Fastrack reverse loop and switch questions.

Depends on which way you want to go around the loop, but if the switch is set one way, you don't have to throw the switch to come out, like you would with a conventional switch.

Ok thanks for the response. Also, I have only conventional at present. No command or anything, although it's possible I will move to it down the road.

It seems too me that I would need reverse loops at both ends of the line, or the train will reverse once and then be stuck in that direction.  What would be a typical method of resolving that, or are two complete reverse loops required?

Here is the Polar Express on a double reverse loop-loop with FasTrack manual switches operating automatically:

Thanks Rob. The videos won't play on my end. Can you post the links?

Wengr posted:

...Can you post the links?

Code fixed above. The forum software keeps changing the coding... here is the direct link.

Yes, you need 2 reversing loops. Modern switches are designed to switch themselves unless you want the train to take a particular route. The video doesn't show it very well, but the train uses the curve the first time through the switch and then uses the straight when it comes back around, all without any intervention by an operator.

ADCX Rob posted:

Wengr posted:

...Can you post the links?

Code fixed above.

Thank you. That video is very helpful and actually shows pretty much what I want to do.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Yes, you need 2 reversing loops. Modern switches are designed to switch themselves unless you want the train to take a particular route. The video doesn't show it very well, but the train uses the curve the first time through the switch and then uses the straight when it comes back around, all without any intervention by an operator.

Thanks. And this will be the case even with only a CW80?

The type of transformer is irrelevant.

The automatic non-derail mechanism has nothing to do with transformer other than that it supplies track power. The switch is designed so that when an engine enters the switch, the switch mechanism uses track power to set the switch to the right direction for the train to pass through without derailing. The manual and remote features are just ways for an operator to override the non-derailing feature to throw the switch, either by using a lever, pushing a button or sending a signal from a controller. A truly manual switch would require using a lever all the time and the operator to keep track of the switch position.  Ross sells switches without switch machines so you can add a truly manual throw or the machine of your choice. AFAIK, all Fastrack switches are non-derailing.

My kind of trains. Great video.

DoubleDAZ posted:

The switch is designed so that when an engine enters the switch, the switch mechanism uses track power to set the switch to the right direction for the train to pass through without derailing...

The FasTrack switches in the video are manual and have no electrical components at all.

That's what I thought and then I read something yesterday that made me think I was wrong and they got power through the track. But that didn't make any sense either, so I must have misread. I can't find what I was reading now. Thanks for the correction.

So what I seem to see in the video, is that with no operator input, the train will travel in opposite directions on the reverse loop on each pass. Is that correct? 

Wengr posted:

...with no operator input, the train will travel in opposite directions on the reverse loop on each pass. Is that correct? 

100%!

WENGR,

   Using the double reverse engineering on your layout the auto derailing engineering in all FasTrack switches will allow your train to run the layout without any problem.  The trick for setting up a double reverse layout is having enough room to make it look nice, as the video shows.  The longer the layout the better the layout looks especially if you wan to run a nice sized train.   The layouts are not hard to set up at all, we refer to them as dog bones with switches.  If you really have the room a double reverse dog bone with switches in different directions is a way cool layout.

PCRR/Dave

Ok, now I get it. I don't have a way to see this stuff in person and sometimes it's hard to visualize.

Now, let's say I have a double reverse dog bone set up, (two separate platforms connected by a single line), but I wish to have the option of keeping the train looping on one platform OR leaving and traveling to the other reverse loop - this would require three switches arranged in a sort of triangular fashion?

I've attached an example that seems to fit your description. It has 2 ovals, so it uses 2 extra switches, but you can see that having an oval with a reversing loop and being able to run to a 2nd reversing loop will require a total of 4 switches.

FWIW, you might want to do a google image search for "fastrack layouts", "fastrack loop to loop layouts" or "fastrack dogbone layouts", you'll get a lot of images to study to see what's possible.

Edit: I forgot to mention SCARM for designing layout. It's free and you can get it here:

http://www.scarm.info/index.php

Question to PCRR/Dave (and of course any one else who can answer):

You mentioned using an O22 switch with a reverse loop. So once the train is about to complete the loop and re-enter the switch, how is the position of the blades changed to the other position so that the engine won't derail?  Do you manually change the switch position or do you have a sensor embedded in the track that changes it? (If it matters, my O22 switches are from the early 1950s.)

Thank you!

Jeff

@Jeffrey H. posted:

Question to PCRR/Dave (and of course any one else who can answer):

You mentioned using an O22 switch with a reverse loop. So once the train is about to complete the loop and re-enter the switch, how is the position of the blades changed to the other position so that the engine won't derail?  Do you manually change the switch position or do you have a sensor embedded in the track that changes it? (If it matters, my O22 switches are from the early 1950s.)

Thank you!

Jeff

Lionel 022 switches will automatically align with the entry direction (into the switch) of the train entering  the switch. This is accomplished by a ground circuit established between the outer rails at each end of the switch. No sensor, just good ole 1950's toy train engineering. Note - you need to have the insulation pins correctly installed in the 022 outside switch rail(s) for this to work.  Also, IMO 022 switches work best with an external power connection when supporting a reverse loop.

@Jeffrey H. posted:

You mentioned using an O22 switch with a reverse loop... how is the position of the blades changed to the other position so that the engine won't derail?