PAZGRR7315 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 My newly acquired Challenger has raised a "reversing siding" for my RR, the 'PAZ'. This 'PAZ' Island is about 24" long in a lazy dogbone, South end is about 5 1/2 feet and North end about 8 feet, center is approx 5 1/2 feet wide. The 8 foot end is not a tru radius due to some straights added on the West curve for a 30* diamond into the storage shed. Challenger can come out of shed, across connecting bridge into secondary inside track and left hand WR switch, about 3' to a right hand WR and straight lead. Back thru the straight RH WR and RH WR to a LH WR into engine house. THIS will be a dead track switchable to power to back in, then cutout and switched to power out (reverse polarity) then pull out thru some switches to an X-crossing and backing on the a main which at least 10' curves, maybe some 20' in there as well. 2 questions: 1. Power by removeable allegator clips and wire, or permanent switches. 2. Do I use the reversing switch on the Challenger and will it work. I just do not want to keep putting-on and taking-off the rails... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 The key issue (as I know you are aware) will be the engine crossing from the section of track to the other and making sure when you go to cross polarity is correct otherwise it will short when it enters/reenters the track. So based on that I would use permanent switches at the track level to control track polarity. Basically have two scenarios/approaches that could be done: 1) If you drive an engine onto the reversing loop and the plan is to flip the reversing loop polarity after it is on it so you can drive it back on the layout, then you will want to flip that reversing loop polarity, then flip the polarity switch on the engine. 2) If you drive an engine onto the reversing loop and the plan is to flip the polarity on the main layout (keeping the reversing loop polarity the same that the engine is currently on) then you won't need to mess with the polarity switch on the engine. When Protosound 3 is out, you will no longer have to worry about setting the polarity switch because the engine will take polarity either way and work correctly automatically. Let me know if that helps some. Raymond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAZGRR7315 Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Thanks Ray, did not know Challenger does not have a DCS Polarity switch and will search for track switches to control the track polarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayman4449 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Sure thing Well it may have one, I just know at least some of the very first production run engines did not. So I would look behind the smoke box door and maybe under the rear frame but if the engine has one it should be behind the smokebox door, that's where the big boy's is. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAZGRR7315 Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 No 'polarity switch' - to ease the situation, going thru the switches (Aristo WR) was not the smoothist action. So, I put R3 1/2 circles at each end of the "Island" and simplified the trackage. When I have the chance, pics to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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