# running 2 engines in opposite directions.



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I had a blast last night running 3 trainsoff the same power pack in the same direction last night. The engines ran at different speeds so keeping them from crashing was a test in quick thinking on which to send over the longer route vs the bypass and which to hold while another sped by. Fun times made more interesting in the darkness. 
Question, I have 3 bachmann engines and behind the smoke box door is a switch that changes the direction of travel, reverses the current I guess according to nmra standards. If I put an engine on the track and then another one and reverse this switch will they run in opposite directions of each other. I am nervous about burning something out so am hesitant to try it and thought better to ask the experts here. They will run off the same CREST55465 power pack and be controlled with a TE. 
Thanks
Todd


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

No, you won't short anything by moving the polarity switch. It will cause the engine to move in reverse while the other one continues forward! The polarity switch will only deal with the engine itself. The place where you will have to begin worrying about shorts and burning things out is when the engine derails or when you have isolated power blocks that are not set to the same polarity (direction). I actually almost burned out the wiring to my Annie by having the engine stop on an Aristocraft turnout and start smoking due to the polarity discontinuity!


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Won't be any problem at all.

BTW, when I open engines for repair, I add a switch to do this same thing so that I can have trains run in opposite directions on the same track. This really confounds people at the leap frog where a train comes in and parks and the other train leaves in the opposite direction.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By cape cod Todd on 21 Sep 2010 09:36 AM 
I had a blast last night running 3 trainsoff the same power pack in the same direction last night. The engines ran at different speeds so keeping them from crashing was a test in quick thinking on which to send over the longer route vs the bypass and which to hold while another sped by. Fun times made more interesting in the darkness. 
Question, I have 3 bachmann engines and behind the smoke box door is a switch that changes the direction of travel, reverses the current I guess according to nmra standards. If I put an engine on the track and then another one and reverse this switch will they run in opposite directions of each other. I am nervous about burning something out so am hesitant to try it and thought better to ask the experts here. They will run off the same CREST55465 power pack and be controlled with a TE. 
Thanks
Todd 



I think they call that a "cornfield meet" in the making!


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I'm just in from giving it a try and I almost did have a corn field meet !! My shay and Heisler going in opposite directions. Turns out the Heisler is faster so potential trouble did arise in the corn field. There are 3 spots on my layout where trains can pass and with a flip of a switch kill the power, and over the course of an hour or so I used each one several times. Just like the prototypes I had to park the freight and wait and wait but sure enough the more important freight came chugging through. 
I can see why guys spend alot on getting their trains to run independantly of each other either with a DCC type system or RC battery setup. It just adds another dimension to the hobby. I'm not in that deep yet.! 
Fun times but... it is starting to get cold out there in the evening, so time is limited. Gotta get the fun in before it SNOWS! 
Todd


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Sure. It'll work great. 

You just need a couple passing sidings and the ability to stop the siding. The first to reach the switch goes to the siding and waits for the other to pass. 

Unless, of course, you need to do a "saw-by."


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Soon...........soon you shall feel the stirrings urging you to dig deeper, to try something more! It is inevitable. Soon you shall take your first step into the _dark side!! _(Bwa ha hah haaaaaa......) Then, Todd, you shall _become one of us!!! (Cue evil music...) (Aaah hah hah haaaaaa......) _


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Todd, ignore these temptations! 
even if the dark side is calling for your soul! 

my last layout with simple analogue trackpower had two circuits, that met at the main station. on the small circuit with three stops and two trains running in the same direction (blocksystem), the bigger circuit had four stations (each with a passing siding) and four trains (two each in both directions) 
i could run the trains manually or via a modified LGB automatic system. 

head-on crashes were seldom. (generally caused by burnt reed contacts) 

at the moment i am building a loop for eight trains to run simultaniously (four in each direction) 

stay on this side, where your imagination is the only limit (not your purse...) 

(underlayed with some celestial harp music...)


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)




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