Hello, Craig,
As luck would have it, there is a good article on this very subject (although using a different brand of signal appliances) in the MAY 2019 Model Railroader, by Cody Grivino. He has also posted a good video on the same subject, adding a bit more detail.
Cody shows how to add resistors to the signal LEDs, how to install the infrared detectors, and how to hook up the Grade Crossing Pro control board. As always, he makes it look pretty easy.
// Michael
Aikidomaster I have a pair of NJ International #1095 grade crossing signals. I want to use them for a 2 track grade crossing. What other materials do I need? How do I power these signals? Help, please.
I have a pair of NJ International #1095 grade crossing signals. I want to use them for a 2 track grade crossing. What other materials do I need? How do I power these signals? Help, please.
Craig North Carolina
A friend gave me a REAL grade crossing bell he got at a flea market. Turns out, it runs on 12 volts. We hooked it up to the Paisley circuit and it worked. It was, well, kinda loud.
This should have a separate driver. I'm afraid the current would eventually fry the board.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I used the Rob Paisley control board and photocells. This circuit will require a 12 VDC power supply. I actually drive the gates with a single Tortoise and two sets of extender cables so it can drive both gates.
Mine are on a pair of passing sidings so I put the triggers before the turnouts so it didn't matter which track the train was on. The optical sensors work well in low light.
The gates themselves needed some mechanical changes as the linkage was very flimsy.
Hi, Craig
I used the "Grade Crossing Pro" from Logicrail:
https://www.logicrailtech.com/gcp.htm
I added an ITT bell sound module, too. If you are doing double track you will need two GCPs and they link together to activate the signals regardless of which track or which direction the train is approaching from.
Good Luck, Ed