I have one Question.. How do you run Multiple Units on the one Track ?? At the moment If I put Two engines on the Layout at once they are Drawn closer to each other no matter which way they are facing ?? If you only have one power pack how can you run Multiple Powered Loco's ????
Where is Moss Vale? I think you need to see Sydney N scale club at Guilford, NSW. If I understand your description correctly, one of your engines has been re-assembled with the motor upside down. This is the only thing that I can think of that would make two DC engines with the same electrical power run in opposite directions. Do you have a hobby shop near by?
No two engines will run at the same speed so two trains on the same track will eventially run into each other. You can elecrtically isolate a section of track, this is called a block, in your layout that will allow you to turn the power off to that section. When the trailing train starts to get too close to the lead train you would kill power to that track to space them out again. Another and more realistic solution would be to create a siding that you could switch the slower train to. Again you would kill the power to that section and allow the faster train to pass. Here's an excellent link to a tutorial on running trains and wiring to allow multiple control of trains. http://tutorial.caroper.com/
The only way to control 2 or more trains on the SAME track is with DCC. In a block system, only one train is controlled on each block. With DCC, you can control as many trains in each "block" as you have room. A basic DCC system, the Digitrax Zypher, can be had for under $175.
Hey, Do what I do,sit ,watch,enjoy, & catch & hold the faster train before it runs into the back of the slower train. I call it "Mikey's real block control system".
The original question was how to keep two trains from running into each other without buying a second power pack. That can be done with block control as described. It can't be accomplished using DCC because that would mean buying a second power pack.
You only need one power pack for the DCC system, but you would need 2 throttles. You would need 2 power packs with 2 throttles to control 2 trains on DC. Part of his question was how to control 2 trains a the same time with only one power pack (throttle). The answer is "you can't"!
Using two power packs with a block system will give you the option of moving trains inside the blocks by using the two controls, though. Just a thought. A siding to run a train into is an excellent idea, and models genuine rr practice. Atlas has block switches that come with instructions on how to wire them.
But you see all these Unit Trains with Two or Three Loco's up front and some in the middle, how does that work ? If I put two of my Powered Loco's on the Track one ahead of the otherto make a larger Train, The Two Loco's end up having a Tug of War with the Freight, one wants to pull north and the other wants to pull South. Instead of Co-operating????
Engines should run in the same direction even if they are placed on the track facing opposite directions. You need to reverse the polarity to the track to get them to run in the other direction. It sounds like one of your trains is wired incorrectly. It is best to match trains for speed as much as possible when putting them in a consist but the speed can vary a bit just not drastically. This is all assuming that you are using DC. If you use DCC you can program just about every aspect of the engine's performance. You can adjust the speed that the engine runs at a given throttle setting so that you can match the speed of different engines more closely. You can also set which direction the engine runs. Under normal operation you would assign a different address to each engine and then enter that address into your throttle to control that engine. DCC also has an option to combine several engines into a consist so they all operate with the same address as if they were a single engine.
You dont need to have two cabs on a DCC system to run more than one train. Now if you have a second operatior then you will need to have 2 cabs but the beauty of DCC is the fact that you could run 9999 locomitives at once if you had the power.
I remember years ago at an NTRAK convention in Orlando when I tried to run a doodlebug with two Bachmann shorty cars for trailers. That was back before Aristo throttles and DCC when most NTRAK setups were run on a block system. There was an operator for every block, usually from five to ten of them. Some of the guys would never see this little short train and would let it slip by into the next block. It spent a lot of time as a helper pushing the train ahead until someone would spot it.
