I've looked into this before wanting a similar effect, even calling the Digitrax "techs", asking the same question and my conclusion (without spending the federal defecit) was computer assisted controlling. For block detection, the Digitrax BDL162 has 16-block capability (I happen to have a new one for sale in the yellow pages forum) if you're interested
Hi All, As others have mentioned, some simple electronics and detectors may help with the stopping part. The slowing-down-before-stopping could also be handled by an off the shelf product from Circuitron -- it's their model #5601. This reduces the voltage through a selected section of track to a value 1/4 to 3/4 of the original voltage. (one could probably accomplish the same thing with resistors or a diode bridge sort of a thing, but the Cicuitron part is under $20 at walthers -- you would probably need one for each side that you wanted to slow down depending on how your blocks are set up). If this cut in when the turnout / crossing was thrown, the train would slow approaching the stopping section triggered by an IR detector or similar. Regards, Byron
The thing is, almost anything can be done electronically if you just put the components together in the right order. Get complex enough and you CAN do anything like slowing your loco's down gradually, controlling an MU as though it was one engine, speeding them back up gradually... anything can be done. It has, in fact, been done before...so often they gave it a name. DCC. Thats just a whole lot of electronic bits put together to do exactly what you are trying to achieve. Yep, DCC is horrendously expensive (but getting cheaper), and what you want to do is about 1 besquillionth of what DCC can do, so its hard to justify making that leap.... Bear one thing in mind though. If you get an electronic solution to this one problem, you'll see something else you think would be neat, and you'll find an electronic solution to that. Sure enough, then you'll find another one. After a while you'll have to raise your benchwork another couple of inches to fit more wiring under there. At some point DCC will become the only viable alternative and all that has gone before will have been an adventure, but financially lost. At some point you have to figure whats economical and whats false economy. Me, I have no doubt that if I was building a significant layout it would have to be DCC.
So you answered yourself why I dont want or need it.. way too much $, and I dont want 99.999999% of the bollox it does. thanks
I don't know THE answer, but I've read stacks of old Model Railroaders while armchairng my layout. What you want done can be done. Using blocks, detectors, and I'm not sure if you need signal lights or not. Even if it required computer control, I'm sure any old 386 or better would have enough horsepower for this. There is/was a writer for MRR named Bruce Chubb who wrote about this type of stuff. I would check out the site of DALEE electronics and or do a wb search for Model Railroad control. On the other hand While I too am going to use DC control because of the number of older non DCC engines I have, I do have to agree, that at some point you get to a cost vs perfomance point where DCC really makes sense. Don't give up, your not crazy it can be done. Keep us informed. Thanks, Dave
I don't get it ! Am I missing something ? I think the important question here is , What are you using to power the tracks. If you had a two CAB throttle transformer all you would do is set one block to Cab 1 and the other to CAB 2. You would enter the block before the intersection and slow down and stop at the intersection using CAB 1 throttle. the other train passes ( using CAB2 ) and away you go switching the blocks ahead of you back to CAB 1. I think............. www.totoketvalley.railimages.com
There are several firms over here that make simple and, relatively, cheap components that would give you automatic slow down and stop feature. Some are operated by small magnets under the locos and others by infra red. Unfortunately my mate has the magazine that has the appropriate adverts in. I don't see any other way. I am DC and I stop one train then isolate it through a switch, then run the second into the siding or across the diamond. It's cheap effective and no horrible sudden stops. I do occasionally find one loco has lost power on a turnout and the other is pusing for all its worth. If it's in the staging yard I only know when the train never appears Regards, David
Thanks Mr Bean This is what I am trying to stop, the 2 or 3rd loco pushing... I think I will give up on this. in the too hard basket.
