# Question on reversing loops



## SRV1 (Nov 14, 2010)

Ok, I had to come back and ask one more question I just remembered. I hadn't thought much about reversing loops but it pretty much makes sense to me now. The book I just read had very good illustrations. 

Now I see where the rails are gapped ( I assume cut all the way through to isolate them, and I see how the wires switch for a brief section. I'm just wondering how if a locomotive has one set of trucks on one power district and the other running off another power district, (or block?) how does this not cause a short? The rails are gapped to avoid this. I'm not understand how it works.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

There needs to be 2 sets of gaps to avoid a short. There needs to be enough of a distance that your longest loco or loco consist will not be able to bridge both sides of the gaps at the same time.
Typically you gap both sides of the turnout that feeds the reversing loop.


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## concretepumper (Jan 2, 2011)

NIMT.COM said:


> There needs to be 2 sets of gaps to avoid a short. There needs to be enough of a distance that your longest loco or loco consist will not be able to bridge both sides of the gaps at the same time.
> Typically you gap both sides of the turnout that feeds the reversing loop.


Hey Sean, Is this where I need to wire up mine also? At the turn out?


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