Does anyone use a non electrical means identifing which staging tracks are occupied, and the same question for which route a turnout is set to (turn outs controlled by Blue Point controllers)?
While I don't use Blue Point controllers in my staging yards, I use non-electrical optical detectors to check both track occupancy and turnout positions...
...more commonly known as "eyes".
Wayne
I'm building a 4-track hidden staging yard. My plan is to use a white board and a black dry-erase marker. Low tech, but it allows me to not only know where there's a train, but what kind of train it is and what engine is pulling it.
As for turnouts, my staging yard is driven by Tortoises and I have a schematic track diagram with LEDs controlled by the Tortoise contacts. Do the Blue Point controllers have enough contacts to both power the frogs and drive indicator lights?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
, I don't know Doc, sounds a little hi-tech for me! Is that like the human interface signal system in the last issue of MRR ?
Mike.
My You Tube
I am planning on using small mirrors mounted at the ends of the staging yard so I can see which tracks are occupied. I use car cards for ops, so I can also tell which tracks are occupied by which train by looking at the car cards in a particular track's car card holder/box. Eventualy I will upgrade to something more "techy."
Chuck
Modeling the Motor City
Put knobs on the ends of the control rods going to the Blue Points, and color the outer half different from the inner half. You can tell turnout position by if a knob is in or out. Or use the contacts on the Blue Point to light up indicators on the fascia if you can't see the tracks. They have DPDT contacts and you only need one set to power the frog, the other side is free to use.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Have you ever cosidered maybe using cameras and monitors to see your whole layout? It would not be to difficult to accomplish>
I park full trains in staging, each complete with a deck of car cards. Each track has a card pocket. Presence of cards in pocket = full track, and you know exactly what's on it. No cards = empty track.
Can't get much lower tech than that.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - and, "The rest of Japan," in staging)