"A SIGNAL QUESTION"

[TrainsRMe1]

I have a question, I have a medium size layout, that is DCC, and I would love to have a  good signal system, does any one know of one????  Or who I could contact? ??

[jrbernier]

  Much of what is available is sort of DIY.  That said, good signals and detection boards are available from mutiple vendors.  If you have DCC, consider using JMRI on a PC attached to you DCC system - There is lots of DIY stuff available.

Jim

[richg1998]

Google NCE DCC signal system.

 I was at a train show about five years ago and a couple NCE reps had a small layout with their prototype system in operation for about four blocks I believe. I could look under the layout and see the different modules that detected each block and controlled two, two light signal heads.

I believe all the modules are available.

 Rich

[richg1998]

For DIY, the below fellow has modules. I have bought other items from him and his stuff works if you follow his instructions.

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

Rich

[peahrens]

I have adding signals on my radar also.  I discovered there are several approaches.  A prototype signal response is the most elaborate.  One key question is whether you will have the signal changes triggered by block detection sensing the train current usage or by optical/IR sensors in the block and/or adjacent blocks.  I was looking at installing a relatively simple system that triggers signal changes basis optical/IR detectors  I have yet to find the relevant thread bt will see if I can add that. 

EDIT:  I found one relevant thread noted below.  I was looking at using a block system by Logic Rail Technologies, with Atlas or NJ Int'l signals.  It will be awhile before I get to that activity.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/208868.aspx

[gandydancer19]

This might be a good place to start:

http://waynes-trains.com/site/Signals/Model-Railroad-Signaling.html

[gregc]

jrbernier

Much of what is available is sort of DIY.  That said, good signals and detection boards are available from mutiple vendors.  If you have DCC, consider using JMRI on a PC attached to you DCC system - There is lots of DIY stuff available.

you commonly see references for electical and optical block detection, and there are both optical and semaphore signals.

is the missing component the logic circuit that senses the next and following blocks to display a clear, approach or stop signal?   Wouldn't that make signaling completely automatic or does it need to include switch settings?   The Peter Thorne book has a chapter on two aspect signalling, but is dated (1975) and could be implemented a lot easier today.

wouldn't a DCC, JMRI and/or PC solution be relatively sophisticated (and expensive)?

[rrinker]

 Depends, if you arleady have DCC, non-issue. If you're psoting on here, you have a PC, so non-issue. Not to mention you can pick up refurbs that are good enough to run JMRI and a signaling system for $100 or so.

 JMRI becomes the 'logic' to select the proper aspects. You need signal driver boards to light the signal heads, and you need some sort of sensors to to detect train position. Depending on the DCC system, the turnout position would already be known and can be included in the logic. Software logic is much more flexible than hardware logic. There are hardware options that can do it, like some of the boards from Team Digital, but if you look at the manuals for those - you pretty much need JMRI to configure them. Talk about a bunch of confusing CVs to set..

 It all depends on what you want - prototypical signals, or just colored lights that change in response to moving trains. For the latter, simple signal animator boards are available and don't require a computer, or interfacing to the DCC system, or anything. For the former, JMRI is probably the most flexible solution.

              --Randy