the live metal track. This stops train wheels touching both the positive and negative track and thus the cause the short. The increased length of the now “dead” track should not be a problem with multi pickups on the locos or with stay alive capacitors fitted to the dcc locos.
If your track reverses the direction of the whole train, the track will be shorted out through the locomotive as it reaches the main line. Turntables and triangles exhibit the same problem. See dccwiki.com/Auto_Reverse.
Christopher, This is a very basic problem with DCC systems. What you need to do where the track doubles back on itself is to have a section of isolated track that is at least as long as your longest string of locomotives that are consisted together. To feec this section of track you need to install a auto reverser which will switch the polarity on the isolated track as soon as it sences the short.
Christopher, I think you need to change your track configuration a little bit. You may want to isolate your 3way turnout from your reverse loop as a switch machine changes frog polarity of the turnout. A reverse loop has to be a section that is totally isolated from the rest of your layout as polarity changes when you enter and exit the loop depending on the direction you are going when you enter the loop. I installed a digital AR 1 auto reverser on my loop so it changes the polarity automatically, it uses 4 wires 2 go the bus wires and the other 2 go to the loop. I watched a YouTube video on reverse loop installation and auto reverser and it helped a lot. I hope this advice helps you. Good luck.
Chuck