Working level crossing gates in OO

[blackmoor_vale]

Hello,

at first excuse my crude english, I come from Germany.

For my OO layout Blackmoor Vale  I have scratchbuilded working level crossing gates.
The base is the Peco kit LK-50.
The gates are driven by four servos, the power comes from a ESU servo decoder 51802 SwitchPilot Servo.
For controlling I use now simple switches, but DCC via adres is even possible.

I have made a little video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uVltKXq_no

If you have questions, dont hesitate to ask.

Best greetings from Potsdam

Torsten

[The Evil Bus Driver]

That's really good Torsten. You could complete the picture by having a guy on a piece of wire looking like he's operating the gates by hand.

[simon hudson]

Lovely job Torsten I hope you will do a thread on how you have done it.I'm playing with some Airfix kits and I had thought about using servos.

I have never used servos before,so a thread would be a good idea I know a few others on here have posted questions on ideas for working crossing gates. Many thanks for showing-Simon

[Peter Beckett]

Hi Torsten,

I would also like to see how you did the mechanisms, especially that type of servo bracket you used

 

Cheers

 

Peter

[Gordon A]

Nice job Torsen.

How did you get the servos to operate in a cascade (One after the other) like that?

Are the mounting brackets for the servos home made or commercial items?

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[DLT]

Very good, I would be interested to hear more about the method'

 

Many thanks for sharing.

Dave.

[Godfrey Glyn]

Torsten

 

Das ist klasse!

 

Godfrey

[BrushType4]

Ãœber

[blackmoor_vale]

Hello all,

 

many thanks for the comments.

 

Of course I have take some pictures about the whole job. In the next days I will give you a report about the details and so on. Watch this space.

 

Best greetings

 

Torsten

[blackmoor_vale]

Here now the report.

 

The base for the crossing gates are the Peco kit LK-50. Further I used the ESU servodecoder SwitchPilot Servo article number 51802, four Servos ESU no.51804, some plastic sheets 2mm and plastic angle 20 mm.

 

First drill a hole in every gate over the whole lenght in the upper part of the inner column, diameter 0,5 mm.

 

 

Next drill two holes 0,8 mm inline in every pillar. Later you see, how it works.

 

 

Remove the small noses on the gates. Left nose removed, right the original condition.

 

 

Fit the actuating wire (0,5mm) into the column and the pillar, making a joint like a door. If you choose the drill in the right diameter, it is no necessity of glue, the connection ist snuggly.

 

 

Drill a hole of 2 mm in your base board and fit the pillar/gate unit. The necessary length of the actuating wire should be at least 20 mm under the basebord (depends of the thickness on your baseboard).

 

 

Making the supports for the servos: on plate from 2 mm PVC 50 x 70 mm and one pieces 50 mm long of angle 20 x 20 mm, with a cutout of 26 mm in the centre. Drill two wholes of 7 mm diameter for fixing on the baseboard, and glue both parts with approbiate glue together. (for comparism one square on the underground=10mm)

For the holes of the servo bracket is a template comes with the servo.

 

 

Here is the assembled "driving unit". The servo and the bracket for the servo comes from ESU, with all screws, wires and bits and pieces, article number 51804.

You need this unit for times, each for every gate. This is not the cheapest solution, but you can control (and adjust!) every gate indepently. Servos and ServoDecoder works perfectly together. Even if you works with servos for the first time (like me), this is the most stressles way.

 

 

All parts together, you see how its works. The connection between the upper wire and the bended wire on the lever are fixed with a clamp made from chocolate-block terminal. This kind of connecting have some advantages: you can adjust the height/lenght and even the angle.

 

 

This is the source for the connection clamps-cut the terminals and take the inserts off.

 

 

The connection between the two wires in detail:

 

 

To avoid unwanted swing on the lever I have made small clips from remaining wire. The actuating wire must be in line with the rotating axis from the gates.

 

 

Two driving units fitted on the baseboard, the other two are behind the strengthening rib.

The servo decoder comes from ESU, no. 51802.

Control is possible by DCC ore by momentary switches. Each servo input have two contacts, one for every end position. Linking the input 1A, the servo 1 goes in end position A, linking 3B servo goes to end position 3B and so on. Very simple. For setting the end postitions and the speed you dont need a DCC device, it works with simple press buttons on the servo decoder.

A manual in hopefully understandable english for the 51802 SwitchPilot Servo you will find on the ESU Website:

 

http://www.esu.eu/en...gital-decoders/

 

 

 

The cascading, means every gate moved after the other, is controlled by the switches. No rocket science, only push the switches in the right manner. Disappointing simple, but its works.

If anyone try to use servos for the first time, it could be worth to take a closer look to the ESU SwitchPilot Servo and the ESU servo 51804. Not a bargain, but well-engineered (no, sadly I don´t get money for this...the old usual joke) and you get all screws, wires, bracket, levers etc. what you need in surplus.

 

I hope I explained the technical terms clear enough and don´t bring more confusion. However if yes, ask again.

 

Best greetings

 

Torsten

[Gordon A]

Torsten,

 

Maqny thanks for the pictures and explanation.

 

Gordon A

Bristol

[simon hudson]

Many thanks Torsten for showing us great idea I will have to experiment thanks again-Simon

[James]

That's a neat idea - is it possible to have the gates working similtaneously?

[beeman]

James, do you mean like this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6jyj93Ee4&feature=youtube_gdata I am sure the poster was pleased with his efforts but sorry to comment, what a very expensive, overated and over engineered  method to operate.A 4 gate setup is simpler than a 2 gate, A search will advise what others have achieved. Beeman.

[James]

James, do you mean like this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6jyj93Ee4&feature=youtube_gdata I am sure the poster was pleased with his efforts but sorry to comment, what a very expensive, overated and over engineered method to operate.A 4 gate setup is simpler than a 2 gate, A search will advise what others have achieved. Beeman.

 

I can't see the link at work but I'd say your comment wasn't rather harsh.

 

And speaking as someone with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a project like this really appeals - I was only asking about the timing and sequence of the movement. Nothing wrong with over engineering either!

[stewartingram]

Much as I'm impressed with this one, in my experience (East Anglia)the 4-gaters would have been worked by a wheel in the signalbox, and all move simultaneously. 2-gaters sometimes were also wheel operated, possibly a delay between gates, but usually were manually worked.

 

Stewart

[beast66606]

Much as I'm impressed with this one, in my experience (East Anglia)the 4-gaters would have been worked by a wheel in the signalbox, and all move simultaneously. 2-gaters sometimes were also wheel operated, possibly a delay between gates, but usually were manually worked.

 

Stewart

 

Regional - I've swung 4 and 2 gaters from the wheel.

 

The one big issue to resolve for model gates is they don't look heavy, there is no look of inertia, real ones clattered against the stops for example.

[beeman]

Sorry that the link does not appear to respond, I will try again

Beeman. It seems one has to use the 'go to' instruction.

[James]

Regional - I've swung 4 and 2 gaters from the wheel.

 

Also depends on the site - New Bridge on the NYMR is a very skewed one with two gates worked off a wheel.

 

The one big issue to resolve for model gates is they don't look heavy, there is no look of inertia, real ones clattered against the stops for example.

 

Sadly thet's just a model thing I think - also real gates flex an alarming amount when they hit their stops! And hand worked ones can easily bounce back and hit you! A problem when it's windy!

 

Sorry that the link does not appear to respond, I will try again

 

It works now, but still think you've been very rude in this thread.

[Colin_McLeod]

Excellent operation blackmoore vale. Well done.

[Andy Y]

but still think you've been very rude in this thread.

 

Having reviewed this I do agree James. Beeman; please be a little more constructive and amenable in your criticisms.

[Peter Beckett]

Hi Torsten,

Thanks for the pictures. I have been dithering over 2 of my crossings for the last few months trying to work out how to best make them operable. (For me and my grandsons )

You have shown a novel approach to the problem and while it takes 4 servos to operate 1 crossing (they are not very expensive here, from my local radio control plane shop), they take up less space and I can retro fit them to the existing layout without any problem. I will also make them operate in unison as per various comments which will also be easier. As I run DCC I can also operate them manully or automatically.

 

Again, many thanks

Peter

[DLT]

James, do you mean like this.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc6jyj93Ee4&feature=youtube_gdata I am sure the poster was pleased with his efforts but sorry to comment, what a very expensive, overated and over engineered method to operate.A 4 gate setup is simpler than a 2 gate, A search will advise what others have achieved. Beeman.

Not sure if I've missed something, but I cant see any film of the gate mechanism you refer to. From the brief description with the clip on Youtube it sounds pretty straightforward to me and certainly looks to be smooth and reliable.

Dave.

[DLT]

Thanks very much Torsten, I will be keeping this method in mind.

It seems that railway modellers are increasingly using servos in place of expensive Tortoise motors for various applications.

Cheers,

Dave.

[beeman]

DLT further to your observation re the mechanism I did a description here.http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/47706-crossing-gates/page__fromsearch__1

this was an update to my original gates, the original being driven by a train of 4 plastic gears with each being used as a crank to drive each gate. Same motor used. On this update I fitted a belt drive between the geared motor, as said around £2.00 and the crankshaft. That being bent from a welding rod. Must admit like many things the engineering was experimental, but as it worked fine left it. Beeman.