I have purchased a couple of flashing crossing signals from Model Power, is there any way to make them activate when a train passes a certain point, then shut off when the train has passed the crossing?..thinking some kind of magnet switch may be required?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Joe
Joe:
Check out this link http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html It might give some solutions to your situation. A friend of mine uses a photo electric circuit to activate crossing signal lights in a HO scale module. I think it operates on a 9V battery and is quite an impressive sight. Good Luck. Keep the forum informed of your progress!!
Pete
Joe,
Sounds like you’ve got the right idea. You could have a loco mounted magnet pick up a reed switch, or have the magnet trip a hall effect device, or rig up IR detector with an IR LED , you get the idea. Go to Radio Shack and get yourself an experimenters handbook which will describe how to construct a simple electronic timer using a LM555 IC timer., The triggering device starts the timer which turns on the crossing signal and after a specified period of time, the timer times out and turns off the light. Another thought is to rig up a “missing pulse detector” again all the info you need is at Radio Shack. When the train blocks (removes) a reset signal the timer times out and activates the crossing. After the train has passed the reset signal causes the timer to deactivate the crossing. All of this stuff can be done by anyone with a just little technical savvy.
Walt Sarapa
Walt,
Thanks for the info. Have a Radio Shack here in town but had no idea they had an “experimentors handbook”. Good to know. I always prefer to do what I can myself if time permits. Sometimes it only makes sense to buy when the price is right. Will check it out. Later eh…Brian.
Hi Joe
others have made the assumption you have a traction cct in you track that being the case I an not quite sure how it is done but set up three tracks insulated from each other
being up track, island track and down track overlay a cct on the tracks fit resistors of the same value of your locomotive motor in the caboose.
The tree tracks are conected to a cct board which reads resistence in the track loco crosses into up track lights start, loco crosses into island track caboose still in up track lights stay on , same for next track cross over loco leaves down track but caboose is still on down track lights stay on caboose leaves down track lights go off it can be done I have lost the cct that would do it.
each track mus have two insulated joints at each end one on each rail and a seperate traction feed and cct board with the control cct which feeds the flasher cct and stops and starts the lights…
It sounds a lot more comlicated than it was if you know an electronics wiz who is also a signal tech he will be able to draw up both the required cct boards for you and it will not affect the running of trains be warned though it is important that the caboose or other car at the back of the train has a resistor in it or the lights may stop with the train still on the crossing which will not look good
regards John