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Road crossing signals

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  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, December 5, 2015 3:06 PM

richhotrain

Well done, Mr. B.  I am jealous of your working crossing gates.   Stick out tongue

Rich

 

Thanks.

While freight trains dominate real-world railroads and most of our models as well, most of us and most of our visitors first learn about trains as passengers at stations, or as motorists waiting for a train to pass on the other side of crossing gates and flashers.  Those parts of a model, therefore, are disproportionately important to stimulating our memories.  It's also one of those things that forms a bridge between a "toy train" and a "model railroad."

There are times when I just line the turnouts and let one train just loop around the layout, triggering the crossing signals and gates, just to sit and watch them.

 

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 4, 2015 2:03 PM

Well done, Mr. B.  I am jealous of your working crossing gates.   Stick out tongue

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, December 4, 2015 10:48 AM

Here are some short videos of the crossing signals, first the Oregon Rail Supply crossbucks and then the NJ International gates.

 

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • 28 posts
Posted by slammer406 on Monday, November 30, 2015 8:18 PM

Thanks to everone for your help and suggestions.

Really appreciate it

 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,481 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Monday, November 30, 2015 6:41 PM

I've put in two sets of crossing signals.  The first is from Oregon Rail Supply.

These are pretty economical little kits.  They do take a bit of soldering, but they built up into very nice models.

These operating gates are from NJ International.

These come fully assembled.  To operate the gates, I got a tortoise and some additional components from Circuitron to handle the actuation and mechanical linkage.

I drive both sets of crossings with boards from Rob Paisley (Cogeco.)

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
  • 8,571 posts
Posted by richg1998 on Monday, November 30, 2015 6:20 PM

Lots of possibilities in the below link.

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

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.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, November 30, 2015 6:08 PM

I went with NJ International crossings controlled with a Logic Rail GCP and operated with a Tortoise.  I also use NJI crossings and a NJI signal bridge.  I recently bought a pair of Century Details HO-116 Wig Wag signal kits, I'm working on making them operate with a pair of micro motors.
 
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Monday, November 30, 2015 5:35 PM

Slammer406,

How good are You with soldering and building kits and patience?? If You have some of the skills necessary and some patience, 30 watt pencil soldering iron, rat tail file, some CA. Oregon Rail supply has some really great crossing flasher kits. They come two (2) in the package with all needed parts, Led's (3mm) and such. I picked up two pac's of them and where they will be, it will be impossible to use sensors, so I am just going to use a on/off switch on control panel. For the flashing circuit, I am using Ngineering # N8013 Alternating Flashing circuit. You can use any power supply with the circuit, as long as You don't exceed 16 vdc.

E-bay has the #113, or there are many other places to get them if interested. I decided to go that route because at the time every other MFG. was out and I thought they were too much money to begin with. The kits are not that hard to assemble.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OREGON-RAIL-SUPPLY-113-2-CROSSING-FLASHERS-/301788469754?hash=item4643fe99fa:g:ZQUAAOSwo6lWOOrO

http://ngineering.com/lghting%20effects%20for%20the%20railroad.htm

If You look at the right side of the pic', laying down on it's side, is one of the crossing flashers from the kit. I was testing it. Not a very clear shot though.

Like I said If You want to try them, not really that hard.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Monday, November 30, 2015 5:07 PM

I use the Tomar Indutries crossing signals (#H-862). Two signals come in each package.  You need an Alternating Flasher unit, and I use the Circuitron #FL-2 unit. The alternating flasher unit can control as many crossing signals as you want.

The Tomar Industries crossing signals are beautifully designed signals, and they look quite realistic on the layout.  The flashing red lights can be seen from both directions.

The Tomar Industries crossing signals come completely assembly and are ready for placement on the layout.  They simply need to be wired to the whatever actuator you choose to use.  Don't forget to add resistors to protect the LEDs.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,592 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Monday, November 30, 2015 4:33 PM

Seems simple enough. LION would NEVER consider buying such a thing (Him cannot afford such stuff), but him would make the mast of a piece of 1/16th" welding rod, may the wooden cross bucks. Him can prind signs on computer as small as 2 point type. I suppose I could do one point, but tha point is moot, since your viewer could not read that. LION would make the lights out of small LEDs but him has a supply of Bionix lighted ear curettes... pricy but one used LION saves them for the layout. They would make a good pinpoint sourse of light, but I do not see how they could be used in your application.) Cheat and use flashing LEDs otherwise you will need to buy flashing equipment, far more costly even if more prototypical.

LION uses the color laser printer of him to make all sorts of signs for the layout of him, and very realistic the appear, unless you get out a magnifying glass to see what I actually printedn on the sign. Such as: "No Trespassing on the Tracks you Dumb Jerk". Nobody has called me on them yet : )

 

ROAR

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • 28 posts
Road crossing signals
Posted by slammer406 on Monday, November 30, 2015 2:14 PM

Looking to install cross buck road crossing signal/alt flashing lights (led). Any suggestions to brand? Checked out Tomar and NCInd. but outside of a thumbnail photo neither gives details (need addt'l flasher unit/power supply/led size). I'll be using separate power supply triggered by tortoise aux switch. Don't need sensors. Road crosses a siding and only need lights to flash when turnout is thrown for siding.

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