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Supplying a sliding fiddle yard?


David_Belcher
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Hi all,

 

So my almost-finished 00 layout has a sliding fiddle yard based on Wickes kitchen drawer runners and has 7 tracks on the moveable part. At the dead-end of the fixed bit there are 6 tracks for the sliding bit to line up with, and also 6 tracks at the end connecting with the main layout, of which 2 are running lines (the Up & Down main) and the rest holding sidings (see photo).

 

Does anyone have a foolproof system for powering the moving and fixed parts from the Up or Down running line supplies (the main layout uses a twin controller with cab control) without short-circuits or simultaneous Up & Down inputs occurring? I'm thinking along the lines of something that allows either (a) a manoeuvre where a loco can run around its train to go back out or (b) simultaneous fiddle yard arrivals & departures.

 

Thanks in advance,

David

fiddle.jpg

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Have you any photos of how the sliding part works? Looking at making a traverser for my layout too.

 

I think one method of powering the traverser running lines (probably old hat now) is by means of phosphor bronze whiskers attached to the ends your movable part touching the live 'inbound' track, but I'm not sure how you can do multi-tracks in and out without using perhaps make to break push buttons or switches to control each and every track.

 

I'm sure someone will come along with other ideas.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

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I use a fly lead from the main controller to a small on-off switch block on the side of the traverser that's long enough so that it doesn't get stretched whatever position the traverser is in. And I have partitioned off the end of each traverser line with an on-off switch so a train can come in, the loco isolated and another loco pull the train out again.

 

And each siding off the end of the traverser has its own on-off switch too, so you can have one loco per traverser lane and one loco in each off-traverser siding - talking DC here.

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51 minutes ago, MR Chuffer said:

I use a fly lead from the main controller to a small on-off switch block on the side of the traverser that's long enough so that it doesn't get stretched whatever position the traverser is in. And I have partitioned off the end of each traverser line with an on-off switch so a train can come in, the loco isolated and another loco pull the train out again.

 

And each siding off the end of the traverser has its own on-off switch too, so you can have one loco per traverser lane and one loco in each off-traverser siding - talking DC here.

 

From what I've been thinking I like you set up but for DCC users there would be no need for on/off switches !

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I also find a Peco SL-43 Loco Lift and Storage Unit very useful for turning locos round on my traverser provided you have left enough space between your traverse tracks, which you need anyway if you want to be able to hand lift and rearrange your stock.

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I have a 5 track traverser on a single line modular OO layout. The power to one rail of each of the storage lines is run through a reed switch. Under the exit track is a magnet  which activates the aligned reed switch, so each of the storage lines is only powered when in line with the exit. To move the traverser deck a cable on the handle is pulled, this pulls back sprung sliding bolts at each end and a micro switch which cuts the power to the deck. The deck is moved, the cable released, the sliding bolts lock the track, the micro switches turn on the power and the reed switches only let the aligned track have power. 
 

I hope that’s helpful. 
 

Roger

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5 hours ago, 21C123 said:

I have a 5 track traverser on a single line modular OO layout. The power to one rail of each of the storage lines is run through a reed switch. Under the exit track is a magnet  which activates the aligned reed switch, so each of the storage lines is only powered when in line with the exit. To move the traverser deck a cable on the handle is pulled, this pulls back sprung sliding bolts at each end and a micro switch which cuts the power to the deck. The deck is moved, the cable released, the sliding bolts lock the track, the micro switches turn on the power and the reed switches only let the aligned track have power. 
 

I hope that’s helpful. 
 

Roger

Ingenious. I might have to come up with something along those lines.

 

David

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a 5-road fiddle traverser that connects to a double-track main line (up and down).  On the fixed support frame under the traverser I have mounted two brass ball catches such as these:

 

61Yv6nSg8IL._AC_SS350_.jpg.b8136d7002adc0a185a580db52b8d935.jpg

(random photo pinched from Google)

 

The two ball catches are wired to the up and down lines respectively.  The ball catches engage with a row of striker plates on a batten attached to the underside of the traverser deck.  The striker plates are then wired to their respective traverser roads (and all common/return rails are wired together separately).  On the striker plates I drilled and countersunk a new smaller engagement hole in the "tab" part so as to make better and more accurate contact than the gaping hole they come with.   The ball catches and striker plates are arranged so that when a traverser road is aligned with the Up road it is connected via the Up ball catch, and likewise the Down road.  The ball catches also provide the indexing of the traverser.

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On 21/12/2020 at 17:51, johnd said:

 

From what I've been thinking I like you set up but for DCC users there would be no need for on/off switches !

You only need on off switches if you don't want stray trains driving off the end of the board onto the floor.   DCC operation in a FY or traverser reminds me of Only Fools and Horses, Rodney staring at one chandelier(loco)  wondering why it doesn't move while another crashes to the floor and shatters.

If the sliding part of the traverser is just pushed by the operators hand (or knee)  I would use common return and put 2X 12 way Rotary switched on the moving table, one for up line feed and one for down arranged 012345670 to feed one rail of each track. Rotaries are usually £5 for a pair or thereabouts.   The switches and 90% of the wiring would be on the moving table just 4 wires would need to move with the table.  The other track feeds on the fixed baseboard could be dpdt switches Up- Off -Down.   Now powering it, a couple of Triang Dock shunter chassis would drag a fair old weight running on ball bearings.

 

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