Track circuitry.

[gtmspyder]

Hello, I am a returnee to railway modelling because I now have a five year old grandson as an excuse to tinker.

I want to power LED's on a track circuit as the loco passes to indicate it's position.  (The layout is a Cyrel Freezer designed rabbit layout so lots of tunnels.)

My problem is the positioning of the magnets on the Lilliput loco's to operate the track reed switches. There does not seem to be enough room under the loco's to mount the type of magnet I have purchased.

The magnets are a bar type about 15x 3x 2mm.

Can anyone recomend a magnet type and offer some tips as to supplier and fixing positions and methods?

Thanking you in advance from a  seventy two year old boy at heart. :D

Brian.

[B.Meldon]

Hi Brian

On my Rabbit warren layout I run three trains at the same time on the same circuit with one controller. It is about a 35 foot run.
They are all protected from running into each other with isolating sections. Basically you set the three trains moving by powering the isolating sections briefly and then they each run to the next isolating section and stop. A quick check is needed to make sure they have all arrived and then you can set them off again. To add to this each dead section is in a passing loop so when the three trains come to a stand the points can be changed, the controller reversed and three trains can be set off to run the other way round the track. It all looks very confusing from the front of the layout but is all very simple and involves no train detection at all.
The key is to be able to run the trains reliably at the same slow speed so that it does not look odd when they suddenly stop in the stations.

A skilled operator can time the starts so that trains cross each other on bridges and that there is always one moving train in view at all times.

I have also done some experiments with the tiny disk magnets that are now available and reed contacts. The results were not a great success but these would be one possible option for you. As the cost is low (under

[gtmspyder]

Thank you Brian.

Regards,

Brian.

[pilotfriend]

The simple solution is to go DCC of course

[B.Meldon]

Hi John

Although DCC operation is indeed an option, it may not necessarily be a simple one.

As far as I can tell, and please correct me if I am in error, to enable three trains to work on one circuit using DCC control without the risk of them running into each other requires full train block section detection and a computer to run it all on.

I suppose if you were using DCC you could use the dead sections as I described and just turn the locos on and off. They could indeed be programmed to all run at the same speed, but as they would all be on a dead section when not moving any lights or sound effects would not work when the locos were not moving.

I am unsure, with DCC would the locos go through a starting procedure or would it just resume its previous speed if it was just turned on, on a dead section?

Brian Meldon

[pilotfriend]

I would suggest he talks to http://www.cmlelectronics.co.uk/
JdF

[gtmspyder]

Thank you all who have responded to my initial request.

With the new powerfull tiny magnets I was directed to and have have purchased, I am now able to get the steam age technology to work ;D and have settled for good old reed switches.

The Rabbit circuit progresses.

Regards,

Brian.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Brian,

As a matter of interest, how many reed switches does the layout have and how closely spaced?

My reasons for asking are that I may want to pinch your ideas! As you say, it is not exactly state of the art, but it will make for a good demonstration on a simple to and fro shuttle I have in mind.

[gtmspyder]

Hello Graeme.

At the moment there are are 24 designated positions for a reed switch, but I may well put more than one at some locations to get a good spread of indicators.

I'll post some pictures when I get more done.

Regards,

Brian.

[B.Meldon]

Slightly off topic and not narrow gauge...

The HO section of

[gtmspyder]

Good morning Brian.

I agree, the fitting of all the reed switches is quite a task but this little layout is being built to entertain my five year old grandson, hence all the flashing lights, the motorised Dapol windmill, the opening lock gates in the canal etc. plus the little boy that still resides in this seventy two year old grandpa.  ;)

Thank you for your continued interest.

Regards,

Brian.

[Graeme Dunbar]

Brian,

Thanks for your reply and I look forward to seeing the photos. My aims are similar. The indicators are to be as much a part of the model as the trains to show different uses of sensors and electronics. I have a little electronics demo layout and often the children twig to what is going on before the adults.

I think it is a shame that control panels and fiddle yards are hidden from the public on many exhibition layouts. I can remember as a child being fascinated by what went on behind the scenes. It is a mistake to think that children will be dissillusioned by learning what the 'trick' is. They are more likely to be drawn into the 'secret world' and imaginative play by the knowledge.