To LUGNET HomepageTo LUGNET News HomepageTo LUGNET Guide Homepage
 Help on Searching
 
Post new message to lugnet.trainsOpen lugnet.trains in your NNTP NewsreaderTo LUGNET News Traffic PageSign In (Members)
 Trains / 28918
28917  |  28919
Subject: 
Re: Automated shunter/switcher
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Wed, 21 Mar 2007 15:01:09 GMT
Viewed: 
4547 times
  
In lugnet.trains, Chris Phillips wrote:

In lugnet.trains, Matija Puzar wrote:

* Detaching the cars from the locomotive...

The one I always liked the best (can't find it right now... ah, here it is I
think) was Gronk:

http://news.lugnet.com/announce/moc/?n=2683

I've not built it yet because I don't use LDCC or have an RCX on-board a train,
but the idea is nice. And with those IR-controled Power Function motors, these
could be added to any train without on-board intelligence.

* A lot of reed switches will be needed...

Why? Specificly, how many places do you need to know where it is?

Just use low speeds to count passing couplers, and be
prepared to make some slight forward-backward micro-adjustments
at a crawl.  I think some of the GBC train modules use this technique.

They do, although the GBC trains currently work mechanically - a 2x2 cylinder
sticks out by its own radius just below the traincar baseplate, hitting bump
switches as it goes by (so yes, in effect the GBC trains are 8W, but only in
that one little section and nothing else can be or the sensor things it's at the
middle of a car). Using that method, we can position the GBC train to within +/-
0.5 studs or so, which is needed for the trackside dumping mechanism to hit the
right target in most cases (GBC train dumpers have also been made that don't
need that precesion, actually, but they were bigger). Controling the speed via
pulsing the motor power is how we do it - we don't have access to LDCC control
because (a) we haven't used the DCC chips, and (b) we need the RCX to be rather
fully intelligent.

I have worked out a system whereby the GBC train and a regular train can share a
"dumb loop" of track (powered by a train controler), with a single RCX detecting
the GBC train and shunting it out to a remote controled siding, as well as
making sure the two trains don't crash (by measuring arrival times for both
trains and using the siding to adjust the spacing). That just about used up a
single RCX, if I recall, and i'd need a second one for running the
loader/unloader at the siding, but it was wicked cool to watch.

--
Brian Davis



Message has 3 Replies:
  Re: Automated shunter/switcher
 
(...) the point. In that case, the idea is just fantastic! It might even be doable by using the DCC's lamp output for the motor. Thanks also to Chris, it does help knowing the right keywords (in this case, "decoupling") :) (...) It really depends on (...) (18 years ago, 21-Mar-07, to lugnet.trains)
  Re: Automated shunter/switcher
 
(...) I've nagged Jon to take some more pics of this as the original ones have disappeared into the ether. (3 URLs) Tim (18 years ago, 24-Mar-07, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
  Re: Automated shunter/switcher
 
(...) I finally managed to create something that seems to be working, while still not standing in way of the original design (except for the lowest part at the rear, but I can live with that. (6 URLs) Magnets are coupled sideways, giving it enough (...) (18 years ago, 11-Apr-07, to lugnet.trains, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Automated shunter/switcher
 
(...) 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)

9 Messages in This Thread:





Entire Thread on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact

This Message and its Replies on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact
    

Custom Search

©2005 LUGNET. All rights reserved. - hosted by steinbruch.info GbR