Good and inexpensive automatic crossing/yard light

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for a kit that would provide the following...

Automatic activation of the crossing lights
Built in flasher circuit
Motorized gate arm?
Stays on until the last car passes through
Looks realistic!
Fairly inexpensive.

I'm also looking for a good light (not sure of the name) that is red/green/ or yellow pending on if a train is present on the track.

Any help or previous experience with such items is appreciated.
Thanks!
-Dale

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for a kit that would provide the following...

Automatic activation of the crossing lights
Built in flasher circuit
Motorized gate arm?
Stays on until the last car passes through
Looks realistic!
Fairly inexpensive.

I'm also looking for a good light (not sure of the name) that is red/green/ or yellow pending on if a train is present on the track.

Any help or previous experience with such items is appreciated.
Thanks!
-Dale

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but my experience with this is a bit limited. The local club I belong to added crossbucks with flashing lights to its switching module, and I know the crossbucks ALONE were $40+ each. Plus the circuitry, the sensors, and so on. I don't think this is an inexpensive approach.

However, you might want to check www.walthers.com for a "plug and play" unit... I ahve seen one in the used section at my local train store for about $25. Not too realistic though...

Andrew

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but my experience with this is a bit limited. The local club I belong to added crossbucks with flashing lights to its switching module, and I know the crossbucks ALONE were $40+ each. Plus the circuitry, the sensors, and so on. I don't think this is an inexpensive approach.

However, you might want to check www.walthers.com for a "plug and play" unit... I ahve seen one in the used section at my local train store for about $25. Not too realistic though...

Andrew

[cacole]

The cheapest way to go at the present time, which will still cost you over $100, is the Logic Rail Technologies Grade Crossing Pro circuit board and a set of Tomar or similar signals. Grade Crossing Pro will also operate crossing gates, but requires a Tortoise or similar slow motion switch matchine in addition to everything else. Check www.loystoys.com for the Grade Crossing Pro.

[cacole]

The cheapest way to go at the present time, which will still cost you over $100, is the Logic Rail Technologies Grade Crossing Pro circuit board and a set of Tomar or similar signals. Grade Crossing Pro will also operate crossing gates, but requires a Tortoise or similar slow motion switch matchine in addition to everything else. Check www.loystoys.com for the Grade Crossing Pro.

[Anonymous]

One option is to build yourself. If you place a small lever under your track a ways before the barricade, it can open the barricade up, and if you place another one right after the barricade, you can arrange it so the barricade will only fall if both of the levers are down. So it will automatically rise on appraoch, and fall right afterward.

The lights etc you can find anywhere.

[Anonymous]

One option is to build yourself. If you place a small lever under your track a ways before the barricade, it can open the barricade up, and if you place another one right after the barricade, you can arrange it so the barricade will only fall if both of the levers are down. So it will automatically rise on appraoch, and fall right afterward.

The lights etc you can find anywhere.

[Anonymous]

"I'm looking for a kit that would provide the following..."

I know you said kit but do you do any scratch building? I have been doing research on electronic circuit schematics for my layout to build basically the same thing. I have found that manufactured kits are both expensive and don't always fit your layout exactly the way you want.

If you are interested in the links I have discovered for "building-ur-own" circuits let me know and I'll email them to you.

[Anonymous]

"I'm looking for a kit that would provide the following..."

I know you said kit but do you do any scratch building? I have been doing research on electronic circuit schematics for my layout to build basically the same thing. I have found that manufactured kits are both expensive and don't always fit your layout exactly the way you want.

If you are interested in the links I have discovered for "building-ur-own" circuits let me know and I'll email them to you.

[der5997]

First the light. Sounds like you are looking for a single aspect signal head that will be red, or yellow, or green from the same "lens". Light emmitting diodes can be had that will be red or green under DC, and yellow under AC. I don't think that there is one that is red and green and yellow all in one, but it's a long time since I went shopping for any LEDs. So, maybe what you need to do is to rig up a fibre optic to your signal head, and shine the appropriate light into it from a red, green or (AC powered) yellow LED.

Next the crossing. By far the cheapest approach is to build you own circuit. I've done it, and it really isn't that difficult. You asked for a kit, and scratch building things is just putting together a do- it- yourself kit.
The book that helped me is PRACTICAL ELECTRONIC PROJECTS FOR MODEL RAILROADERS by Peter J Thorne. (Klambach Books). The circuit is based on a simple IC and makes up very well. (Page 19 of the 1979 edition) I used the Magnetic Reed Switch detector circuit (page 45) to sense the passing of the trains. This requires a magnet on your locomotive, and the switch burried in the balast.
The gate arm is probably best moved by a bi-metalic wire as part of a thrid circuit arranged so that the wire heats up, expanding to push a lever to actuate the gate. There are mechanical solutions for this too. The gate I used was a kit (HO, and the name began with a B, I think - not Bachman) I wasn't too impressed with the mechanism, which included hanging weights, which is why I suggest the bi-metalic wire solution.)
I provided a bell by soldering a wire to the pully of a tape recorder motor slowed down by diodes to give a "scale" ring speed when the wire struck a bell salvaged from an air hockey game! A manually operated push button made that work. Over use of this bell became an issue in our household, jusy like the prototype!!!
Good luck with this, and have fun [:)]

[der5997]

First the light. Sounds like you are looking for a single aspect signal head that will be red, or yellow, or green from the same "lens". Light emmitting diodes can be had that will be red or green under DC, and yellow under AC. I don't think that there is one that is red and green and yellow all in one, but it's a long time since I went shopping for any LEDs. So, maybe what you need to do is to rig up a fibre optic to your signal head, and shine the appropriate light into it from a red, green or (AC powered) yellow LED.

Next the crossing. By far the cheapest approach is to build you own circuit. I've done it, and it really isn't that difficult. You asked for a kit, and scratch building things is just putting together a do- it- yourself kit.
The book that helped me is PRACTICAL ELECTRONIC PROJECTS FOR MODEL RAILROADERS by Peter J Thorne. (Klambach Books). The circuit is based on a simple IC and makes up very well. (Page 19 of the 1979 edition) I used the Magnetic Reed Switch detector circuit (page 45) to sense the passing of the trains. This requires a magnet on your locomotive, and the switch burried in the balast.
The gate arm is probably best moved by a bi-metalic wire as part of a thrid circuit arranged so that the wire heats up, expanding to push a lever to actuate the gate. There are mechanical solutions for this too. The gate I used was a kit (HO, and the name began with a B, I think - not Bachman) I wasn't too impressed with the mechanism, which included hanging weights, which is why I suggest the bi-metalic wire solution.)
I provided a bell by soldering a wire to the pully of a tape recorder motor slowed down by diodes to give a "scale" ring speed when the wire struck a bell salvaged from an air hockey game! A manually operated push button made that work. Over use of this bell became an issue in our household, jusy like the prototype!!!
Good luck with this, and have fun [:)]