Trackside "movement", sensors, etc.

[Anonymous]

I have a HO layout no where near finished not that it probably ever will be - are they ever ? !! I see that the larger scales have a lot of out of the box trackside items that you can purchase that do something like working crosing gates, filling stations, etc. HO doesn't seem to have these items available so was wondering if people out there have built their own or just don't bother. I noticed a company called Circuitron but have't been able to find their company website just products and product numbers. How wold I find out what their products do ?
More importantly looking to learn from others out there on ideas and how they may have added movement or use sensors of some sort to do whatever. What type of sensors are out there ?, what's their function ? Trying toi find ways to add some "life" or automatic "action" to my layout. Sorry for all the questions in one post but find this forum a wealth of information. Thanks in advance

[DSchmitt]

I found this postal address:

Dept 54
Box 322
Riverside IL 60546

but no web site or email.

[mcouvillion]

dentrainman,

I've seen reed switches and infrared LEDs used as proximity sensors. The reed switch(es) can be hidden in the track, to be activated by a passing train. Usually, a small magnet is attached under the rolling stock to activate the reed switch. (Problem: the magnet also picks up any metal junk on the track and attracts it to the car.)

I recently saw a very clever use of infrared LEDs to activate a signal bridge on the passing of a train. The infrared emitter is aimed at the infrared receiver and the beam passes across the track (at a diagonal so that any car will block the beam). When the train passes, the red indication on the signal bridge is activated; otherwise it is green. Very simple, not real prototypical, but neat just the same. The same circuit can activate just about anything. I was truly amazed at how simple the circuit is, and you can get the infrared emitter/detector pair at Radio Shack for a couple of bucks.

Mark C.

[freeway3]

dentrainman,

If you're like me, you appreciate what electronics can do for your model railroad, but aren't into electronics, and find it all pretty confusing.

I found a small company on the web: http://www.greensteamproducts.com/

They offer just a few products, but what they have comes with instructions even I can understand! They mainly have train detection circuitry, and their site has a good explanation of what this can do for you (suggested uses). Hope this helps...

Ed

[Jetrock]

There are kits for things like flashing/dropping crossing guards and such, but generally there is less "animation" in terms of things moving on an HO layout because there isn't as much room for motors in HO items, and because the motion of most such items is kind of "toylike."

Animation can be added in the form of lighitng (flashing lights) on a layout, and if you don't mind the toylike look Atlas and other companies produced toy-train inspired animation kits (things like a boxcar that shot out boxes at a loading dock, or a tractor that pushed concrete ducts onto a flatcar) that might still be around, or easy to find on eBay.

There is that uber-sophisticated German layout that includes huge amounts of HO animation, but that sort of thing costs some serious bucks!

Although if one is handy with electronics, other things could be devised--with slow-moving motors like "Tortise" switch machines or memory wire, the action of relatively slow motions could be simulated--the "bobbing" of a grasshoper oil pump, the turning of a windmill, wigwag signals, etcetera. I'm sure there are other ideas out there.

[cacole]

The infrared detectors out of automaitc restroom faucets are good for detecting movement, but the only place you can get these is to search through surpus electronics dealers. On the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club's layout, we use infrared emitters and detectors pointed across the track to detect train movements and trigger crossing signals and gates. Unless you have rather extensive electronics knowledge, these products would do you no good, though, because they take a lot of experimentation and tweaking to install, aim, and adjust their sensitivity.

[cwclark]

here is an excellent project to build train detection circuits ...they are step by step instructions, easy to understand, and have a parts list of everything you will need to build it http://www.gatewaynmra.org/detection1.htm Chuck[:D]

[challenger3802]

The site listed below has circuits which can easily be built up on stripboard, with only a little electronics know how. Light Activated Detector Circuits is where this link leads to, thecirucits have parts readily available on the market.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html#index