Does anyone have experience with a block occ system that uses lots of reed switches just below the track and small magnets on the bottoms of locos/rolling stock?
I can see a few pros/cons to this, but nothing that would prevent use of this type of system.
Anyone?
Dave Loman
My site: The Rusty Spike
"It's a penny for your thoughts, but you have to put your 2 cents in.... hey, someone's making a penny!"
I have been using reed switches to actuate signals on a return loops in a shed behind my shelf layout in a carport. This was needed to keep from running one train into the back of a train holding in the shed. I first put reed switches in the middle of the track. It became apparent that the best location for the magnets on the engines was on the Engineers (right ) side.
With this configuration it is possible to have signals actuated by trains in one direction and not actuated by trains from the other direction.
This also made it possible to automate return loops after changing to DCC.
The magnets that I use are 3/16 diameter and 3/8 inch long. I know they are not a part that is on locomotives but the operations are worth the discretion's. One most diesels the magnet will fit in a hole in the fuel tank and not be very visible. The hardest to hide were on switchers.
I hope this helps you. I am happy with the system.
Cliffsrr
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I have reading in another thread about Phidgets and RFIDs. Very fascinating stuff. RFIDs are now impanted in dogs with owners info and have recently been FDA approved for humans with health histories. Soon to come in merchandising, so that scanners and cashiers will no longer be needed at the supermarket. You just walk out the door and your CC is charged for your purchases. Believe it, it is coming.
What does all this mean for us. Suppose. instead of a big magnet, a small RFID chip was implanted in each engine. A RFID reader would be at each block signal location. The computer would learn from the RFID reader that train 121 had just passed block signal AA and would turn the the aspect to red and the following to yellow. It could also switch off power to the following block to preclude rear end collisions from overtaking trains. Readers could be placed in advance of turnouts and the computer could be programed to throw the turnout for Train 121 but not any other, whether diverging or opposing.
On approaching a terminal, the computer would know what track Train 121 was scheduled to arrive on and set up the route ahead of it.
This would be functional whether in DC or DCC operation and eliminate block occupancy detectors and all of that wiring.
I really beleive that this is the ultimate solution to both signalling an turnout operation. Hopefully, some electronic WIZ will see the huge potential for this.
RFID could be used for much much more than just block occ. Since each RFID tag has a unique tag, AND they are relatively cheap... each peice of rolling stock could have one. Then you could associate a specfic type of rolling stock (aka flat, autorack, box, etc) with the industries you have on your layout and now the computer is not only tracking which block is occupied, but also what cars have passed what waypoint AND the status of each car (full, partially full, empty)!
The computer can then tell you when he coal mine has loaded a car full of coal, and that it needs an empty.... I could go on and on about the use of RFID :)
Its out of my reach financially right now, but as soon as I can experiment with it I will!
Taken to the extreme, RFIDs could be put to a myriad of uses.
For starters, I would be happy with just a head and tail end chip so that long trains that occupy more than one block would still be detected in trailing blocks so that the signals are not cleared until the block is no longer occupied. That would eliminate the need for resistance wheels in all cars at the outset, a saving of a dollar per car accordng to current prices.
Whether you are running DC or DCC, operating more than two trains without a block signalling system can be trying, especially if you are trying to do some switching or engine changes, etc. On my last layout I had seven blocks with the NMRA detectors that operated relays that changed the signal aspects and also interrupted the current in short sections before each signal so that no train could pass a red signal. When a yellow aspect was indicated a resistor (actually a pot) slowed the train down until the block ahead cleared. In this way I could operate 5 trains on what was essentially a folded dogbone with a double track main and return loops at each end.
My purpose in mentioning RFIDs is to generate interest in developing what I believe to be the next great advance in model railroad control, whether using DCC or good old fashioned DC current. At my age, I have no intention of trying to convert over 100 engines to DCC operation. I'll never live long enough and the benefit isn't worth it. I think that it might be possible that with RFID technology, the substantial expense of block occupancy detectors might be more than offset, especially if one either uses an old computer on hand, or even buys a new cheapo one just for this purpose.