Subject:
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Automated shunter/switcher
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:08:06 GMT
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Viewed:
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3969 times
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So, I got this idea of making an automated shunter for our group’s
exhibition layout, it would be a nice eye catcher and a great oportunity
for the big trains’ motors to rest and cool off.
In the simplest version, it would just come to a bunch of parked cars,
take them to another location, park them there and then go away somewhere
and give place to the big trains.
This is most probably not a new idea, but I haven’t seen any solutions
so far (if I missed them, I apologise).
So, a few problems arise:
- Detaching the cars from the locomotive - anyone with some clever and proven ideas? :) A mechanical arm coming in between and separating the magnets might be a solution, but it would be hard to make it unnoticable. It would also be a problem with regards to the number of motors needed if I’d want to be able to shuffle the cars automatically, i.e. sometimes take 1, sometimes 3, etc. An electromagnet would be also an idea, but hard to implement for more than just the locomotive (also, it might prove to be a heavy burden for the DCC decoder and funny things might happen if the engine loses power in the middle of the loop :)).
- A lot of reed switches will be needed and multiplexing becomes a necessity. Has anyone been able to make a stable multiplexer for more than 3-4 sensors? If 3 is recommended, would you recommend the parallel or the serial version, or does it boil down to the same? I tried making one for 4 sensors, but soon found out how problematic it gets if the resistors are not extremely precise.
- “Thanks” to Tim Gould for the wonderful Norwegian NSB Di 2 :) I’ve put it in quotes since now I have problems doing my own design of the same engine and not thinking of his one the whole time ;) Which is a problem since it is so nicely made! We’ll see, I might end up doing Di 5 instead (of just 1-2 of Tim’s Di 2 and not think more about it ;)).
--
Matija
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Automated shunter/switcher
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| (...) I built a powered decoupler from somebody else's instructions quite awhile ago. A quick search brings up this LUGNET thread that might help you... (URL) (...) I have multiplexed up to 4 reed switches using four different resistance values in (...) (18 years ago, 21-Mar-07, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
| | | Re: Automated shunter/switcher
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| (...) I can't find any pictures right now, but I built a small steam shunting engine around a battery box and my own home-made IR receiver (this contains a circuit built from a kit from an electronics shop): (URL) the engine's coal wagon was this (...) (18 years ago, 22-Mar-07, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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