How To Make Reversing Loops on Analog Model Train Layouts ( AKA Reverse Loop )
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- This model train video explains exactly how to create a reverse loop (also known as a reversing loop) on a train layout that uses an analog power supply and locomotives that are not equipped with DCC.
On two rail model train layouts, you can't just loop the track around back on to itself... that would cause an electrical short circuit. You have to install a couple of special pieces of equipment to prevent the short circuit... and that's what's included in the LGB Reverse Loop Track Set, part number 10151.
While this video features G scale model trains and shows how to do a reversing loop using LGB brand equipment, the general principles taught in this video can be applied to creating reversing loops on any scale of model train layout using any brand of equipment.
One important detail I forgot to mention in the video is that it's important to connect the power cables from your power supply to the tracks on the mainline of your layout. In other words, don't connect your power cables to the track within the loop... attach the power cables to the track outside of the loop.
If you find that the information in this video was helpful to you, please consider becoming one of my patrons. You'll find more information at patreon.com/Jim Zim
#trainvideos #modeltrains #gscale #trainvideo #modeltrein
Video Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:39 What You Need
4:16 Assembling It
6:47 A Crucial Step
10:00 Summary - Навчання та стиль
Two things I probably should have included in the video, but forgot:
When you connect the power from your power supply to your tracks, be sure NOT to connect it to the tracks within a reversing loop. Connect the power to tracks on the mainline, not tracks within the loop.
And...
If your power supply does not have a "direction" switch to change the polarity of the power flowing to the rails... you can work around that with a simple double-pole double-throw switch between the power supply and the rails. I won't explain all the details of exactly how to do that, but if you have the tiniest bit of understanding of electronics and electricity, you can probably figure it out.
Can this be done with N scale?
Sure... same basic idea, but of course you will have to find equivalent N scale parts to those LGB G scale items I mentioned in the video.
@@JimZim ok thanks!
If you were to do two reversing loops (like in the picture on the package) would you need two of the LGB kits?
@your_everyday_subie I can't answer your question because I don't know what package you're referring to and I can't see the picture you're referring to.
Jim, you do a fantastic job of eloquently explaining what you are presenting and you speak so clearly with very easy to follow representations in the video. Great job sir! Thank you!
Thanks, Steve!
A lot of UA-camrs just talk to the camera, without a script. I find it works much better for me to actually write out a script word for word, and then read it from a teleprompter. I spend almost a full day just working on the script... to get it down to the most succinct way to say it. I was a journalism major in college... so, doing the writing and re-writing to get the words right comes naturally to me. That's why it seems eloquent to you... I'm not just speaking off the top of my head... the words were chosen carefully, before I say them!
For me, it’s the fact it got actual closed captioning otherwise it’s not watchable which goes a long way
@edscoble...
About 1/3 of the people that watch my videos do so with the closed captions turned on. So, I pay a LOT of attention to getting the closed captions right... something that I've noticed that most UA-camrs don't do. I always figured this would be appreciated by people, and it's nice to read your comment and see that it's true!
Technically - you can use the electric switches for the reversing loop, which, with the right parts, can also eliminates the need to push the direction button each time.
But it requires a LOT more wiring.
How do I do this? I want the reverse loop so bad, but it’s just insane to physically hit the direction al button every time it enters the loop.
Thank you. Very useful the information about the reversing loop
Jim - Fantastic video!
Our wise king of Austria has a rail turnout installed at the apex of a reversing loop. This switches the polarity when driving. Depending on the position of the rail turnout, the polarity has changed. If you use a spring point switch, the changeover works easily and automatically. Hooray Hooray Hooray beloved King Alexander of Austria!
Jim, I absolutely LOVE your tutorial videos. You should start doing more tutorial videos, then just run a few requested trains on the layout just constructed till the end of the video. Let me know if you like the idea.
This one's getting a LOT more views than I expected... so, I'm definitely thinking about doing some other videos like this. But what should the topic be? Really, model trains don't need a lot of explaining. It's not that difficult... except DCC, which might actually be TOO difficult for a video!
good clear instructions...
Brilliant 👏 thank you
Muchas gracias por su excelente explicación. Ojala encuentre uno para escala N.👍👍🚂🚂
Of course I'd be a lot of running around if you had two reversing loops at each end running back and forth to throw the switch and hit the button that would be some great exercise though thanks for the useful information Jim👍👍
I'm sorry to hear you are having issues getting views anymore. I hear it is common across the model railroading and other hobby (including cruises) videos. At first I didn't like you, videos were too cheesy but you seem like a genuinely nice guy. Probably not the best idea to retire early and depend on youtube but if you don't depend on it, you can scratch that comment too. Best of luck Jim.
I have three trains running on separate tracks and on one line I have a reverse loop and can't get it to work... Thanks to you I know why as on that line I am using the new basic LGB set controller that doesn't have the function to reverse the polarity!
I Have a Double Reverse Loop set up on My HO Set. 50' of Track on a 4' x 8' Table
Thanks so much. Apart from DCC, is there any other “automatic” way to switch the polarity without having to manually do it every time it enters the loop?
Interesting arrangement. I wasn't aware that there were LGB items available to make reverse loops.
When I had a Canadian themed G1 garden railroad, I built it with reverse loops at both ends of a long single line. As I wanted the trains to run continuously without any need for hands-on control, I achieved this by bridge rectifiers on the pick-ups of the power bogies of the locos (Aristocraft Alco FA1 and GE U25B) and short neutral sections in each loop. This meant that the locos could only work in a forward direction, but I had no intention of switching operations anyway. It all worked perfectly until the line was dismantled for a home move. My son did make a video of it on his channel ua-cam.com/video/BzgDfTkPxg0/v-deo.html
Since then, I have had to downsize to H0 gauge, with a reverse loop controlled in a completely different way with sections of the loop track fitted with diodes so that a train comes to a standstill at a signal. The controller is then reversed and the train carries on.
One option you could also do it to get a dcc decoder and convert the older engine to dcc
Of course, you would also then have to buy an expensive DCC power supply, too.
@@JimZim
If that was your only train then yes
You already have all of that though so it would be to make that train run with your others
A much better solution uses a YardMaster from RR Concepts. It will switch the track polarity of the center section so you don't need to manually switch polarity in each loop, and it will fire electric turnouts so you can use those. Spring return turnouts usually cause derails when there are pilot trucks. It's also a less expensive solution.
I bet if they add a descently sized capacitor to the four diodes on that reverse loop adaptor, it would reduce/eliminate that studder when reversing the direction
Hello, I am getting into g scale and have not found a lot on dcc and g scale, do you have any videos on the subject or what systems you use and how you do it? Also do you if you could use a ho scale NCE system with a 5 amp boster and you could run a g scale set up?
First, regarding the NCE system with a 5 amp booster... yes, that's exactly why the make those 5 amp boosters. The Z, N, and HO people sure don't need them. The MRC Powerpack that I use puts out 5 amps... and that's enough to power several G scale trains at the same time.
Regarding your other question...
Take a look at this video: ua-cam.com/video/sTXjhKp0vkc/v-deo.html
And this video: ua-cam.com/video/Y5oju9E4JY4/v-deo.html
I had an analog reversing loop setup with no delay.
I'm thinking an electric remote (radio control) locomotive would eliminate the need for wiring a reversing loop. Just take the locomotive power supply out of the rails and make them independent of the rail for power. The only drawback would be the battery has to be carried in the locomotive or elsewhere on the train and have to be replaced or, more likely, recharged. I'm not sure what kind of runtime to expect, but I bet it would be respectable.
what i want to know is with a reversing loop on your layout, what happens at the switch itself? especially with the analog ones, i mean just like any set up, the train is going to go the direction the switch is set up to go and if aligned wrong on for when a train is going from 2 tracks onto 1 track, the train would derail. why doesnt this happen with a reversing loop set up?
I find it odd that they don't make these as a three piece set, where the extra piece just makes sure that the train is actually going forwards before exiting the reversing loop
Question: for this Christmas LBG layout I incorporated two reversing loops. First one went fine. The second one -- not so much. I flip-flopped T and K ... then it worked. This morning tho, it failed at the 1015T. I checked all track connections in that loop. All was fine. Walked away from it. Came back 1/2 hour ago, and it works but with one glitch. Engine stops at the T, I flip direction switch on power supply and engine moves forward which of course is not kosher. Any ideas? All I could come up with is a faulty 1015K. When the latter K was in the working loop, same issue. Nothing functioned which is why I tried switching it out with another K. Jim, TX
I'm afraid that I really don't know. Sorry!
LOL I'll stick with my OLD O Gauge Marx's 3 rail train set. Don't need any extra Module section as its the center rail that carries the power and the trains will still go forwards either way it's facing unless you cut power then turn it back on to reverse the trains.
Jim .
Yo had me worried for some reason when you went
"LGB g for half a second
at the time I was thinking
" oh not you to ... "
I'm assuming the only reason you want the manual switch is the spring return for the points?
Exactly... so it springs back to the position you originally set it for... and so that the locomotive will always be directed to the entrance to the loop.
Thanks for this as the DCC trains are out of my budget and I don't read German lololol. Question: Is is possible to automate the direction reversing using LGB signaling equipment?
Not with the type of reverse loop shown in this video, no. You can only enter in one preset direction. This is a reversing loop for analog trains, and that's the way it works in the analog world. But if you have DCC trains, and you buy the right stuff to make a DCC reversing loop (as shown in a completely different video on my channel) you can enter the loop in either direction.
Thanks for the info@@JimZim
Once your loco has entered the reversing loop and you have hit the button to reverse the polarity do you have to throw the manual switch allowing the loco to leave the loop please?
Not if you've set up the loop properly. You want to set everything up so that when the train enters the loop, the train goes STRAIGHT through the switch. That way when it exits the loop it will go out the CURVED portion of the switch. This is the only way it will work properly.
Be sure that when the train enters the loop, you reverse the polarity of the power supply AFTER all cars of the train have passed the first 1015 section but BEFORE the locomotive reaches the second 1015 section.
@@JimZim Thank you 👍
Can you please get a G-scale Big Boy 4014? cause big boy 4014 comes to every state
How does this work with multiple trains and a passing siding before the loop? I don't think it will.
Ray Lattner... If you're going to run multiple trains all at the same time on an analog layout, it gets very awkward... because if you stop one train you're stopping them all... and to reverse one train you reverse them all.
If you're going to run multiple trains on a layout, DCC is the way to go... since you can control each train individually.
But if you had to do what you suggested... multiple trains and a siding on an analog layout... what you would have to do is install a double insulated track section at the entrance to the siding and wire up a double pole double pole switch to it. This way, once you got the train on the siding, you could throw the DPDT switch to cut the power to the siding. That way the train on the siding would be stopped while the trains on the mainline could run.
So, it definitely could work... it's just awkward. DCC would be much better.
im going to switch over to battery power soon and use handmade aluminum track on a raised bed because its cheaper
So do you need two sets to have a loop at each end?
Exactly! So, if you wanted to re-create that layout in the LGB illustration that I showed towards the end of the video... you would buy two reverse loop track sets... and make one reversing loop at one end of the layout and a second one at the other end of the layout. You just need to make sure that from your power supply, you have a line of sight to both reversing loops... so that you will know when to hit the "direction" button to reverse the polarity of the electricity that is flowing to the rails.
@@JimZim I have all analog trains. I’ve been wanting to do it like that to save money on track. I want to build it all the way around my backyard. If you check out my channel you will find some videos of my most current layout on two raised garden beds I built this past summer. I had a platform going down one side of my yard, but I took that out because the wood platform warped. There are better ways to do it. I think next summer I will dig post holes and make an elevated train around the yard. I have purchased a lot of used track in the past. My train dealer told me all track prices are going up in January.
Can we get more cruise videos?
There are going to be SO MANY cruise videos here on my channel... starting a few weeks from now. In December, January, and February, the weather sucks so bad where I live that I try to do most of my cruising then. Over the next few months, the model train fanatics are going to be begging me to get back to posting model train videos! ha ha
So, please bear with me for a few more weeks of model train videos before the pendulum swings back in the other direction.
@JimZim Thank You and I will see you then!!!
As an employee who used to be a conductor on the railroad, who understands a good deal... How do you keep the switch you just ran through from derailing the train the next time it enters the switch after you ran through the back side of it? I know in real life, you can run a switch without consequence; however, if you back through it, you hit the ground... I would think this setup would only work with DCC....
@davidweimer3556...
The switch has a spring in it so that it always returns to the preset position after a train goes through it.
what happened to some of the rods on the locomotive
This locomotive was in our family since about the 1980s, I think... so, it definitely got handled by a lot of kids over those years.
@@JimZim no that locomotivesset wasn't produced until the mid 90s i have one of my own
* laughs in marklin m-track *
Yeah reverse Loops love them or hate them!
Yeah great for some layouts but to be avoided is by standing on them now used to have an ho gauge layout it was only a 8-ft by whatever it was!
However it contained three reverse loops yikes.
on a lay out that small!
And I was not using command control the plan was to get the equipment for Christmas in kit form however just about that time the kit was pulled from shelves because of a flaw in one of the chips and it was not fully functional don't remember the name of the system!
Even my father agreed that I did need to use command control on the layout because of the complexity of the even running and train on the main Loop required constantly I'm throwing electrical switches even to keep the train going the wiring was just a real nightmare to say the least zero automation as well strictly endless components for control juggling to throttles although I was able to get three or four trains going at once if I got lucky ain't got up to the point I got pretty good at it but still not the way to go for a practical layout anything that complex would always suggest people use command control and be done with it!
From personal experience to others just do it what you've got complex layout even a small one could benefit!
I know there's people out there that would only do things with traditional way but in modern times if you're doing something and it's complex enough of a layout it's worth doing besides there's all kinds of other potential to integrate other things and more and less time spent and tearing your hair out trying to figure out how to get the electrical portion to work and troubleshooting and more trust me I've learned from experience that it was not the way to go for that sort of layout and putting in insulated round joints and also bypassing them when the tracks already fast and down yeah you wouldn't want to go there!
Had several Loops of track that were all interconnected and it was just a real electrical nightmare for sure quite often would miss a switch through and winding up having short circuits!
So much so I had a pilot light connected to the output so my power packs so I knew if I had a short or if I missed a switch though it would go out momentarily and also is great for troubleshooting also had a dodgy power pack at one time I did make a custom screwdriver using Dremel to get that puppy open until I found suitable screws to replace the original tamper resistant Air National rectifier!
Eventually the forever for blue however replaced it with one much higher current rating never had a problem!
Was wondering why things are acting weird and would occasionally cut out even without overload turns out one of the diodes in the bridge had gone out!
And I did even heat sink the new bridge rectifier to the case just to be on a safe side!
Eventually line up using an additional power pack as well which did help with things regarding control!
Also wound up splitting up my lighting among all three power packs as well eventually and it turns out I had enough lights it was dragging down the system as well might have contributed to the power pack cutting out just a bit more load then need be
This is the new record holder for "longest comment to a Jim Zim video"! 🙂
What's with everyone with the ATSF Annies rod removed lol
I personally use HO , for reference ho /OO requires you to completely stop the engine in order to switch the polarity...
That said! This is really easy to pull off still , especially if you simply put an industry in the reversing loop^^ THAT WAY IT LOOKS good instead of being awkward to set up and take down.
So you can save $65 by buying a $1 bridge rectifier and make you own insulated rail joints.
well, you need not one but two bridges which makes it a bit more expensive....😉
If that were a real steam locomotive it would not get very far from without its tender.....
*Laughs in AC Märklin*