# what determines train direction?



## prinefan5 (Feb 22, 2014)

Total newbie here. I will have a reasonably simple oval layout. Dcc. What will determine whether the train runs clockwise or counter clockwise? Sorry for what seems like a dumb question.


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## The New Guy (Mar 11, 2012)

prinefan5 said:


> What will determine whether the train runs clockwise or counter clockwise?


The direction it's facing when you put it on the track.



Forward and reverse is a question of polarity. There is usually a button to press that will change the polarity.

HTH


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Your operation of your DCC system will determine whether the train
goes forward or backward. It does that with a digital command,
vaguely similar to when you command your computer to print
something. You actually, could have 2 locos, headed in opposite
directions on that same track. However, that may result in an
embarrassing get together.

But, as said, you will decide which way
you want to point the front end of your loco.

If you had 2 parallel tracks, generally, but not always, the
trains would run on them observing the same directional rules as you
do on the highway.

Don


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

The DCC controller or throttle in conjunction with the DCC Decoder determines the direction of travel as DCC does not have polarity on the rails. 
If you tell a DCC Decoder equipped engine to go forwards and you pick it up off the tracks and turn it 180 deg it will still move in the forward direction.

Now if your running simple DC then the direction of the engine and track polarity will determine direction.


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