Following from my thread on bump posts or wheel stops…
Has anyone come up with a detector… infra red or whatever… to detect any car or loco moving too close to where it will damage itself and cut the power to the loco?
okay this won’t work for runaway cars but it would solve one part of the problem… I also imagine that cars pushed through a dead end or locos damaged are more of a problem (more damage) thn odd run-aways.
one real quick fix is to cut through one side of the rail and solder in a diode between the newly formed gaps in the rail…that way the engine will stop in a certain spot so that it can’t go any further and damage equipment…once the engine has stopped all you have to do is hit the reverse switch and the train can back out of the spot … a diode only allows the current to flow in one direction…hince…the train can’t run past the danger zone, but can back out from that spot when the reverse switch is thrown…chuck
on my n scale layout i use walthers bumper posts that i glued in place. after damaging several micro trains couplers by accidently running into the bumper post i no longer glue them down. now if i hit them they move out and won’t damage the couplers.
Only application I envision is backing up a train in a tunnel or pulling an engine into a roundhouse with a roof - both are examples of track limitation’s without ‘eyeballing’ ability. Since engine’s, cars, and consist’s are different length’s, one length does not fit all… SO,
I.R. or a gap in the track attached to a warning device (light, bell) should allow the engineer to ease his way in - if he’s awake. If not, RR’s fire those that cause wreck’s.
AUTOMATIC devices to cut off power such as trackside warning’s or ‘dead man’s throttles’ can be done, but it’s unnecessarily complicated, and probably will be unnecessarily expensive.
Don, in the case of the Atlas roundhouse (Cornerstone series), the tracks abutt against a raised platform at the rear of the house, so locos will merely stop when the wheels encounter that raised lip. Assuming a loco enters at 2 mph, coming up against that is no big problem.
If the area is concealed, mount a microswitch where the car/loco will contact it to shut off the power. That will allow for backing the train in, as long as the dead section is long enough. Need a push button to put the power back on.
Gentlemen: I agree, but -
(CAVEAT’S)
… Assuming a loco enters at 2 mph …
… if the dead section is long enough…
There was a simple circuit using a 12V automobile bulb (similar to Joe Fugate’s) to slow an oncoming train to a stop, when the turnout thrown against it.
It required a set of point’s to engage the bulb, and a fixed length of track - long enough to allow the train to stop. As soon as the turnout was realigned, (and the bulb out of the circuit) the train was allowed to go merrilly along it’s way… probably at 200mph, if the engineer didn’t re-adjust his throttle.
Note the wiring (points) and fixed legth stopping blocks - and this was a SIMPLE circuit.
That will not work on DCC or AC layouts, great idea though
[;)]
Steve
How about this:
Put an insulator on one rail a foot or two up the track from the bumper. Wire the dead section with a momentary-contact switch or push-button. That way, you need to actively pu***he button to get the engine to run down that track. Once you release it, the engine stops. If it goes down that track accidentally, there’s no power, so it halts. This will work with DC or DCC.
Of course, this means that you need a “control panel” and you can’t do this from a walk-around throttle, but if you normally operate from a panel, it’s fine. You can also install multiple buttons in parallel so you could power the track from several “stations” around your layout.
If you put it 2 feet up the track, of course, it won’t help if you’re backing a 3-foot train into the siding.
Actually, almost any simple circuit using push buttons (assumes normally off) can be paralleled to multiple locations each performing the same function. You can use MisterBeasley’s idea at both a central control panel and/or a local panel right in front of the location, just like control of twin coil switch machines. I don’t use a central panel anymore but just install controls in the fascia locally, thus enabling walk-around trhottles.
Fred Wright
DCC Loco’s with DC conversion enabled will stop in a diode isolated section, they will come to a stop with there momentum settings. Lights and sound continue to work too.
But you have no control over reversing it out you would need to short the isolared gap out.
Ken.