Iain,
Yes. You've answered the question. I will gap it for the extra sections and see what I can get working. Length of the loop isn't an issue for me.
In the unlikely case that the preferred non-shorting config proves to be a problem I will revert to the short circuit detecting method. It's just a wiring change.
Now for the final example not covered by your advice. It's a staging yard room for 5 long trains.
As shown, each of the 5 tracks is double gapped (green). The common point is the turnout on the far right. As before ignore the thin black lines as they are only for change of radius.
Ideally I would make the reversing section from one of the tracks leading off from the far-right turnout. But they aren't long enough at around 2.4 meters. The loop tracks are over 5meters long - twice as long.
This means I need to either have 5 reversing sections - one for each loop track. Obviously this would means short-circuit mode. Not cheap.
Or, I could alternatively have all 5 tracks wired as one reversing section. That would be in short circuit detection mode with room for the sensor gaps. The downside to that is that only 1 train movement is possible inside the staging yard at one time. I am also not sure if there are any detection issues involved with the polarity reversal of the tracks.
Surely this isn't a rare problem and there is a best solution out there!
Edit: I do realize there is no YaMoRC product to do reversing yet. Ironically I feel as if there is more chance of getting a YaMoRC product than another DR5013.
Oldngrey