The Dallee crossing control with bell sound and speaker seems like an ideal solution for my crossing. I have checked with them and they say that the current sensing circuit trigger works fine with DCC.
Anyone had experience with this device? At $100 I would like to get some opinion from any users especially DCC users.
Any tips?
Thanks
Just something to consider…
Any current sensing circuit is going to require retrofit of resistor wheelsets on rolling stock in order to keep the circuit tripped, which could add significant cost and complexity to your road crossing project.
Oooooh…Good point. I had not considered that.
That is why this forum is such a great place.
I run DCC, with block detectors for signalling. The only way I could use current detectors to work a crossing would be to divide a signalling block into smaller pieces; the small pieces would control the crossing, while all the pieces considered together would continue to control the signals.
On a two-way single-track main, I figured I could do with two pieces; one on each side of the crossing, perhaps 6 feet long. Thus I’d need to add two blocks (plus wiring and detectors).
Instead, I got the Grade Crossing Pro from Logic Rail at http://home.houston.rr.com/lrt/ (as reviewed in the March, 2004 MR).
The controller comes with 4 photo sensors that you install between the rails, and costs $42.95. You’d also need crossing signals with or without gates (extra cost), and, optionally, a bell unit. They don’t make the signals or bell unit, but sell some, along with a Tortoise to drive the gates, if you want them. And you can get extra sensors, for such situations as multi-track crossings.
I just got & installed this last week. It works exactly as advertised, and I’m happy with it. The only drawbacks I can think of would be if you run in extremely low room light, or want the signals to be triggered while a train is in a tunnel. For either of those situations, you’d need to go infra-red or install a light source, such as street lights.
I’d strongly suggest giving it a look.
Funny thing, I had printed out the manuals for the Grade Crossing Pro as well as the Dallee solution and read them in some detail before I went to bed last night. The upshot of all this was that I ordered a GCP this morning. Thanks for the input Pondini, I feel like I have made the best decision for my situation and your response helps substantiate it.
The Grade Crossing Pro is what I use on my layout. I trigger it with infrared side-looking LED emitters and detectors aimed at an angle across the track at coupler height, and that works very reliably irregardless of room lighting conditions.
I mounted the LEDs and detectors in the top of a short piece of rectangular styrene tubing. The IR LEDs and detectors I used were purchased from Mouser Electronics and are the 638-IR958-8C IR LED and 638-PT928-6C Phototransistor. These work extremely well with the Grade Crossing Pro.
Cool! I’m sure you’ll like it. One thing, however, that’s not clear on the website . . . if you’re not planning to use crossing gates, you want to order the “Quick Turnoff” version. Otherwise, it will be about 5 seconds after a train clears the crossing until the lights (and optional bell) turn off.
I have a pair of NJI gates and a Tortoise set-up already working manually, so the GCP should slot in without too much problem.
As I remember, the DALLEE current sensing used a relay, and responded to the current draw of the engine, not cars with resitors for current sensing.
If so, wouldn’t the gates go up when the engine passed? - or when stopped??
Perhaps something has changed?
The Dallee system responds to current draw detected in a protection block created around the crossing. As I read the instructions it seems clear to me that the train would have to contain either lighted cars, or cars with resistance wheel-sets otherwise the circuit would assume the train has left the area as the loco leaves the detection block. The crossing animation would then stop while the train is still rolling across the crossing.