Wiring for a model railway single slip

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
I have a single Slip constructed from copper clad sleepers and Nickel silver rail and cannot work out how to wire it.
It is described as an outside slip but the slip rails are only partly outside the crossover rails.
I have looked at the Single Slip wiring diagrams on C&L and P4 websites but neither are showing this type of construction
and I have also been given verbal advice that I only need four wires to make the thing work.
I cannot see this as, when in operation, some rails appear to need to be wired to represent up to three different coloured wiring connections.
I can supply a sketch if anyone can help.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
I would recommend you provide any additional info including sketches and photos if you have them.

Our members will try to help if we can.

hgmjr
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
Thanks for the quick response. Can you please advise me how to include my sketch into a post reply?
With the sketch I can give a description of the working.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
Instead of "Quick Reply", click the "Go Advanced" button at the bottom of the screen. Once there, you can attach image files using the "Manage Attachments" button.
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
As suggested, I have attached a sketck of the single slip using 'manage attachments' as I can't fing 'Go advanced' on the 'reply' screen.
The eight ends of the slip are all detached from the surrounding rails on each side in order to make the slip a self contained unit.
The function is to allow trains to run from 1 to 2 as a main line, from 2 to 4 as a siding or from 3 to 4 as a siding.
Rail breaks are shown as )(.
Track wiring colours are
:
1X - Red is required to have Orange polarity depending on the direction of train travel
1Y - White
2M - Is required to have either White, Red or Green polarity depending on the direction of train travel.
2N - Is required to have either Red or Green polarity depending on the direction of train travel
3S - Green
3T - Orange
4H - Is required to have White or Orange polarity depending on the direction of train travel
4J - Is required to have Red or Green polarity depending on the direction of train travel

I hope that the above makes sense. I know what I mean. Any questions, please ask.
Turnout motors being used are Tortoise motors which each incorporate two SPDT switches.
Appreciate any response please
 

Attachments

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
Got your BMP, need time to look at it. That is an involved bit of trackage.

Am I correct in assuming that rail S and N are always electrically bonded?

It would seem that, for predictable train motion, that rails X, S, N & J have to have the same polarity, as do Y, T, H & M (other polarity of course).

That would also mean that the broken section in line with the X-J points has to be electrically bonded to X or J. The section between X and N also has to be of the same polarity as X and N.

Visualize the track sections as rotated so they all lie parallel. That will determine the electrical connections. I'll take some time and confirm.
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
You are correct in that Rails S and N are one piece, as is rail between Y and H.
In order to relate to adjacent feeding tracks, there will be four wire feeds as follows:
White at Y
Red at X
Orange at T
Green at S
These are the colours feeding current to the running lines to which this slip is connected.
J and H lead to a sidings complex.
So a train travelling from 1 to 2 would need to have White and Red polarity all the way through.
A train travelling from 1 to 4 would need to have White and Red polarity all the way through
A train travelling from 3 to 4 would need to have Orange and Green polarity all the way through
Thanks for your interest
Regards
Micheal
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
This may be the "two great civilizations separated by a common language" situation. I would assign, say, rail X as positive, and then rail Y as negative. Then I would work through making T, H and M negative; S, N, and J positive.

However you work it out, applying power and using a meter to check the voltages is a smart thing to do.
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
For BEENTHERE
Thanks for the suggestion but that will not work as rails S to N and Y to H are without any gap.
The system requires X to T, which is also solid, to have a change of polarity.
This also applies to J to M which has to have three different current feeds, all of which have to be variable subject to direction of train travel
Does this change your thinking?
Regards
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
I was assuming that all traffic would go the same way. I suppose that if each line can have trains going on any direction, that does change things....
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
You are correct re directions of travel

Trains would travel normally from 2 to 1 , from 4 to 1 , and from 4 to 3. And would need to be able to travel in the opposite directions when that is determined by the controller setting.
When travelling from 1 to 2 or vice-versa then 3 and 4 are switched out
When travelling from 3 to 4 or vice-versa then 1 and 2 are switched out
When travelling from 1 to 4 or vice-versa then 2 and 3 are switched out
Appreciate your feedback please
Regards
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
I suppose that your method would work for single trains. I'm not so sure about multiple trains running on multiple loops independently. Having controllers in each engine would allow one to assign permanent polarity to the rails, and not have to switch with the points.
 

Thread Starter

mikeandnel

Joined May 23, 2009
9
For BEENTHERE and SGTWOOKIE
Thank you both for your comments and advice. Very useful.
The idea is only to have one train running on each circuit at a time but for trains to be changed by entering or leaving the siding complex, at which time all train running would halt until the change was completed.
The wiring schematic given by SGTWOOKIE looks as if it can be adapted for a single slip by using two Tortoise motors so I am going to try that.
I am not into DCC but prefer traditional wiring due to age and the fact that many of my locos are very small due to the period modelled which is pre-1900..

Thank you all for your input. Very much appreciated
Best regards to you all
 
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