Looking around the web, it looks like Tomar and NJ International are two options for a grade crossing gate. It is clear that the Tomar can be made to operate with the included motors, how about the NJI? Can these be animated as well?
I am considering the Logic Rail Technologies grade crossing pro as the control circuit. Anyone got an opinion on this product?
Thanks for the input
Generally, all the NJI gates are operable but you have to supply the detection and mechanism.
Mike Tennent
We have two of the NJ International crossing gate sets on our HO scale club layout. One set is controlled by two Logic Rail Technologies Grade Crossing Pro (LRP) circuit boards, and the other by a system that was designed and built for us in England.
The NJ International crossing gates can be animated with a Tortoise switch motor. I used push-pull wire linkages that are enclosed in nylon tubing between the Tortoise and the gates, but I don’t remember what brand they are.
The big problem we have encountered is with the LRP’s timing. Because our crossing gates are protecting a double-track mainline, two LRP boards were required, each with its own set of detectors. In lieu of the photoresistors that came with the LRP, I used IR cross-track emitter-detector pairs as indicated in their instructions, aimed at a slight angle to avoid false triggering from the inter-car gaps. If you ever want to simulate nighttime operations, you can’t use the photoresistors as detectors because they must have a steady, continuous light source.
Unfortunately, the LRP’s timing is permanently etched into the ICs and can’t be changed. When the system is triggered by a train, there’s too long a wait before the gates start to go down – something like 3 seconds. This is exactly prototypical, but not what you want on a model railroad. Sometimes the trains are through the crossing before the gates are down, even with the first detector pair 6 feet before the crossing.
The LRP is also programmed with too long a delay for the gates to go up after the train has cleared the crossing. Again, exactly prototypical, but not good for a model railroad. The LRP’s timing should have been shorter cycles.
The biggest problem we have with it, though, seems to be related to operating temperature. Our clubhouse is in an uninsulated, non air conditioned concrete block building with wooded additions. We have evaporative coolers on the building to cool it in the summertime and a small pro
Thanks guys. Cacole, I really appreciate your points about the LRP system. I will have to do some timing on my layout and see where the detectors will have to be to activate the gates. 3 seconds does not seem like a long time, but it must seem an age with a fast moving train.
I have crossing & gate system from FX Express. The system comes with bells and the gates/flashers. They work with photo cells and are perfect for this man’s railroad. Contact:
FX Express Sana Clarita CA 805 - 251 2071
I also have a similar system, this time with a timed circuit
Contact: Craig Bonda
PO Box 4853
Wheaton, IL 60189
1-708-682-8969
I don’t know if either of these excellent products are still available, you’ll have to contact them.
Ummm, am I missing something?
In HO (1:87), 6 scale feet translates to 522 prototype feet. If this was the whole length traveled by the train in that 3-second period, the train would be representing a prototype traveling at 174 feet per second.
Doing the math (3600 seconds per hour, 5280 feet per mile), that translates to a speed of just over 118.636 miles per hour. Two questions immediately come to mind:
What HO locos out there operate at this speed?
What rolling stock comprises the rest of the train?
There is very little trackage in the USA in which mainline speed limits exceed 70 mph. I found this out during a very embarassing moment while doing preliminary negotiations for a prototype passenger trainset:
The locomotives were geared for 98 mph, and I had been told by a former advisor that the intended mainline was restricted to 95 mph operations.
The guy marketing the equipment politely set me straight: there aren’t any “95 mph” mainlines in the USA or Canada, and the only place I could exploit the speed potential of the train was in the “Northeast Corridor.”
Despite that setback, the whole experience was quite informative – and though I ultimately decided against the purchase, I encourage every dreamer to do the research and be unafraid of redeemable errors. Learning is good!
The Acela, I believe, is rated for 150 mph – but I’ve “heard” that it rarely gets over 110 mph. Apart from high-speed commuter service, I don’t know of any 95+ mph trains in revenue service that would have a gated grade crossing.
There is, of course, high speed rail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail outside the USA and Canada.
I think it would be really cool to model pretty much any LSR (land speed record) train at speeds that scaled to the prototype, but getting away with that would require a lot of real estate and it would be very esoteric.
Use your fingers.
http://www.wsaeng.com/Signaling_Solution/
I don’t know if this helps or not. I think what ever you do, It’s going to be pricey.
hi
dont give up. keep looking in modelrailroader and other places. check some of the bigger hobby shops online. something will come up.good luck.
A couple of random thoughts:
Because of the number of variables involved: scale, DC vs DCC, single track vs mulit-track sensing, optical vs infrared vs block detection, animation mechanism, etc it’s very difficult (if not impossible) for a manufacturer to put together a single package that would suit everyone. That’s why you have to piece together what you want depending on your specific needs.
The easy part is deciding on the crossing gates and activating mechanism. Find one you like and decide on Tortoise, muscle wire, etc and figure out how to rig it.
The easiest interface with the detection system is one that simply is activated by a relay being tripped. Relay tripped, then gate lowers. Relay released, the gate raises. Most detection systems can do that easily.
Now for the detection part. Photocell (CDS) has several drawbacks. If you intend to do night operations, that pretty well eliminates them. If your train room has windows, they’ll require constant adjustment. Multi track operation using CDS cells will requite a detection unit for each track.
Infrared works better, and some trackside units can detect across multi-tracks. But some are susceptible to visible light disruption and can be tricky to adjust and hide.
Block detection is the other primary choice. If you run DCC, a single block detector can detect all the tracks within a block as long as they have a common feeder. If you run DC, you’ll need a detection unit for each track.
Your best choice depends on your situation and preferences. All have weaknesses and strengths.
Final thought. Unless you develope a very complicated, logic based system, the gate operation is going to be a compromise. Why? Because trains usually approach a gate from two directions. You want it to activate early enough as a train approaches to be lowered, but you want it to raise fairly quickly after a train passes. But the simple systems have fixed points for detection a
Doesn’t Tyco make an operating crossing gate?
The guys at TDP (Trainspeed) had a grade crossing mechanism using servos and NJI crossing gates. Saw it at the last Timonium trainshow on their N gage layout with double track working off photo cells. Maybe more info on their website.
I use Circuitron components with a Tortoise and NJ Internationl gates. Circuitron makes the linkage to drive 2 gates off of one Tortoise. No timing problems.
DETECTION.
I have Custom-Build 2-track road-crossing ‘Slow-Motion-Crossing-Gate w/Alternation Flashing-Cross-
bucks built’ by a custom modeler but he doen’t do it now.
What he can provide & I will tell you what was involved.
Tortoise Slow-Motion System along w/wire, Using Bachman crossing gates, Tumar Crossbucks but somedid say that Tortoise has gates & possible crossbucks too.
He used a system for DETECTION called ‘LASOR-SENSING’.
You have a Sensor Cell on one end & the Red-Laser-light <don’t look @ it if you don’t want to go blind>.
There is a company that Was & may still be in Walthers’ catalog that makes one too for around $40.
But, I would check this modlers’ company web-site and e-mail for info.
" VINSON’S CUSTOM ELECTRONICS’’
One key note, cover-up the Laser-Cells w/Woodland Senors with bush-material rapped-around to not only ‘Look-good-sceanory’ but to 'cover & protect your eyes from the ‘Dangerous-Beams’.
I wish you best in your endevors.
Just a note, there’s at least one 95 mph mainline outside of the Northeast Corridor - or at least it has sections good for 95 mph. That’s CN’s mainline between Montreal and Toronto - there are several long stretches between Kingston and Toronto with a 95 mph track speed.
It’s such fun to take the VIA Rail train to Toronto and watch the cars on the paralleling 401 freeway apparently going backwards (relative to the train, anyway).
Jim
Oh, and another option for an operating crossing gate is to look around for a Fowler - now out of production, but they turn up used and on eBay. They use a twin-coil setup for actuation, but the lever connected to the gates is damped by a hydraulic damper - very smooth. You’ll need to work out the activation electronics, though.
Jim
I’ve been fascinated with grade crossing gates for years and have tinkered with just about every one of them on the market. I’m a professional layout builder and have customers that request them all the time but insisting that they operate true to fidelity. I have yet to find one that will do everything short of using a computer interface, but a few come very close. For DC I like Circuitron’s detector circuit DT-2 with logic for true to prototype operation. Placement of the opto sensors mounted between ties allows for advanced triggering from either direction and cancels right after the last car clears the crossing. It will detect short and long trains and will operate correctly even if you back a train out… The sensors are extremely sensitive so light must be constant. Drawbacks are you can’t use it with DCC because it relies on track polarity and it won’t work for night time activities. Heathcote in England now marketed through Micro-Mark here in the states uses infra red detection through a mini emitter/dtector mounted between the ties to activate an alternating flasher circuit and is independent of track power. They also offer a relay circuit board to operate the gate motor(s). This board can be wired to reverse the polarity to the gate motor(s) when the sensors are open to raise the gates. Only drawback is the infra red sensors must be mounted an equal distance from the crossing so the circuit doesn’t cancel right after the crossing is clear. I would recomend Circuitrons crossing signal and gates, their Tortise switch motor along with their drive mechanism and extra cable and actuator. That way you only need one switch motor to operate both gates.
Thanks for all the great input. There have been lost of suggestions. Has anyone tried the RR-Circuits board for controlling the grade crossing?