In today's video, I'll show you how to make a reversing loop...
An interesting feature that you can build in to a model train layout...
To take a train which had been travelling in one direction...
And turn it around so that it now travels back in the opposite direction.
I'm here in my garage, where I store all my model trains...
And I want to stress a very important point right off the bat here:
The right way to make a reversing loop is going to depend...
On whether you're running a digital system, DCC...
Or an old-school analog system.
Now I've already made two different videos about how to do reversing loops for DCC systems...
So, if that's what you're looking for...
Just follow the link up in the corner of the screen...
To watch the first of those videos about DCC reversing loops.
Today's video is going to show you how to do a reversing loop for analog model trains.
So, for example...
If you inherited an old locomotive that's been in your family for years...
Like I did...
Or if you bought an inexpensive locomotive somewhere...
You've probably got an analog model train.
And while this video is going to be specifically dealing with G scale model trains...
And I'll be telling you LGB G scale part numbers for the specific pieces you'll need...
The concepts I'm going to be talking about in this video...
Could be applied to any scale or any brand of model trains.
So, let's get right in to it.
The key thing you're going to need for an analog reversing loop...
Is LGB part number 10151...
The "Reverse Loop Track Set".
And that is simply comprised of what at first glance looks like two short pieces of track, but...
These are not just normal tracks.
There's more to them than first meets the eye.
Pay particular attention to the markings on them...
One is marked as 1015T...
Which you'll place at the entrance to your reversing loop...
And the other is marked as 1015K...
Which you'll place at the exit of your reversing loop.
By the way, the Reverse Loop Track Set sells for $83 at Amazon.com...
But it's only $67 at Trainworld.com That's the place that I buy most of my model train stuff...
Due to their low prices and excellent selection.
The other thing you'll need for making a reversing loop...
Is what LGB calls a "manual switch".
They make two different versions...
The right manual switch, part number 12000...
And the left manual switch, part number 12100.
Either of those will do...
Left or right, it's not going to matter.
Just be sure that you don't try to do this...
With what LGB calls an "electric switch"...
That's part number 12050 right switch, or 12150 left switch.
Your reversing loop is only going to work correctly...
Using the manual switch, not the electric version.
If you've got both types laying around in your track collection...
Just look for the ones with this type of switch mechanism...
That's what you want, it's the manual switch.
As opposed to this type of switch mechanism...
That's the electric switch, and that's what you don't want.
OK, let me show you how to put it all together.
I've got tracks coming in to this room from the hallway...
And I've built a reversing loop here in this room so that...
When the train comes down the hallway and enters this room...
It turns itself around here on the reversing loop...
And then heads back down the hallway in the opposite direction of which it came.
It's a classic reversing loop.
So, let's take a closeup look at exactly how I made this reversing loop.
As the track comes in from the hallway...
I've placed an LGB 12150 manual switch.
And then I've taken these two pieces of the LGB Reverse Loop Track Set...
The 1015T...
And the 1015K...
And I've attached them to that manual switch.
Be very careful to put the 1015T at the entrance to the loop...
And the 1015K at the exit...
With the arrow of the 1015K facing in the direction of the exit from the loop.
Now as for the 1015T, it doesn't matter how you orient it.
This way or that way, it's all the same.
This simply is an insulated track section.
If you look at the 1015T super close up...
You can see that there's a break in the rails.
The purpose of that is to keep electricity from flowing through this piece of track.
And that will work no matter how you orient this piece of track.
But the other piece, the 1015K...
If you remove these two screws...
And pull off this plastic case...
You can see that there's a little circuit board in there...
With a couple of little electronic parts called diodes.
And that's what makes a reversing loop work, electronically speaking.
But it's critical that you orient the 1015K with the arrow pointing out of the loop.
As far as what makes up the rest of the reversing loop...
All the rest is just regular track...
Nothing tricky.
It's really just these three pieces right here...
The manual switch...
And the two special pieces of track from the Reverse Loop Track Set...
That make the magic happen.
One other important thing to know...
Is that you need to orient the switch so that when the train gets to it...
The train will be routed to that LGB 1015T at the entrance to the loop.
You don't want the switch oriented like this...
Which would send the train to the 1015K.
You want the switch oriented like this...
To send the train to that 1015T...
So that once it makes its way around the loop...
The arrow on the 1015K points to the exit.
Now there's one other crucial thing you need to know to make this all work.
When the train comes through the reversing loop...
It's absolutely vital that before the locomotive reaches the end of the reversing loop...
You reverse the polarity of the electricity coming out of your power supply.
For example, I use the MRC Throttlepack 9900 to power my analog model trains.
So, once the locomotive gets in to the reversing loop...
And before it exits the loop...
I need to hit this "direction" button on the MRC power supply.
That reverses the polarity of the power going to the mainline...
So that the locomotive will travel in the reverse direction down my hallway.
Think of it this way...
Just imagine an analog power supply hooked up to some model train tracks...
And the red wire is connected to the upper rail...
And the blue wire is connected to the lower rail.
If I turn the knob, the train starts going in this direction.
Now if I were to connect the wire the opposite way...
With the blue wire connected to the upper rail...
And the red wire connected to the lower rail...
The train would travel in the opposite direction than it did before.
And you can get the same effect by just pushing the "direction" button on the power supply...
If it happens to be equipped with one, like my Throttlepack 9900 is.
That's one of the things I like about the Throttlepack 9900.
That and the fact that it puts out five and a half amps...
Which is enough to power several G scale model trains at the same time.
And you can get one of these MRC power supplies for a very good price at Trainworld.com
So, the train is coming down my hallway from the other end of my house.
On the way here, I want the train travelling in this direction, but...
Once it gets here and goes through the reversing loop...
I'm going to want it to travel that way down the mainline...
The reverse direction it travelled to get here.
Which is why, sometime between the time the train enters the reversing loop...
And the time it exits...
I need to hit the direction button on the power supply...
To reverse the polarity of the electricity flowing through the mainline.
The moment you push that button...
To reverse the polarity of the electricity to the rails...
It's totally normal for the train to stutter for a moment, and then resume.
That's a drawback of analog reversing loops that you...
Wouldn't have with digital reversing loops.
And I can't stress enough that...
Before the train exits the reversing loop at that 1015K...
You better be sure that you've remembered to hit that button...
Or it's going to be kind of like the train comes out of the reversing loop...
And hits a brick wall!
So, if you do everything right...
Your train should come down the mainline...
Enter the reversing loop...
You hit the "direction" button on the power supply...
The train stutters for a moment before going through the rest of the reversing loop...
And then exiting back out to the mainline...
In the reverse direction from which it came.
Having to remember to hit that button...
While the train is in the reversing loop is inconvenient...
And basically means that your power supply has to be within a line of sight of the reversing loop...
So that you know when to hit the button.
And that's one of the big downsides of doing reversing loops with analog model trains.
If your trains and your power supply had DCC...
You wouldn't have that problem.
DCC reversing loops work different...
And are basically automatic, so...
That's one of the many advantages of DCC systems.
But I think it is really cool that there is a way to do a reversing loop at all...
Even on an old school analog model train setup.
It's all possible thanks to the LGB Reverse Loop Track Set...
Model number 10151, and...
Four little diodes on a circuit board within the LGB 1015K.
Reversing Loops can be really useful in designing your layouts.
For example, right on the cover of the instruction manual for the Reverse Loop Track Set...
LGB has an illustration of a cool little model train layout that uses two reversing loops.
There's one in the lower left corner of the illustration...
And another one in the lower right corner.
If you've found the information in this video useful...
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G scale model train equipment is very pricey, as you probably know.
My patrons help me get the equipment in these videos...
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And if you're curious about how to do a reversing loop on a DCC model train system...
I've put links up on the screen to the two videos I've already made about that.
And even if you don't have DCC...
The second video, the advanced lesson...
Might give you some interesting ideas on how to incorporate reversing loops in your layouts.