Azatrax automatic double reversing loop

[gavino200]

This is a DC system. I bought it a couple of years ago to solve a space problem on my layout that was very narrow. I wanted to have trams on my layout going between two urban areas, but I only had space for one track in the space between the two urban areas. I also wanted to keep my trams and tiny trains DC. This was a solution suggested by some people here. 

 

On my old layout the system was always glitchy. It would work a few times, then misfire. The components were all beneath the table, so they were difficult to troubleshoot. Rebuilding it took me a while, as I had no pictures hand forgot the connections. So I had to learn it from scratch. I used a "removable panel" approach as advocated by inobu and Sumida Crossing. Now I can place the whole wiring unit under the table and can remove it in one piece if I have to work on it. It's also much easier to work with these multiboard setups when they're fixed in place. Mine is pretty ugly compared with inobu, but it's my first attempt. Plenty of room to improve. 

 

The system has been running for hours now without a single hitch. I'm very happy with it. I must have had a loose wire in my previous install. 

 

The product comes with good color printed instructions. You can also find these instructions, plus much better diagrams on the website. I spoke with the owner by phone a few years ago and he was very helpful. 

 

This was my first attempt with infrared sensors. I'd use them again, and may build them into my detection system, specifically for making precise stops, like at station platforms. The hardest part is hiding them. I made a little housing out of styrene for these. If I were to do it again I'd place them under the track. 

 

I figured I'd make a brief post here, as previously this was buried in a long post about the tram line in general, and I didn't say much specifically about putting it together or the product itself.  

 

Loop with junction, sensors, and DC power supply

 

 

The Azatrax circuit board and relay switch. The little board is a relay that changes the polarity of the center section of the track. The larger board is the brain of the system. I have no clue what goes on in there.

 

 

The sensor houses that I made. Up close a little ugly. I'd want to hide this section somehow. 

 

 

Instruction sheets. These are about a 5/10 on user-friendliness. The drawings are good, but they're definitely more of a "let me explain the physics" than a "here's how to set up your product" approach. I know a little about electricity and know the names of basic components, but the internal logic of this system is beyond me. It was a bit of a struggle, but doable. The circuit boards can be used for multiple purposes, so a large part of the instruction sheet doesn't apply to my project. It took a while to find what parts of the instructions were for me.

 

Really what allowed me to complete the install successfully was a color diagram of the specific system that I was building that can be found on the website, but not in the instruction sheets. You need to refer to the instruction sheets to learn how to connect the infrared censor wires to the main circuit board. It also gives good instructions on how to set up the sensors themselves. 

 

Here's a link to the complete diagram on the Azatrax website. 

http://www.azatrax.com/reverse-loop-system-2.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few videos. The first video shows the whole system. Sorry, it's a bit dark.

 

 

 

The electronics doing their thing.  

 

 

 

The switch/junction/point throwing as the train passes the sensor. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by gavino200