I would look forward to

I would look forward to seeing a more in depth article or series on planning and wiring a layout for DCC block detection. 

RR Circuits Link

The RR-CirKits link cirkits.com (http://www.xn--rr-%c2%adcirkits-3e6i.com/) is bad. Should be http://www.rr-cirkits.com/.   

This is a really good sumamry article

And i thank you for it.  Even though I have a switching layout, I'm already designing the signal system.  I want to do block occupancy AND turnout indication.  with dwarf signals . . in N scale . . .

Ken, where?

Ken, where is this link, please?

rr circuits link

The link is on page 61.  As of 1037 hrs 4/1/14 is incorrect. edit:  my downloaded copy doesn't auto-correct, DUH!

Joe: Bad RR Circuits Link

Joe: The second to last paragraph in article:

Layout Signalling

A trick I used on our club module layout is to have one ambient light detector at the signal and then run two timers to change the aspect to yellow 10 sec after the train clears the detector.   10 sec after that it returns to green.   This way there is action but no extra wiring between modules.

Enjoyed the article.

Steve

Lyout Signaling

That is one implementation, Steve.

You were a bit more explicit than I was in the column. Of course, if you park just off the sensor, you can have the situation I mentioned in the column, a green signal just behind a stopped caboose.

Except for that one issue, it is simple and easy to implement. Can even be done with one timer and some logic.

Given the lack of signal animators, I've been considering designing a board which would take the output of a detector, such as the NCE BD20 and give you CLEAR (green), APPROACH (yellow) and STOP (red) aspect outputs.

Atlas Signal Drivers

Hey Bruce,

Have you had a chance to check out the Atlas signal driver board? They work with NCE BD20s and will give an optional animated yellow aspect if desired. They also work decently when doing full blown signaling too. We have used these boards on a few signal modules with some success. These drive only Common Cathode type signals so you will need to make an adapter if you are planning on using Common Anode signals.

Detection strategies I found that avoid resistance wheels is to use optical detection at signal locations and resistance in between optical detectors. The optical detectors detect the rolling stock and the resistance detectors detect the locomotives.

If a freight car has trouble triggering an optical detector (Like an empty well car) then resistance wheelsets will need to be added to ensure detection. Not *HAVING* to install new wheelsets on existing rolling stock to maintain a pretty accurate operational signaling system, makes signaling practical IMHO.

Here's a link if you are interested in the tech behind the signal system we have implemented in Free-mo

http://www.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/70/5042/february-2005-page-8

Chris Palomarez

great

I would like to see more articles on the process on signaling a layout.  I am building a layout, and the signals to me are fascinating. 

Great as far as it goes

I am ready for the next chapter.

1994 MM article

Bruce,

Thanks for the continuing pursuit of this topic.  Oh, but the exploration of it can can go very deep.

A very simple straight forward board for 3 aspect indications was designed by Rich Weyand, and published in the September, 1994 Mainline Modeler.  It's based on a single LM-324 chip, is cheap, is easy to assemble on perf board, and works beautifully.  I built and used them until I switched to CMRI/JMRI.  The article also includes the simple circuit for a searchlight signal with bi-color two lead LED's.

The article and circuit are found on Rich's website.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~jimngage/TRACTRONICS/ARTICLES/ABARTCL/abartcl.htm

Tractronics + Timer

I like the idea of signal animators that can double as actual true signal drivers based on what is happening on the adjacent blocks. Hook in an additional signal board and screw in an additional lead to generate a yellow indication that is no longer just an animated/timed aspect.

The Atlas board does this but it can be hard to find...ideally the Tractronics board + an optional timer for the animated yellow would be a nice replacement for the atlas. If additional boards can be added on as time and $$ permit so signaling can be implemented in a scalable fashion, I'm sure more people would start adding it into their layout.

Chris

i don,t see much about using

i don,t see much about using programs to use signaling on your layout, i currently use railroad and companys program and digitrax  se8c and bdl 168  electronic boards, when set up properly i get signals to work like they are suppose to and work in conjuction of when a trains is in block and reads blocks ahead if it is available, real cool program, i have people come over just to see the way it works, i know it is a little costly but it does  works real sweet

Lack of signal animators?

Bruce,

Nice article! Thanks for mentioning our company. You DO know that we have a line of signaling products called the Signal Animator, right?! I wasn't sure what you meant in your comment about "lack of signal animators!"

Sincerely,

Probably poorly worded on my part, Chuck

I was talking at that point in the column about DCC block detected signal animators, which seem to be in the "roll your own" ether at this point.

My Litchfield Station customers (WOW, Monday 4 years ago was my last day!) and I have had good experiences with you and your products.

Nice article

You got your 5 stars Bruce. One thing that could be very helpful to anyone wanting to install signals might be to design some simple detectors and logic circuits using basic available parts. At nearly 100 dollars for ready made per circuit from what I last saw it would seem that one could save a huge amount of money if a bread board and some inexpensive circuitry was used to do the same thing. From looking at the sections behind our dispatchers board the components themselves do not seem that expensive.

It should not be that difficult for the electronics wizards to design a couple of circuits that could be easily copied by folks that go buy their own components and put them together. It would make a nice article. I would rather solder some things together and install it for 20.00  and be able to fix it myself than spend 100 dollars and be told that the item is no longer being supported in 5 years. I might be in the minority cause I build other things as well and generally take the ready to disassemble stuff apart and fix it as well.

This is not to dismiss the folks that have components to work with JMRI to control a layout I will be looking at their stuff as well since you were kind enough to mention them and since they advertise in MRH a sign of quality after all.

Our club has a signal system designed and built by one of our members as well as a dispatchers panel. We primarily use dcc to run trains. One of the other things that was done by this member an electrical engineer by trade was to prepare a manual that details all the wiring and electrical equipment of our club. We have diagrams and photos that are labeled of every circuit and wire connection on the railroad. The book is approximately 4 inches thick as of this writing.

It is a very intimidating piece of literature, but will hopefully allow us to keep things working after Bob our electrical genius is gone. We hope he is around for quite a while as he is a really great guy as well.

Rob in Texas

Just had that conversation

I was at my local club Tuesday night, and the two guys who are rewiring the layout were talking about how to do it. We also have signals, but they need to be rewired as well. It was mentioned that everyone in the club should feel comfortable enough to do some basic troubleshooting of the layout, be it a signal that doesn't work. or a turnout that doesn't move.

While it's not actually built for signaling, I've been going through the DCC BitSwitch website as I put their products into my online store. They actually build products to automate parts, or all of a layout, but their Block BitSwitch will detect occupancy, and has signal outputs built into it.

You can find a basic explanation and a couple of videos at My DCC Trains

Using JMRI and signaling

CMRI

You at best glossed over Bruce Chubb's CMRI system.

It has everything you need to produce a signaling system from simple ABS to full CTC.

Signaling electronic vendors

Signaling Your DCC Layout

Hi Bruce

I appreciated this article for giving a good overview that was not too technical.  Like some others I find signals fascinating and I find them somewhat daunting/expensive.

My Birmingham District MRR represents steam era Birmingham, AL and I know that there were signal systems in place -- in fact, I believe that TCI a Division of US Steel had one of the early CTC systems in the early 1920's.

We have regular operating session using JMRI Operations; the layout uses Digitrax control with PECO turnouts.  So, as noted in the article we are at the stepping off point, but ain't done it yet.

The layout also has some tunnels, one of which is about 25 feet long, so we could really use some block/occupancy detection.  We operate with a Dispatcher and verbal train orders - so far no one has been killed on the model RR.

So, thanks for a good overview article covering a good spectrum of choices from "eye candy" to complex.

Signalling your DCC Layout

I really enjoyed the article. It is a dream of mine to fully signal my layout. For now I keep reading and learning.

Years ago after getting into DCC, but before I installed automatic reversing on reversing sections I used a bicolor LED at the junction where reversing sections met, Green to show proper polarity Red meant an electrical switch needed to be flipped. Those days are behind me, but it did add a level of interest to the layout and was easy to do.

Richard Golden

Melbourne, ON, Canada

Good Overview

I dream someday of a signal system that runs prototypical. I've looked at several of the companies that were mentioned in the article. After lots and lots of reading my head felt very full. This article was a great overview of signaling and kept it at a nice basic level. I hope someday to see an article on what it takes to make a prototypical signal system.