Subject:
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Re: automating switching rails
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 27 Apr 2000 14:35:24 GMT
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Viewed:
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829 times
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Dan Boger and I have been working on automating some of the points on the WAMALUG layout. We came
up with one nifty solution that doesn't require modification to the points nor high torque motors.
Our system uses micromotors and rubber bands to turn a technic 1 x 3 liftarm (part #6632) against
the moving part(1) of the switch. The track has to raised one brick in height in order to reach
this part. To activate the switch we power the micromotor to press the leftarm against the 'moving
part of the switch', since the motor is connected to the liftarm by a series of pulleys and rubber
bands the micromotor can stay engaged while the points are in the switched position. To put the
points back to the 'straight ahead' position simply reversed the micromotor, the motor can then be
turn off, since the switch is spring-load to that position.
There are a couple ways to make the mechaism, Dan has his own way, and I have made two different
versions. One of them is almost completely underground. I also have a nonelectric idea, that uses
a system of pushrods, connected to levers. I was going to enclose them in a tower(2) so it works
similar to real railroads.
One problem with this method is that you don't get power routing turnouts so that may be a proplem
for some layouts, unless you have a lot of connection wires. We use DCC on our layout so we haven't
encountered that proble,
-chris
1- what is the term for this, i keep wanting to say frog but i know that isn't right.
2- an open back structure of course.. :)
Ryan J Schave wrote:
>
> I've seen info on Matt's train depot web site about automating switching
> rails. I would like to be able to control the motors from the speed
> regulator. I was thinking of using the 5120 Polarity Switch to do this.
>
> Any thoughts on this? Is there a better way/another way?
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: automating switching rails
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| (...) right. From my ScaleFour book: Switch Rails is the bit you are looking for (all are UK terms) Closure rails are the bits leading into the frog, the straight rail out of the frog is the point rail, the curved one is the splice rail, wing rails (...) (25 years ago, 27-Apr-00, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | automating switching rails
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| I've seen info on Matt's train depot web site about automating switching rails. I would like to be able to control the motors from the speed regulator. I was thinking of using the 5120 Polarity Switch to do this. Any thoughts on this? Is there a (...) (25 years ago, 27-Apr-00, to lugnet.trains)
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