remote signals

[coaltipper]

Hi All.

I would like to know the easiest and cheapest method for operating signals and points.
I understand I will need point motors, I guess similar for signals.

My track will be inside so I do not need to worry too much about the weather.

I am using mamod track so need advice on connecting motors to them.

I have seen some nice looking signals on ebay that will work with power ebay item 2816901307


Also can anyone tell me the height for a platform
My track is 32mm.
I have at present an I p engineering jane. I have just bought a roundhouse Katie in kit form which I have to build yet.

Thank you.

[MDLR]

If you are indoors, you could use wire-in-tube, like the smaller scale modellers use, with a lever frame in a signal box!

[Keith S]

That looks like a real plant beside the track. Is your railway inside a greenhouse?

[ge_rik]

The cheapest way to electrify them is probably using servos as you are working indoors. There are various ways of controlling the servos, including hard-wired units which are made for indoor 00 railways - eg http://proto-pic.co.uk/servo-based-poin ... Anrr8P8HAQ

Rik

[ge_rik]

The beauty of servo controlled semaphores is that the servos can be programmed to produce 'bounce'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzMfeNCkgAw

I made my own signal controller using a cheap 4 channel remote control and a Picaxe chip.
https://youtu.be/D32Wacc-kg0

It's not too complicated if you're handy with a soldering-iron

Rik
PS - BTW I've had a word with the signalman who was a bit over-enthusiastic about pulling the signals to off before the trains had cleared the pointwork - I blame the presence of the Newsreel camera crew. (It was pointed out, by those more knowledgeable about signalling than me, that interlocking would not allow this to happen)

[philipy]

Hi All.

Also can anyone tell me the height for a platform
My track is 32mm.
I have at present an I p engineering jane. I have just bought a roundhouse Katie in kit form which I have to build yet.

Thank you.

Platform height is whatever you want it to be, really. NG lines tend to have low platforms which can be anything from ground level to the bottom of the doors on your chosen passenger stock.

Unless of course you are modelling a standard gauge line, in which case there were the original railway company standards and as superceded by their varous successors

[coaltipper]

Thanks very much.

Best Regards,
Jeff

[coaltipper]

That looks like a real plant beside the track. Is your railway inside a greenhouse?

No layout isn't inside a greenhouse.
The picture is from the ebay seller who makes and sells the signals.
I have just bought one and I must say I am very pleased with it.

Jeff

[coaltipper]

If you are indoors, you could use wire-in-tube, like the smaller scale modellers use, with a lever frame in a signal box!

Thanks Brian.

Regards,
Jeff.

[coaltipper]

The cheapest way to electrify them is probably using servos as you are working indoors. There are various ways of controlling the servos, including hard-wired units which are made for indoor 00 railways - eg http://proto-pic.co.uk/servo-based-poin ... Anrr8P8HAQ

Rik

Thanks Rik,

That really helps.

Jeff.

[MDLR]

With platforms, a lot depends on whether or not your stock has footboards, and whether or not you're intending to have open days. The safest bet is to have a rail-height platform: then NOTHING should hit it!

[IRON MAN]

http://modratec.com/

Modratec is one company who do interlocking frames and all the control mechanisms required for them. One of their products is wire in a tube.

Just listened to a talk by Dave of Megapoints at the Huddersfield MRC.
http://loolee.org/megapoints/ It was very interesting and seemed a very good system that he was promoting to control servos.

[ge_rik]

http://modratec.com/
Just listened to a talk by Dave of Megapoints at the Huddersfield MRC.
http://loolee.org/megapoints/ It was very interesting and seemed a very good system that he was promoting to control servos.

That controller looks really good. I like the way it includes the bounce feature for semaphores.

I'd tracked down this one - http://www.microminiatures.co.uk/acatalog/SERVO.html - but it didn't include a bounce simulation.

Scroll down the page though and you can get suitable servos for around £2.30 each - a lot cheaper than point motors! These can be used outdoors, provided they are given some protection from the elements. There are waterproof servos but they cost considerably more.

Rik

[IRON MAN]

One thing that was mentioned last night was that the blue servos didn't react as quickly as some of the other servos.

The recommended servo was

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... 0_09s.html

Cheaper too at £1.50 a pop.

Apparently the bounce feature didn't work as desired with the blue servos.  They lag behind the control signals sent out by the microchip.

[Maple]

i am now really intrested in doing this for points and signals on my line, think i might have to leave the forum, to many ideas lol

[coaltipper]

All looks and sounds just the ticket.
Any suggestions what power supply to use. I am only running live steam and no electric locos.

Cheers Jeff.

[IRON MAN]

Might say on the website? He mentioned a 9v battery as being the easiest, mainly for testing. So I am guessing some form of 9v charger would work.

[coaltipper]

Okay thanks.

[ge_rik]

One thing that was mentioned last night was that the blue servos didn't react as quickly as some of the other servos.

The recommended servo was

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... 0_09s.html

Cheaper too at £1.50 a pop.

Apparently the bounce feature didn't work as desired with the blue servos.  They lag behind the control signals sent out by the microchip.

Really useful info - thanks - will invest in some of these for my next batch of signals

Rik