As I’m working thru the supply list for a new addition to the club’s layout, the one area that I am concerned about is the swing gate section. I’m looking for ideas to protect the locomotives and rolling stock from taking a dive to the floor when the gate is open.
I’ve read that many people use reed switches (or similar) to shut off the power to the track prior to the gate. How much track should be in this “special” power block? 2 feet, 3 feet or even 5 feet (or more)? Should we also use other devices such as a derail (PECO #85 - http://www.peco-uk.com/product.asp?strParents=3309,3322&CAT_ID=3327&P_ID=17413) operated by a tortoise as a secondary protection measure to ensure that if a car gets away, it doesn’t roll down and dive to the floor?
Are there other ideas, devices, etc that we should consider for instead of (or in addition to) the reed switches and derails?
Thanks in advance,
Chris & the members of the PV&W
www.PVWRR.org
See you @ our Grande Reopening in Nov. of 2014
I have seen several electrical isolation blocks for swing gates(one even for an operating lift bridge!) IIRC most of them shut off the power about 2-3 ft before the bridge or gate. The Peco ‘catch points’ are a good idea, but make sure there is a run-off area for the equipment to stop in before they reach the edge of the layout! The worst case is when a train is ‘backed’ through the swing gate - no electrical isolation is going to stop that!
I agree: that’s why a generous stopping section is needed. Make it a little longer than your trains so that the loco(s) stop before the end of the train goes into the chasm.
I’d make the dead zone 5 feet or so long, or as long as you can make it without interfering with other layout operations. If you can handle 10 feet, so much the better. It’s unlikely that you would be backing a train much longer than that, so even that scenario is covered.
I’ve never built anything like this, or even seen anything like this, but I would consider a spring-loaded “door” that swings into place automatically when the gate is opened. An alternate would be a mesh safety net at the edges.
This may seem drastic, but you could isolate one rail a foot or so from the bridge, and use a reed switch to control its polarity. If you bridge the gap while the polarity is flipped because the gate is open, you will generate a short and shut down the system. (I said it was drastic, right?) This way, any metal-wheeled piece of rolling stock will trigger the circuit and protect itself from taking that long drop.
And, be prototypical. Put in signals. It may be the one thing that your operators notice. If not, well, everyone loves signals anyway.
Well, the Jersey Central used to use SMASH BOARDS… over sized semaphore arms that reached half way across the track and would smack any engine that did not stop.
Here they are still in use on the PATH line in New Jersey.
Nothing gets the attention of the engineer on an MU train like hitting the smash board.
And he will have to explain that to management as well.
