I have a 3 and 6 year old also. They WILL want to be hands on.
I would suggest some "door bell buttons" on the apron that cause things to happen. That will allow for some interaction with the kids. Instead of an automatic crossing gate (even though it might look more realistic), consider having it manual via a push button you son presses. Yeah, it's more toy like, but that is what is really more appropriate right now for the kids.
I have been eye'ing some amusement park ride building sets at the local hobby store. They have a ferris wheel, a swing, and a "zepher". They include a motor with them to cause them to operate. They cost about $15. I thought one would be good for adding something else for my son to "cause happen".
I am pretty sure Bachmann makes an EZ track crossing of some sort. I have not really paid attention to it, but it would probably be the simplest to use with your layout.
A street car trolley on a separate track with a "push button" control is another idea I have for the kids. It might even be a N-scale trolley. Just something else to add that my son would have the ability to "control".
Some other building kits have a diesel horn integrated to it or flashing lights, operating wind mill,...
My 2 cents...
nemixSecond question is for the turnouts, does anyone have any wiring diagrams on how to set up the three wires that come out of each turnout? I’d like to power them with a bachman transformer and then wire them two a toggle switch with leds. Obviously I’ll have to splice the small wires and connector that’s on them now and rewire the whole set up.
Critical item here. DO NOT wire the switches to a normal toggle. Stall motor switch machines (like a "Tortise") can be controlled with toggle switches. Solenoid type switch machines (which is what Bachmann uses I believe) should be controlled by momentary switches, which are normally push buttons. If you do use toggles they have to be momentary toggles not a typical SPDT toggle. If you do use the wrong switch, the way you can tell is the column of smoke coming out of the switch machine as it melts down. 8-)
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
With my son the problem wasn't when he was running trains with me, it was when he was pushing Hot Wheel cars, or stomping the layout with robots and dinosaurs... Definitely stick with the simpler crossing gates.
One thing you could do that would be more interactive for them would be to hook up a Tortoise slow motion switch machine to a simple plastic crossing gate, such as Bachmann has available in a scenery accessory set. The switch machine would be installed below the surface, with a simple linkage that pushes the gate up or pulls it down when a switch is thrown.
There are also inexpensive lighted crossbucks available from Model Power that can be wired to the same switch. That would give the three year old a button to push while the 6 is running the train. Throw in a couple other goodies like the old steam whistle hiding in the warehouse, or a few other simple animations, and you'll have a nice set up for running trains, and building some imagination in those boys.
And don't forget structure and street lighting for night running! That's what totally hooked me when I was that age! 40 years later, it's still an important part of my layout!
Another thing I would strongly advise is to go ahead and finish the basement before you get going on a more permanent layout. At the very least, hang a ceiling to make the room more finished looking, and cut down on the dust that will fall from the rafters otherwise.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Yes, everything except the crossbucks and the IR sensors are below the layout, but I had problems even with adults on a club layout breaking the Tomar signals, and at $80 a set they're too expensive to continually need to be replaced, so I removed them. Brass signals are very delicate. In order to be seen by visitors, they were near the front of the layout and club members were always bumping into them and knocking them over or snapping them off.
I'd stick with the hokey gates you have now for this first layout, and maybe install better ones on the next layout, but away from the reach of the youngsters.
If the club's road crossings had been further back from the edge of the layout, the signals may have stood more chance of survival.
I actually already have a eztrack weight gate that comes down, but in testing it pretty much sucks. It bounces the gate as each car goes over it.
Thanks for the info on the detector product you use. I'm curious to your 'delicate' comments. I'm confident both my sons will only be running trians with me, and will not be touching much of anything besides the throttle. With no gates, there is no moving parts, just leds on static poles. All the delicate electronics and wiring (besides the ir detectors) are all safely up under the benchwork correct? Thanks for the help and your opinions.
A good, non-toylike road crossing with flashing lights is going to be very delicate and not suitable for young children to be around.
On my home HO scale layout I use the Grade Crossing Pro with infrared sensors aimed across the track, and Tomar or NJ International signals. The GCP can also control crossing gates if you want to go to that expense, but here again, these are too delicate and easily broken for young children to be around them.
You might want to consider something like the LifeLike plastic crossing gates that operate from the weight of the train passing over them and cost only $16.25 in the Walthers catalog. No big loss if the kids break them. Much cheaper than brass signals with LED lights and the GCP.
Here's a link to the LifeLike plastic crossing gate system. But you'll have to use regular flex track or a piece of Atlas Snap Track instead of that stuff with the built-in roadbed on it for these.
nemixI'm actually pumped you think that I can just run the two terminals in parallel right to the zephyr. ... If its that easy to wire, i'll be up nad running in under an hour!
Thanks for the information! I'm actually pumped you think that I can just run the two terminals in parallel right to the zephyr. I'll prob just use a standalone peice of flex track as a programming track to start my first few locos with. If its that easy to wire, i'll be up nad running in under an hour! I did get the grey track, not the cheaper black roadbed steel stuff. While this is just a quick start up project, i didnt want to deal with the low low end pain in the neck track.
The benchwork i made is a beast, out of 2x4s, only because i had a metric ton left over from some stud work i over bought for. Hopefully i'll have something to post before sunday night on next weeks photo fun post. At least the track on the bare homosote and a train!
Anyone with crossing signal system recomendations, or wiring bachman switches to a toggle and LEDS is appreciated.
nemixI’m assuming the terminal track sections provided will not be sufficient enough to run 2-3 dcc locos, maybe with sound, but I’m not sure how best to run feeders to the ez track. Does anyone have any tips or a guide to the best way to wire up dcc bus and feeders to a ez track set up for best results?
I spent a great deal of time putting a DCC power bus on a 4x8 layout and much regret the wasted time, effort, and materials spent on the job.
One other consideration is if the EZ-track is the steel rail with the black plastic or the nickel-silver rail with the grey plastic base. The steel might have more issues than the nickel.
Second question is for the turnouts, does anyone have any wiring diagrams on how to set up the three wires that come out of each turnout? I’d like to power them with a bachman transformer and then wire them two a toggle switch with leds. Obviously I’ll have to splice the small wires and connector that’s on them now and rewire the whole set up.
Last question for now, one of the few requirements my kids have is for a working crossing. At least working lights, and probably lights and sound. Gates Ill probably leave for the main layout when I build it. Needs to be automated, so I was thinking of some sort of optical eye sensor. Any links to directions or kits you guys can recommend would be appreciated.