beeman Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 Thought i would post this as a new post. Of interest as no 'constructive' replies re post of 'josh993'. Thought some of the 'whizz kids', having built the simpler barrier type might offer their knowledge/observations. So, any advice on Prototype installations as to how they actually worked. In my childhood, I remember a 2 gate crossing in the main Street of my Home Town. I recollect seeing the signalman in the adjacent box winding like hell with the one gate initially swinging out, then the second gate following at a much faster rate to bang home on the stop. shaking the installation. Were these operated by a Balance weight system on the second gate ?. There must have been some underground/ crossing tunnel or culvert to house the mechanism. Is there any info anyone is aware of on the net, or does one need to research books. Like many things probably easier to operate in model form rather than the Real thing. Beeman. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwin_m Posted November 17, 2011 Share Posted November 17, 2011 That's basically how they work as far as I'm aware, with various rods and gears under the road. I don't think the second gate is worked any differently, it probably goes faster because the signalman has already put the effort into spinning the wheel up while starting the first one, and there may be a bit of "free running" after the first gate closes, so as to get up a bit more speed before the second one starts to move. A couple of gems from the Signalbox forum: http://www.signalbox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3276 http://www.signalbox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2845 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 17, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 17, 2011 This is what you need - look down the list to Part IV http://www.transportdiversions.com/publicationshow.asp?pubid=2266 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeman Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 Thanks for the advice, have now built my replacement set, still at workbench stage, ready for attempting to fit, earplugs will be needed I reckon, couple of pics of project so far. Beeman. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 The crank arms look a bit 'naf' but rather than fitting some type of 'one time' adjuster they are a piece of light metal that can be bent to required radius for correct angular swing of each gate, only the opposites are equal due to the out of square config. the advantage of being crankshaft operated is they slow , at start/end of travel. The belt and pulleys were from an old VCR, the actual crankshaft. a piece of welding rod bent to suit.Motor gearbox from Technobots. Gates/posts etc from brass tubing. Cross braces were copper wire hammered into a square shape as tube not available. An advantage of using cranks, is motor does not need to reverse, so simple circuit with one off switch needed. The design was a compromise against info posted,and pics studied, Thanks, . Pleased with the more correct/scale look as against the old Triang set.The gate lights are 2mm led's, raised 'pip' filed off, with one carefully bent connection soldered to gate for mounting, these are almost scale size. So one power supply through the metal of the gate, the other a thin enamel wire taken thro the gate structure, out of the 'hinge'' tube. Beeman UPDATED, Herewith link to see gates in operation, included operation of Nitinol memory wire operated Ratio signals, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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