YOUTUBE VIDEO: Talley Ober's O-Gauge Insulated-Rail Automatic Control of 3-trains, No Relays No Electronics

[JamesIngram.net]

• This new video shows a clever O-gauge, 3-train, 3-rail layout built by a Ridgely, Maryland gentleman named Talley Ober.
• Talley’s layout uses the “insulated rail” method to automatically control 3 “Thomas the Tank Engine” locos running on the SAME loop of track — using NO relays nor electronics.
• It just uses 2 simple “insulated rail" type "Control Blocks", which control 2 "Stop Blocks".
• I recorded this video at the Oct. 2017 York PA TCA meet.

 

[lionelsoni]

A limitation of this method is that it can burn out the knuckle springs of trains with metal couplers.  It can also be tricky to coordinate the train speeds and block lengths.  On the other hand, it is very easy to add realistically operating two-aspect signals at the exit ends of the stop blocks--without any electronics.