N Gauge design help....

[Katier]

Really too simplistic with your power arrangements. With so many sidings it'll require more complexity.

 

In reletavly simple terms :-

 

Outer Loop

 

Inner Loop

 

These two would be isolated with plastic fishplates from the bay sidings AND the loop platform. The point between the loop and the sidings would also be isolated.

 

You'd also probably have an isolator for the reverse siding at the top (cutting that headshunt/siding off from the fan.)

 

Then each section ( outer/inner loop, bay sidings, runaround loop, two elements of the sidings ) would have a feed back to the center terminals of DPDT switches ( probably 6 ) then one pair of the other terminals on each switch goes to a controller and the other pair to the other controller.

 

You can then power any section, with any controller, thus swapping inner to outer can be achieved simply by powering both loops from the same controller.

 

You'd also probably have switches of some sort to allow you to isolate the different fiddle yard sidings plus the bays.

 

 

 

 

It's not complex, but not as straightforward as you think

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[5hort5]

Many thanks for your post but I think I am out of my depth here. Is there any chance that you or someone could show me a picture of what would go where and maybe highlight what bits to buy to make this work please? I don't really want to have something that is boring like a single loop with two sidings but also I'm finding the terminology confusing and what goes where mind boggling. I work better with pictures, one of those things I think, once seen I should be able to build it hopefully. I'm really looking forward to the modelling aspects but getting a functional track down that will last for a while is alluding me.

[Katier]

Diagram is tricky because they can be more complex than words due to the amount of wiring but I'll try to explain the principles in laymens terms.

 

What you need to be able to do is select which controllers control which parts of the layout via switches. These switches being wired so you can route a locomotive anywhere on the layout or have two ( or more - depending on the number of controllers ) locomotives under control at any one time. In other words, to answer your earlier question about bringing a locomotive from one loop to the other, you would set the switches so both loops were powered by one controller. If, on the other hand, you were running two trains round the loop you would have one loop switched to one controller and the other loop switched to the other controller.

 

You mentioned two controllers so this makes things fairly simple. If you need to select between 3 or more controllers it can get much more complex due to the switch types needed. For two controllers you can use simple DPDT switches. DPDT means double pole, double throw. What that means is you are switching two poles ( i.e. the two wires that feed the rails ) between two throws ( i.e. two options - in this case the two controllers ). So a DPDT switch allows you to select, simply by flicking a switch, which controller controls part of a layout.

 

When it comes to planning the wiring and breaks what you need to do is work out which sections of the layout you may need or want to operate independently. In this case you might want to shunt the sidings while a train runs around the oval.

 

I suspect you might need to read a book on the subject. Ironically the O-gauge society do have a usefull section in their online manual, but that's a members only thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sammyboy]

On 16/12/2010 at 09:59, Ben A said:

That plan is excellent.

 

If the intention is to provide a DMU "shuttle" service into and out of the bay platforms, then a spur siding off the mainline would allow this and avoid the need to occupy a road in the fiddle yard, leaving this free for through trains.

 

I have drawn in a possible option in red.

 

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

This is a lovely layout plan - which will be saved and on the list of my future N Gauge layouts to be built on a door!

 

Sam

[Harlequin]

10 hours ago, sammyboy said:

This is a lovely layout plan - which will be saved and on the list of my future N Gauge layouts to be built on a door!

 

Sam

There don't appear to be any crossovers in the non-scenic parts of the plan so when trains change direction, including the DMU shuttle, they have to enter the scene running "wrong road" and use the trailing crossover (as facing) to get on the correct track. Not very nice.

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Harlequin

[DCB]

I reckon the original poster probably lost patience with us in the 9 year gap between posts.

There is a bit of an issue at the left bottom corner, the facing crossover should be either to the left of the bay points or should be a trailing crossover, but this would compromise the station loop length.

The wrong road running for the DMUs to the bay from the red siding could be explained by a trailing crossover (not modelled) just off scene.   Falmouth - Truro trains run wrong road through Higher town tunnel at Truro if you want a prototype justification.

Lack of crossovers off scene is a pain.  I would put sidings on each end of the outer loops for storage  or running ridiculously long trains.

I reckon Harlequin could easily come up with something better or maybe has something better in his folio already.

[Ian_T]

On 18/04/2020 at 12:56, sammyboy said:

This is a lovely layout plan - which will be saved and on the list of my future N Gauge layouts to be built on a door!

 

Sam

I had some personal issues over last few years...... whilst it was never finished as such the plan is to re do this

[Ian_T]

On 18/04/2020 at 18:58, DavidCBroad said:

I reckon the original poster probably lost patience with us in the 9 year gap between posts.

There is a bit of an issue at the left bottom corner, the facing crossover should be either to the left of the bay points or should be a trailing crossover, but this would compromise the station loop length.

The wrong road running for the DMUs to the bay from the red siding could be explained by a trailing crossover (not modelled) just off scene.   Falmouth - Truro trains run wrong road through Higher town tunnel at Truro if you want a prototype justification.

Lack of crossovers off scene is a pain.  I would put sidings on each end of the outer loops for storage  or running ridiculously long trains.

I reckon Harlequin could easily come up with something better or maybe has something better in his folio already.

Im still intending to fully do this. I have plenty of time on my hands.

 

The last i did is available here https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/30106-oxley-central/