# Change direction



## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

I set up a version of the Tuckaway 4 lane track on a 4x8 using the Aurora slide lock plastic tracks. I was going to put an original Aurora power supply for each lane with one controller on each power track. Running into the problem of the outside lanes both running clockwise and the inside lanes running counter clockwise because of the power connections being on the outside edges of the track. I thought that by crossing over the two feed wires for the power terminal would correct this but then lanes are dead. Is there an easy solution to correct this ? I didn't want to get into hard wiring the whole layout right now as it could change
Thanks for the help


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Put the feed wires to the power terminal back the way they were. And only switch the feed wires to the inside or the outside lanes, but not both sides.


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

When you say the feed wires to the inside lanes are you referring to the wires on the controller ? These have metal tabs underneath going to each lane and I figured by changing the wires on the red power connector that I would be changing the feed to the lanes. Sorry if I'm making it sound complicated


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/47/b6/b7/47b6b718f56950c6c2530b8cfcfa90b3.jpg



Without seeing or knowing what your wiring set up is - look at this generic set up and follow them on your layout from each item on the schematic. If yours is different from this can you show as a drawing of how yours is done?


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## aussiemuscle308 (Dec 2, 2014)

I don't think you need to change the polarity, the connector is just bent to allow it to connect from the other side, with the same polarity.
it may be easier to wire direct to the track


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

maybe I can clarify some of GMDad's situation.
it appears he is using original aurora AFX track.
and, creating 4 lanes involves using two terminal tracks.
those two terminal tracks are probably adjacent to each other with the plug in portions away from each other (opposite each other).
which is why two of the lanes run in one direction and two lanes run in the other direction..,
the diagram of hardwired tracks are very explanatory but do not help GMDad out with his dilemma. 

I don't know enough about how the controllers plug in or how the transformer (power supplies) attach.
so, I cannot advise on the easy way to correct the direction on one of the terminal tracks.

from experience of other similar terminal track set ups, I think that if the power supply(transformer) wires going to one of the terminals were reversed in connection, it would create the correct polarity to have all lanes running in the same direction.

however , ..... it appears he has tried that and didn't have the result he desired.

his wish to not hardwire the track at this time leaves him with only the option of rewiring one of the terminals or ?????????????

?


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

alpink said:


> maybe I can clarify some of GMDad's situation.
> it appears he is using original aurora AFX track.
> and, creating 4 lanes involves using two terminal tracks.
> those two terminal tracks are probably adjacent to each other with the plug in portions away from each other (opposite each other).
> ...


Thanks Al. It's like you were sitting here beside me.. lol
See if I can download the pics


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

the easiest thing to do would be face all the terminal tracks in the same direction.
that would, unfortunately, create an unwanted space between the lanes.

if I understand, you are trying to use 4 terminal tracks fed by 4 transformers for 4 lanes?
therefore dedicating one transformer to each lane with it's own controller?

if that is the case the common (should be negative feed from the transformer) is connected to both lanes on each terminal, see the third picture.


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

Yes I am using one transformer per lane thinking it would be easier


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

I plugged a transformer into it and with my DVM I get 16.6 V between the short middle one and either the loner top bar or bottom bar


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

I can see were the hardwired plug systems are running both track sets in the correct direction as designed. And were turning one of them around will change the direction of travel as indicated above.

But you mention that you have 4 transformers directly connected to each individual track lane. Those connections are not shown in either of your photos though correct?

The photos only show the track end connections for the 4 controllers right?

Can you actually run each car individually? Or do you have to use both of the inside controllers at the same time to run both of those lanes? And the other two controllers to run the outside lanes. Or do all four lanes go only when you trigger all four controllers?

The reason I ask is based on the middle photograph above shouldnt both sets of plug in terminals be side by side in the yellow slots instead? With the red plug in space being the one that would normally feed the power to the track and be closed when either of the controllers when in the yellow slots are activiated.

From what I am seeing the red ended controller plug end is picking up the power and re-feeding it to both of the yellow slots but the track is already powered from another hard wired source. So when you reversed those terminal ends it created a short and no power.


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

They are run as two separate tracks. The red plug of course is the transformer. In the middle picture you can see transformer on the right and the first or bottom lane is controlled by this particular controller plugged into the center port. The second lane is controlled by a controller on the other side of the track which has a transformer in the red port, the 2nd port is blank and the controller would be plugged into the left outside port. same scenario for the inside loop except the cars run from left to right with both power tracks and with me having to put the power track on the inside of the inner loop the cars still run from left to right. I need to be able to get the cars to run from right to left on either the inner or outer loop. All 4 lanes run independent of each other.


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## GMDad (Jan 21, 2020)

S U C C E S S **** I'm not sure why it didn't work first time but I just went down and switched the wires over on both transformers for the inside loop and now all 4 lanes run in same direction. I can't remember if I had the normal transformer plugged into the inside loop on one side and the reversed one on this side of the inner loop and it didn't work? Only thing I can think of is that is was and they were working against each other but all is good now. Thanks guys for taking the time to work with me on figuring this out...... Don


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## alpink (Aug 22, 2010)

Don, congrats.
glad it finally worked out.
please share pics of the layout and your cars.


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