Unattended Crossover Switches

I don't know about MTH switches.  I do know that Lionel remote (electric) swtiches have this feature and that Atlas remote switches do not, but that you can buy an Atlas upgrade kit to wire it yourself. 

Frankly, the durability and near-instant switching speed of Fastrack switches, and the dependability of that reverse-detection-and-switching feature makes Fastrack switches the single best thing Lionel makes. 

I have three permanent double reversing loops on my layout, each with two Fastrack switches for this purpose.  It did a little calculation just now and estimated that in the four to five years since installation of the six Fastrack swtiches involved on those three reversing loops, I have had about 80,000 automatic operations of them as I run my trains: and not one glitch ever. 

given the company's reputation, I would hope that MTh has this feature and it is as dependable as Lionels, but don't know for sure.

I will second this and apply it to the manual Fastrack switches too, which would be ideal for the application Jerry T is proposing.  Keep it simple!

I used a plan similar to yours with a loop on each end with Fastrack manual switches and just ran the train right through and the switch changed itself. It was on a Christmas layout and they worked flawlessly hundreds of times.

Ron

The feature you are asking about is called a "non-derailing" switch, and yes, MTH realtrax switches are "Non-derailing". You can let that train run all day on that layout.

Atlas switches are sprung and don't really need a non-derailing for a track plan like this.  The spring allows passage through without derailing

The following have auto non derailing capability:

• MTH RealTrax
• Lionel FasTrack
• Lionel O, O27 (with a free buzzing "feature") and Super O
• Any switch track uses a Z-Stuff DZ1000 or DZ2500 motor (including Ross, Gargraves, Curtis, ROW, and Atlas) as long as they are wired for it

I'm not certain if MTH ScaleTrax have that capability, as well.

MTH Scaletrax has the same springback as Atlas does  No non-derailing required

There's one difference between the spring back and electrical methods of auto non derailing mechanisms.

Using the spring back method, the direction of the engine through the reversing loop will always be the same, since the switch track returns to its previous orientation after the train runs through it.

Using the electrical method, the train's direction will alternate on successive passes through the loop. I find tyhis to be more interesting to watch, however, others may feel differently.

While I have no experience at all with Atlas switch tracks, I thought that I read that the Atlas switches sometimes had issues when cars that were very light went through hte springs, sometimes causing the cars to derail.

Fastrack manual switches have the best of both.  No motor, and alternating routes.

I'm just a little confused by what you're asking and the diagram.  The diagram seems to indicate single track but I don't know what you mean above by "two parallel sections of track running".  As most of the above responders have indicated, this works fine for a simple folded dogbone.  I just want to make sure you aren't asking something else.

Yeap, it happens, and also with  Fastrack non-electric switches if the loco is really light.  I have an old, old, Kusan "BEEP" (exactly the same body shell as RMT BEEPS today, but different lightweight plastic chassis) that that de-rails every time.  However in fairness it is featherweight, and interestingly, it will not go through electric switches either (it has plastic wheels and axles).  I also had a plastic Percy Lionel that would sometimes derail 'cause it was lightweight.  

I really have had no problems with loco except those.  BUT, keep in mind that many a caboose or rolling stock is so light, and their wheels a bit smaller than a locos, so that if you are backing up a train through the switch, there is a sometimes a chance it will de-rail in a non-electric, spring loaded switch like that . . . .

We use this layout design for our club at shows. We used MTH track but found that almost any conventional loco running slow would not trip the MTH switch. We now use fastrack and can run at any speed with no problems. We even leave the layout at times with no problems.

  Ed.

"We used MTH track but found that almost any conventional loco running slow would not trip the MTH switch."

Locomotives and rolling stock moving at a scale 2 MPH trip the non-derailing function of the 16 Real Trax switches on my layout.

How about this to clarify:

Fastrack and Realtrax switches working with track power will not work as well as with non-track power.  At slow speeds, I have had MTH Realtrax switch issues because the voltage was too low to "snap" the switch to the other direction.  Ironically the low voltage is usually when I'm running MTH locos at slow speed (ie. low voltage). Fastrack triggers better at lower track voltages.

So, with remote controlled switches (FT & RT) the best way to do it is with non-track power feeding the switches at a nice solid voltage (I use about 12V)

With manual Fastrack switches, they are not electrical, but perform very well for anti-derailing.  I would recommend Fastrack manual switches for this application.

Ed

Jerry, I have the same set up on the upper level dogbone on my layout and I have Realtrax also. I have my switches powered by an auxilliary power supply so I never have an issue with not enough power to snap the switches. In the last 5 years I've probably put at least a couple hundred hours on the layout with various locomotives (steam and diesel) and rolling stock (freight and passenger) and I've had maybe 6 derailments total at the switchesand no problems with the track not switching from straight to curved and vise versa.

I don't know if you still have the paperwork from your switches but it does show you how to set up the switches using auxilliary power:

http://www.mthtrains.com/sites...ction/40as19949i.pdf

Scroll down to page 10 for the section on auxilliary power set up.

Hope this helps.

Jerry

I'll second replies for manual switches.

At The Choo Choo Barn, Tom Groff uses manual GarGraves switches on an outer loop to run an Amtrak train and a Reading freight train in opposite directions. There are two passing sidings: one, at a city station by the ballpark; the other, at a rural station near the house under construction above the layout entrance. When the Amtrak train stops, the freight train starts, and vice-versa. Manual switches route each train to its passing siding. A spring on each switch allows the other train to run through on the main.

It is possible to wire electric switches to run trains on alternate routes but sooner or later something will go wrong.

I have used Fastrack 036 manual switches on reversing loops just like you have drawn. The pilot trucks on the locomotive will throw the switch. The neat part is the switch stays in position as the locomotive goes through. Ran trains for hours with this layout w/o a second of trouble.

Gilly