While you CAN make your own relays, that's probably taking 'scratchbuilding" a little too far. You BUY a relay. It's an electrical component. What you need to know is the voltage being put out by the device that will control the relay, and how much current it can supply. This will determine the coil voltage and current - the voltage should be the same and the current rating needs to be anything less than the circuit can supply. The other part of the relay is the contacts. You need to know what voltage and current you are switching on and off. The voltage and current capacity of the contacts must be at least and preferebly greater than the load you are switching, or they will burn out in short order - like trying to use a micro toggle switch from your layout to control a house light.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Now what would I be using to make a relay?
Indianapolis Railroad - Indy Rail! Route of the Brickyard Flyer! Established 1976.
Are you using the Walthers traffic light controller for your traffic signals? If you are you would have to have a relay that would "take over" the automatic cycle of the walthers controller, well, not take over but override would be a better term since the Walthers controller has no optional outputs.
So whatever output from your ITT sensor goes to your crossing gate flasher you would also trip this relay with. You can get relays with 5V or 12V DC coils. You would pull one side the flashing crossing light on one side of the relay and after the train clears, the relay de-energizes and the contact reverts back to the traffic signal automatic sequence.
This is similar to what the real setups do (on a MUCH simpler scale!)
There was a tragic accident where a school bus was hit because the signal didn't go to green to clear the path of the crossing...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Fox_River_Grove_bus%E2%80%93train_collision
You can get the NTSB report and there's much discussion about interlocking the crossing gates with the traffic signal.
If you can provide a sketch of your setup and how your traffic signals are wired I might be able to give more of an idea...
I recall seeing some traffic arrangements where there were additional red lights to warn motorists not to make a left or right turn when flashing or when a side street met the protected highway. Perhaps you could just make a post with a red LED on it or use one of these?
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/N-J-International-HO-1251-Lighted-Crossing-Sign-p/nji-1251.htm
Have fun!
Ed
TrAcKr76 This is just a bit different, plus I'm new to all this electronics stuff...
This is just a bit different, plus I'm new to all this electronics stuff...
Yes it can be difficult if you are new to electronics. you can Google a lot of this stuff.
Below is a link that might help. just a guess.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Not really. You put the Red flashing LED's in the street lights and connect them to the crossing sensor. I don't know the output of Your crossing sensor though, so I don't know if You need another circuit also to power the lights. I'm not familiar with that sensor.
Good Luck!
Frank
Outlaw,
Look over the above thread for idea's:
Hey ya'll. I'm in a bit of a stickle. On the section of my layout where there is street tracks, I have an ITT crossing sensor that controls an NJ International cantilever gate and all that shizam. Now on in real life when there is a crossing right next to an intersection with a stop light, when the crossings drop, the stop light on the side proecting the traffic facing the crossing starts blinking red on all sides until the crossing goes up. What can I do to recreate this on the Indianapolis Northern. Ya'll help Outlaw out with this one! -Outlaw