Help Needed to get a Museum Layout running again

[Dad-1]

I was asked IF I could help ..........

However this is way beyond my knowledge and understanding

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH

I need instructions & installation details for the AMR BL3 Branch Line Shuttle Units.

 

My understanding is they ceased trading quite a few years back, perhaps 10 years ?

I do not even know what functions the two rotary controls on the upper case control !!

 

 

This is all being done on the proverbial shoe-string by volunteers with virtually no

railway modelling experience, hence their coming to our exhibition to ask if we could help.

 

The system has two of these AMR controllers, one working an upper track, one the lower

and operate to run a pair of sequence linked out and back trains.

 

Without having some detail of these units I don't see how we can check to see if the failure

of the display is from faults within the controllers, reed switches, or other. The Display was

created somewhere around 1992 a date on the single trigger circuit switch details.

 

Dad-1

[Dad-1]

Since posting this morning I've been experimenting ...... for hours.

 

I now have the first of two BL3 units working as I think is needed, but I'm still playing

with the slowing and delay controls.

 

I still desperately need a set of instructions. I do hope someone can help.

 

I would also be interested to know if these were a U.K produced product, or perhaps

imported ? Anyone know ?

 

Dad-1

[Brian D]

Hi,

I don't have any info on this product but I did recently buy a similar but much more simplified similar item.  This link might therefore be useful as it shows the basic wiring diagram for the item I purchased.

https://andyquirot.co/sales/auto-station-start-stop/

This device comes with two diodes shown on the diagram.  From what I understand from google, the AMR units also relied on these.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Brian.

[Dad-1]

Thanks for the input Brian D.

 

The aim currently is to use what we have and for fully understanding

that we need some original instructions.

 

Dad-1

[RAF96]

Green knob is speed (accel/inertia) and the other one is delay (beofre reversal). See here at these photos...

https://www.themodelcentre.com/BL1unnboxed/

And this

https://goo.gl/images/PZ8QEC

 

I also found a phone number from 2010 for AMR on another forum

tel:01293 544805

 

Also look at post #2 here

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/33893-shuttle-units/

 

Editted to add more links.

 

Rob

Edited January 20, 2018 by RAFHAAA96

[Dad-1]

I was aware of the secondhand BL1 versions for sale at TMC & Hatton's,

but although I'd found reference to AMR in a 2010 RMWeb postings I'd

not found that other which has given details which tell of the two adjustment

parameters. That will probably give me all I need to know now.

 

That may still not be enough to fix the overall problems of two linked BL3

units, fired up from press to start control. Although the one unit I have stripped

out and brought home can be made to work as intended.

 

I think the problems may have been brought on by the the current team not being

aware of the essential requirement that polarity input from the speed controller is

the correct way around. This has been found by experimenting.

Normally controller polarity is swapped as one moves from forward to reverse, however

this is built into the BL3 unit. As a result one MUST have a constant & correct polarity

feed.

 

I would still like to find a set of original instruction. 2010 phone numbers no longer current.

 

Dad-1

[RAF96]

One of the pictures in my first link details the BL1 connections by way of sticky labels on the back shewing input polarity, track connections and links for 3 reed switches. I presume the BL3 is identical apart maybe from number of tracks controlled.

 

It works just like my Gaugemaster shuttle except that uses diodes as detectors instead of reeds. You set the desired track speed on the controller and set the rate of change to stop on the speed knob and the time to reversal on the other knob.

 

If there are other interlinks then without the full interface track wiring I cannot be of much more help.

Rob