Hornby R8238 reverse loop module

[pd91223]

Thanks for the update.

I'll be patient because describing the layout problem would be too complicated!

Meanwhile, because I find the Hornby power clips supplied with the R8238 are impossible to use - I don't solder and my eyes aren't great for differentiating black cables from black cables with a thin dark grey stripe, which always seems to be underneath where I can't see it (!), I'm buying some alternative power clips. When they arrive I'll use some red & yellow wire (as shown in the Hornby R8238 instructions!!) to ensure I've wired the RLM correctly and try again. If my connections still faill I'll be back here again!

PS the cables with the Select controller are both black too. Why can't Hornby supply different colours for us with poor eyesight?!

[Rog RJ]

It doesn't matter which way round you connect the cables (wires).  If it doesn't happen to work (unlikely) just reverse the two wires.  No harm should be done.

[pd91223]

There's no sign of the image problem being fixed so let me try to explain the layout without a diagram..

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It's basically a figure of eight on its side without the second join (i.e. two reverse loop balloons with a common join). The common join is relatively short (780mm point-to-point and runs SW to NE) - I'll call this the BLUE zone. There's a single point off the top of the left-hand RL which splits, re-joins and then connects to the right-hand RL on the far right. There are also points off the inside of the right-hand RL in to a station (dead-end). One of the station links comes back out again (Y-point) and crosses over (insulated diamond) the BLUE zone from right-to-left to a dead-end. All points have Hornby point clips fitted so should all be live. From the point at the top end of the BLUE zone to the first point down in to the station (I'll call this the YELLOW zone) is 678mm. The left-hand RL from the point at the bottom (SW) of the BLUE zone to the point at the top of the BLUE zone (NE) is >2500mm. The right-hand loop from BLUE zone back to BLUE zone is >3500mm. All lengths quoted exclude the points themselves. There's a single power feed at the bottom of the right-hand RL. I'm using a Select controller.

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I've been testing with a Class 101 2-car DMU (approx 500mm), which runs ok around all the outer and inner track both with and without the insulated fishplates as described below.

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Using a single R8238, first of all I put insulated fishplates (4 in total) on the point connections to each end of the BLUE zone; the Class 101 stopped (overload) when entering the BLUE zone (NE)anti-clockwise from the right-hand RL; it stops at exactly the same place (NE) when running anti-clockwise through the BLUE zone from SW to NE . I then tried insulated fishplates (6 in total) on the right-hand end of the YELLOW zone before the first point down in to the station and on the two left-hand connections of the point at the left-hand end of the YELLOW zone with exactly the same results.

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I realise that using either of the BLUE or YELLOW zones for the RLM in the longer term wouldn't be any good because of the lengths of other trains (loco + coaches) that are longer than that section, but this was just to test my understanding of RLs - obviously not good enough yet!! However, I could always use coaches with plastic wheels as previously suggested.

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I hope my explanation makes some sense!? It would've been a lot simpler if I'd been able to upload the diagram. By the way, I've tried replacing the Hornby power clips supplied with the R8238s with those from an alternative supplier and there's no difference in the results, although they're a lot easier to fit!

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Any help would be much appreciated.

[Rog RJ]

Can't you put a diagram or photo (whatever) on Flickr or another image hosting site and post a link to it?  That's what we had to do before the forum supported image posting.

[pd91223]

I'd have to ask my granddaughter to show me how to do that, Rog, and she doesn't have any time at the moment. Meanwhile I seem to have resolved my immediate problem with help from Brian Lambert's site. The Class 101 now runs correctly through all the various loops and reverse loops. 

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However, when I change my layout for the more complex one I have planned, I'm sure I'll be back! Hopefully by then (probably 8-12 months) the image upload problem will be fixed!!