Senior Moment - Trolley

[traindaddy1]

Another "Senior Moment"....Can't find my notes....I would like to run a trolley (or train) on a straight non-loop track but have it pause at the end of the run before reversing.

I don't remember if it was an accessory or just some electrical "stuff" I had to buy and build it myself.

As always, many thanks.

[Firelock76]

Depends on the brand of trolley.  Some, those made by Lionel, MTH, or Atlas have bumpers on them that will reverse the direction of the trolley if they hit an end-of-track bumper making special reversing circuitry unnessary. 

Other brands, I'm not sure.

[8ntruck]

I've been thinking about this same subject - how to make a trolley pause at each end of its track.

Most trolleys do have some sort of bump and reverse feature, but not usually any pause before reversing.  I have not worked out the details yet, but a general approach would to have an insulated track at each end of the track so that the trolley would trip a relay that would kill the power on the track and start a timer that would turn the track power back on after a short pause. 

The circuit out of the postwar automated station would do this job.  It could probably even be wired so you would only need one circuit.  The postwar technology used a bi-metal strip as the operating part of the timer.  I'm sure that there is some electronic gizmo available now that would do the same job.

Good luck.

[ADCX Rob]

8ntruck

The circuit out of the postwar automated station would do this job...

That, and a 2 position reverse unit would work just fine.

[traindaddy1]

Thanks.

I am trying to avoid the "bump and return" type.

If I find my notes (or if I get some info.) I'll post.

Thanks, again.

[TrainLarry]

Here is a timer circuit for stopping and starting trains. With a bit of work, it can be incorporated into a trolley line.

Larry

[traindaddy1]

Thanks Larry.

[lionelsoni]

If this is part of a larger layout, you could use a control rail on another part of the layout to operate a relay to energize the center rails of the trolley track's stop blocks.  Every time a train went over the control rail, any stopped trolley would get a pulse of voltage to cycle its e-unit.  Whichever kind of e-unit it had, it would eventually move out of the stop block and travel to the other end of the track.

You wouldn't even need to create a control rail if you already have an anti-derailing turnout whose control rail you can piggyback on. 

[traindaddy1]

Bob: Thanks.