Accessories & Automation

Absolutely, use a separate power supply for accessories, leaving the DCC supply to run trains only, IMO.

If you are interested in building your own automation circuits check out Rob Paisley's page.

And if your not into DIY

And if your not into DIY electronics you could try this grade crossing signal controller

http://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/product.php?productid=999002713&cat=218&page=1

The controller is available with either photo cell  or infrared detection.

The controller itself works well but both of these detectors can be unreliable, more so the photo cell detectors. If I was going to use it on my layout I would use current detectors and resistive wheelsets.

Cheers Steve

Grade crossing

The below link has some options if you like DIY projects.

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html#Automatic

I bought his DCC amp meter parts a couple years ago. Very happy with the results.

Rich

Sorry, answered to quickly. I see this link already provided.

Rich

Link

Still a valuable post as you give feedback on purchasing from Rob and you remind us that Rob also sells kits and fully assembled circuits as well as providing plans for DIY'ers.

The updated (2008) version of the automated crossing gate circuit should be just what the doc ordered for the OP, I thought.

Automatic grade crossing

You guys are great, thanks  for the infos, btw, I am not really a DIY, but I still have time to consider everything. Being in the midst of tearing down a superb n scale layout, I will rebuild smaller HO with dcc/sound. Wife is claiming some land down in the basement, and I agree.

Former railroad name was .'' Lamoille, Massawippi & St-François rr,'' the new one is called ''Massawippi railroad corp.''

The former in n scale had its own decals and lettering, the new one will have 'used'' equipement, thus new reporting marks over old owners and so on ...

thanks again, will keep you posted !

Guy Laurin

Also try

Also try  " signalogicsystems.com"  They advertise on the railpics site and seem to have some neat stuff.  

Steve

 Moderator Edit:  Made into a direct link.

Steve please go to the site

Steve please go to the site you tryed to put above and please put in a proper URL in order for us to find it. Because what to put above does not exist.

Dan

Try Tam Valley Depot

 I would strongly suggest you look at the Tam Valley Depot system. (New Sponsor). He has a DCC booster units and power supplies for a very reasonable price. This will keep your accessory system under its own power grid but still accessible from your DCC system. Then you can control the crossing gate with a servo and one of his singleton units. If you use a Quad-P unit then you have multiple controls. One could turn on the lights, one for the bell and one for the arm control. With the daughter boards and relays he has there is an endless combination of things that can be controlled, not just your switches.

And the great thing his prices and service are very good. 

Tam Valley

I agree the Tam Valley Booster looks like a great solution for accessories.  Thanks for the heads up on that product!

dcc level crossing

Paco has what looks like a great solution.  A DCC Level Crossing setup including bells, gates and lights with seperate triggers as well as manual control

http://usuaris.tinet.org/fmco/pansem_sp.html#pansound

http://usuaris.tinet.org/fmco/download/PANsound_manual.pdf

http://usuaris.tinet.org/fmco/download/PANsound.zip (Hex Files)

I have not tried it yet but his other DIY DCC stuff is good.

It looks Promising

Cheers

Ben

+ +

It looks mucho  interresting but in a language  requiring translation skills above Google.  It also it requires you program a PIC with the HEX code he supplies. May not be for up our friends alley.

Litchfield Station, a spondor,  has a page full of grade crossing solutions,  some with servo control.  that should be perfect for what he plans.

http://www.litchfieldstation.com/xcart/home.php?cat=218

Marc Fournier, Quebec

litchfield station

Thanks for the advise, Marc,

by the way, do you live in the greater Quebec city area?

If you want to, we could get in touch from time to time to see where we are at, unless you are an armchair model rr?

I just dismantled my big andvery nice n scale layout, doing new stuff and techniques in HO

And your '' grasslight'' is so clever ; wich I willdo it soon.

Au plaisir,

Guy Laurin

Quebec City

 Bonjour Guy Laurin,

Very sad about your dismantling your very nice N Scale layout.

Don't tell me you have decided to upgrade to HO!

Give me a call and we can get together!

UPGRADE!

At least you concede that it IS an upgrade to go to HO scale... [VBG & WINK]

UPGRADE ?

Les,

Kevin is right, it is not an upgrade, but a change....with today's superdetails, DCC/SOUND, and all of us aging, ( our view diminishe with time, we must take this into consideration !!! ) I am therefore going HO, less shall be better..!

I want to challenge Lance Mindheim as for realism....

Too bad you did not saw what I had in N scale, I prefer to forget it , othewise I will cry !

 Regards,

Guy

Upgrade

 Guy,

I was just pulling your leg....anglais pour (tirer ta pipe)... I am sorry not to have seen your N Scale Layout we sort of lost touch after a couple of years. Send me an EMail with your contact info and I will get in touch!

lhalmos@model-railroad-hobbyist.com

Hope to hear from you soon!