Building A TT:120 Model Railway - Episode 2: How To Install A Reverse Loop!
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- Опубликовано: 15 июл 2024
- In Episode 2 of Building A TT:120 Model Railway, I show you how to install a reverse loop!
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One crucial part of the layout is the reversing loop that will eventually allow trains to change their direction on the layout. But if you've ever tried to wire up a reverse loop yourself, you'll know that it takes a bit of extra time and preparation to get all the electrics right. If you've ever wondered how to add a reversing loop to your own layout, well this video should walk you through the entire process.
Meanwhile I also get the point motors install on PECO's new Unifrog points as well as trying out a new technique for ballasting which I think has the potential to be a game changer.
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Products Used:
DCC Reverse Loop Module: ebay.us/WlyPMR
Peco TT Flexible Track: www.themodelcentre.com/sl-1200
Peco TT Left Hand Point: www.themodelcentre.com/sl-u1296
Peco TT Right Hand Point: www.themodelcentre.com/sl-u1295
SEEP PM1 Point Motors: www.themodelcentre.com/gmc-pm...
Fine Ballast: www.themodelcentre.com/b75-wo...
2mm Cork Underlay: amzn.to/3xzxMWk
PVA Glue: amzn.to/43TyZE5
Track Tacks: amzn.to/3UiGhOE
Drill: amzn.to/43UIlPI
1mm Piano Wire: amzn.to/3xwZoeT
2mm Tubing: amzn.to/4aSfihY
Double Sided Tape: amzn.to/3vFw4Cp
Craft Knife: amzn.to/4auk3Pd
Nail Punch: amzn.to/3xtkL0m
Feeder Wire: amzn.to/4cRsSnR
Bus Wire: amzn.to/43YAFfw
Soldering Iron: amzn.to/3TYNNg8
Wire Clips: amzn.to/3xwZTWj
Splice Connectors: amzn.to/3vO2Voy
DCC-EX Controller: ebay.us/oToeYt
Hornby TT A3 Night Hawk: prf.hn/l/1eLJ454
Hornby TT HST: prf.hn/l/gx1oQly
Hornby TT Mk1 Coaches: prf.hn/l/lQqp1pQ
Hornby TT Mk3 Coaches: prf.hn/l/jXnZ9qJ
(the above may contain affiliate links which gives the channel a small commission on any purchases made at no extra cost to you)
Thanks for watching 😃
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I’ve never built a reverse loop on purpose. Did it first when I was 8 using my Triang track on the carpet. Opportunity for my dad to explain electronics and shorts!
Certainly a fast way to learn! Thanks for watching 🤩
Wonderful! another TT:120 layout building episode!
There's a lot more of these to come over the next few months! Thanks for watching 😃
Amazing sponsor! TMC is THE best model railway reseller ever. I’ve bought almost all of my collection from them
They are brilliant and so much to choose from. Always worth checking them out at exhibitions too as you can often see their weathering first hand and they're just really friendly to talk to. Thanks for watching 😃
Its as good as it always is these vids give me something to look forward to every week
Really glad to hear you're enjoying the videos! The plan is to get this layout finished by September so there should be a lot more videos between now and then! Thanks for watching 🤩
This has the look of a potential layout for me, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the incline isn’t too steep. All good so far and reversing loops have come far since my last layout.
The key with inclines is to make them as long as you possibly can. I'll be covering all this in later episodes but the good thing with TT:120 is that you don't need to go up that high because of the smaller scale. Thanks for watching 😃
Great video and the double sided tape is perfect idea for points 🚂
Yeah I think so too - really makes the process a lot easier. I may even make a dedicated video on just that technique in case people miss it in this video. Thanks for watching 🤩
This one is coming along very nicely, going to be exciting to see how it develops
Thanks! Yeah there's still a lot to do but all interesting stuff and for me a lot of new things that I haven't done before - like the reversing loop or switching frog polarity. Thanks for watching 🤩
Hints that may be worth noting
1. its a lot easier to solder wires to the SEEP motors before installing them, just easier to do on a bench, sometimes a frog wire has to be done on the layout but its worth experimenting.
2. its also a lot safer to measure the operating wire length and cut it away from the layout, can't damage the points, and again access is easier.
something for the wire in tube ones, glue can work, however the metal bit from an electrical screw connector can work nicely, and is also easier to adjust if ever needed.
nice to see the SEEP have enough through to drive the switch on TT though
and the rest looks very nice :)
Personally I find it easier to solder the wires onto the motors once they're in place. Obviously it's easier for those of us who can flip our layouts but I find it a really quick job.
Similarly I find it much easier to use the full length of the rod when lining up the motor underneath. As you can see the dremel makes quick work of the cut as long as you don't go to fast when grinding down the excess. It's all personal preference though, there's no right or wrong way to do it.Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy which is all fair enough, its only hints, many ways to skin a cat, or indeed solder wires.
hardest bit is getting the SEEP centred right, last time I used them (home made OO gauge points) I stuck card in the point to force it centred.
thats all running lovely though :)
I really like the way you did the reverse loop, I always thought they were daunting, but that reverse model you got for the electrics really works 😀
Yeah I have to admit I'd always been a bit scared of them too but actually putting this one in was a really easy experience! Thanks for watching 😃
Coming along nicely. For strong solder joints (rather than electrical) use silver solder.
Good one to keep in mind for the future. It was more that the solder wouldn't adhere and kept balling up and rolling off onto the baseboard. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Don't forget to use flux too. Love your channel, informative and well presented.
TT120 isn’t for me but everything you do is relevant to other scales/gauges. That reversing loop works a treat!
Absolutely, there's still a lot of things in this series that I'm doing for the first time on the channel like the reversing loop. The whole upper level and incline up to that is also a huge challenge that I've not tackled before. Thanks for watching 🤩
Amazing to see how smoothly that loco goes through your reverse loop...and then proceeds to travel in the opposite direction on the oval! I've currently got an end to end 0 Gauge layout atm ...but if/when I get more space I would love to install something similar on a larger layout! Many thanks for some very interesting builds!
Yeah I have to admit I've been really impressed with how smooth TT:120 is as a whole. Having had trouble with N in the past I was worried this would be similar but actually the track laying has been really easy, even for someone like me who is mediocre at best. Thanks for watching 😃
Yet another great video. A suggestion would be using the suitcase connectors for the droppers towards the reversing module instead of soldering. Also, using electrical tape might be a short sighted solution. It tends to to loose stickiness over time
Personally I find soldering to be a much more solid connection. There's been several instances where the wire has come loose inside the connectors and redoing them is a real pain. As for the insulation tape, so far I haven't had any come off on any of the layouts I've built over the years. Thanks for watching 😃
Enjoying this series so far at the moment. I’m in to TT myself but think it will be a while before I build anything until sufficient stock is available
Awesome, hope it’s giving you some ideas for a potential future layout. Thanks for watching 😃
Great video mate, can’t wait to see more of the series!
There's lots of exciting stuff coming up, we're still only just scratching the surface really. Thanks for watching 😃
Looking good Joe can’t wait to see the finished thing at spa 👍
Likewise, been keeping an eye on your build too! Thanks for watching 😃
Absolutely fascinating video thanks - techniques that can be used for any scale but exciting to see a TT:120 layout coming together so well
Thanks Nigel, yeah absolutely all the techniques work just as well for other scales too but I will say it is refreshing to be working in a brand new gauge! Thanks for watching 🤩
Very clever idea with the doublesided tape! First time I've seen this and really impressed with how well it worked!
It's a handy trick, makes ballasting the points really easy for those who are worried about gumming up the mechanism with glue! Thanks for watching 😃
Looking forward to it!
Hope you enjoyed the premiere. Thanks for watching 😃
great Video even though I will never build TT 120 layout the skills u show are transferable to any gauge thanks
Absolutely, you could easily build a very similar layout in N or with a bit more space even 00. And the reverse loop electrics are the same for any scale. Thanks for watching 😃
I like that as you worked on the wiring I could see what you were doing very well thank you for that. The layout is coming along very well and the reversing loop is something I was wanting to learn about and you expland it very nicely. Can't wait for the next show.
GOD BLESS from America
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Glad you enjoyed it and could easily follow along. Thanks for watching 😃
Looks like your Night Hawk is dragging a little on the bend with all those coaches. I have that issue as well sometimes
I think it might have been because I was messing around with controlling it at the time to get the speed right. Running the camera and controlling trains gets complicated sometimes 😅 That said, I'm unlikely be running many 6 coach trains on the layout and it's absolutely fine with 3 so should be good for normal use. Thanks for watching 🤩
Amazing video
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching 😃
Amazing only one thing, the wider inner loop close to the front side seems as the nighthawk is slipping on its exist so think it maybe a tad to tight for it
As I mentioned in the first episode it's slightly under 2nd Radius so tighter than I would like for these locos but that was the compromise we had to make. In this instance though it was mainly because it had 6 coaches instead of the usual 3 and was on a slight incline due to floor not being entirely level. Thanks for watching 😃
Excellent video - thank you!
But it has raised two questions 😁:
1 I have the illuminated Pullman coaches, so is suspect they have the capability to short out too - is it a safe assumption that the length of the isolated track in the reverse loop needs to be long enough to hold the loco and all illuminated coaches?
2 How do you reverse direction again? Will you be installing a second reverse loop, or will you rely on reversing the loco and coaches?
Looking forward to the next one in this series!
Glad you enjoyed it!
1. Yes ideally the isolated section on your reverse loop should be as long as your longest train to be absolutely safe. I have seen some people saying that even the metal wheels (regardless of whether rolling stock has lights or not) can trigger the AutoReverser as they cross the join.
2. Once trains have been round the reverse loop they can then access the upper level station again. Here the leading loco can disconnect and another loco facing the right direction will take the train out again.
The Class 50 and and possibly the Duchess will have couplings on both ends so that shouldn't be to much of a problem. The A4 and A3 have no front coupling so before their next train they need to be sent back round the reversing loop as a light engine. Fitting these manoeuvres in around trains if part of the fun or this layout in my opinion.
Thanks for watching 😃
Thanks for the reply! For sure I will make my reverse loop long enough to make sure 😁
Very nice.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching 😃
Wish I knew about the double sided tape technique before I made my railway 😂
It's definitely a handy technique especially for those who find ballasting points tricky. Thanks for watching 😃
Excellent video as always! Why are there 4 wires out of the auto reverser? ie 2 in, 4 out? Thanks in advance.
Hiya, so at 05:12 you can see I have 4 wires with 2 on each side of the track join. Both pieces of track make up the isolated section so need to be joined up to the autoreverser. That's where the 4 out comes from.
You could just have a single set of wires and rely on the continuity to pass power through the fishplates, but I didn't want to take any chances with this layout. Thanks for watching 😃
I personally wouldn't use insulation tape as it's not designed for insulating, only changing the wire colour. Hellerman sleeve is designed for it and looks way smarter as well
Do you want to read that first sentence back to yourself 😅
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy 'Insulation', not 'Insulating'. Source, I'm a sparky
And I've worked in theatre as a lighting technician. There's obviously a big difference between working with mains electric and a model railway. Out of the 5 different layouts I've built I've never had a piece of LX fail and cause a short.
This track plan is actually really clever! Manages to cram alot of operational options into a really small space! However, I wonder if not being able to turn locos around on the top level might become a bit of an issue? 🤔
It's all thanks to the reverse loop really that allows trains to depart from the station and return to it without having to propel back up the incline, which visually I wasn't keen on.
We considered a turntable at the top but it would have taken up so much space it wasn't really worth. The compromise is that once a loco has returned to the station, at some point it needs to run light engine round the reverse loop again before taking over another train - fitting that into the operating sequence is part of the challenge. Thanks for watching 🤩
Will you put a turntable in to the station to get the engines back the right way again? Im assuming an escape point etc, or another loco to take the train from the rear. Otherwise the operation will need the hand of god. 😂
There isn’t room for one. The Duchess will have a front coupling apparently so possible tender first running and the 50 has a coupling at both ends too. The A4 and A3 will run light engine back round the reverse loop one another loco has departed with their train. Should provide for some really fun operational interest to keep everything in the right place. Thanks for watching 😃
Question that’s on my mind. Do you have anyway for a loco traveling counter clockwise to change direction? I was looking at this video and the plan from the last one and couldn’t spot it.
Not directly because we don't really need it. A train could run back up to the station then be taken away by another loco in the opposite direction which is the operation we have planned. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy smart idea.
Is there any layouts you have built that you don't like the look of now and want to redo
I wouldn't say there's any I outright don't like but with every layout I build I'm always thinking about how it could be better from what I learned during the process. Pickwick Yard is a very simple layout and I've learned a lot since building it so I've considered re-visiting that. Similarly I'd love to extend the garden railway but time and space is the issue there. Thanks for watching 😃
So I may be in the wrong place, but I’m hoping this works for HO/OO as well 😅
For the reversing loop it should be exactly the same process, the wiring and electrics is the same regardless of scale. Thanks for watching 😃
I can’t find the “join” button to become a channel member. Can you check if you have the option enabled?
Hiya, it doesn't show on some devices (desktop is usually best) but there's a link in the description too... or just for you: ruclips.net/user/thatmodelrailwayguyjoin 😉 Thanks for watching 😃
Do you need to isolate the section of track if it's a DC fitted layout 7:48
Yes as you'd still have a short circuit somewhere. You'd most likely need a DC specific auto reverser too as some are intended for analog and some digital. Thanks for watching 😃
Are there any auto reversers that work with analog?
Yes, this one for example: ebay.us/TnpXtE (affiliate). Alternatively, if you're happy to stop the loco briefly in the isolated part of the loop you could do it with a switch to determine which end the loop is powered from. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Thank you
How reliable is the auto ?
The autoreverser? So far 100%, it's been installed for a few months now (videos are filmed in advance) and it's not caused any problems with trains running in either direction round the loop. Thanks for watching 😃
What brand of double sided have you used?
Links are in the description for everything used in the video. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thanks mate. 👌🏻
Was thinking of making a reverse loop extension but noticed that the module you used isn’t compatible with hm7000 are there any out there that are as I don’t fancy frying the decoders
As far as I know, you can't use any AutoReversers with HM7000 if you're using the transformer wired to the track method.
That's why in the previous episode I installed the DCC-EX system so that the module (and entire layout) was running off the DCC power it needs. The HM7000 decoders will work as normal decoders in this instance. Thanks for watching 😃
I use an elite to power my track and also use that for my points would that make a difference
@@RobGriffiths-kc7sc In theory it should be no different to my own situation. As long as you’ve got DCC power going to the rails the AutoReverser should just see the HM7000s as normal decoders.
Many thanks
Is they going to be an n gauge railway
There's no plans for anymore layouts at the moment seeing as I've still got to finish this one. Thanks for watching 😃
Just one comment on the soldering. Always use flux !!!, either liquid or paste even with solder with a flux core, it will make life so much easier. Great video BTW 👍
Yes I use solder with rosin and flux cores. Thanks for watching 😃
No, I meant apply separate flux to your work piece before applying solder.
How do the reverser when to reverse ?
The module senses when the loco enters the section and can tell if the polarity doesn't match the polarity of where it's come from. If that's the case then it switches the polarity so fast (milliseconds) that the train doesn't stop. It then checks again when the train leaves the section. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy clever !!
Hi Philip here I also have tt scale and trying to get the track to go round and round three levels do you think me and my girlfriend will be able to do this.let me know
It depends how much space you have as the inclines need to be smooth and long to allow the trains to get up them. If it's your first layout it might be a bit complex but not impossible. Thanks for watching 😃
@@ThatModelRailwayGuy hi right ok then thanks for letting me know.well I've been with model railway layout for years now and still doing them
what are the dimensions of your layout ?
8ft by 2.5ft. Thanks for watching 👍
So you can only see this trailer once?
Huh? The trailer is just a placeholder until the full episode premieres at 7pm. If you want to watch the trailer again you can see it here: ruclips.net/video/2hqgNJuF-qQ/видео.html
This guy is a butcher! He may have an idea how make a model railway but his use of tools and glues etc is appalling
Looking forward to your series where you do it better 👍
Just checked out the auto reverse loop module and it says 'not for use with HM7000'. Oh dear😥
I believe this is the case for all AutoReversers if you're using the transformer wired directly to the track method with HM7000. That's why I installed the DCC-EX system in the previous episode so that we can run the layout with traditional DCC which is what the module is designed to work with. Thanks for watching 😃
Hornby are bringing a Reversing Loop out specifically for HM7000. Product # R7327