Nice work Bill
Is the delay without the reset line significant? If not maybe you could use the other 4 outputs of the 4017 in reverse order to your stepper motor through individual trannys (if you have another 4). Then connect a three position switch (for forward, reverse and stop) and wire it up so that turns on/off the individual banks of 4 trannys depending on which direction you want, or turns both backs off when you want it stopped?
Could that work?
