OK, I always wanted to do this and now I am getting closer. This is my plan for 'Automatic Train Operation' where two trains control each other and one stops just before a crossing to allow the other to pass by safely. It should work fine and the infra red controller (I called it a 'scanner' in the drawing) is very reliable and looks like a railroad accessory shack. As a train passes in front of 'the scanner' it breaks an invisible beam which sends power to the section I named 'Stop track' which will start up the train that was sitting there, it will run along track 'DD' in the drawing running parallel to the first train on track 'CC'. The two trains will run through the new part of the layout (to be built) and both return to the crossing at approximately the same time. The train which had been stopped before, now has the right of way and has the green light to go through the crossing. The train which had activated the scanner now has a red signal light and is stopped on the 'stop track' and will stay there until the other train completes the inside loop around the trestle and waterfall (not shown) and returns to start a new cycle. The trains continue to swap positions back and forth taking turns at stopping at or driving through the 90 degree crossing. Then with no more than the flip of a toggle you can shut off the scanner and power up the stop track and you are on your own with 'manual overide' and can turn power on and off to the stop track section as you wish.
2 comments:
John,
This is a really neat idea. Just the kind of project that would be fun to publish in the Iron Horse.
Thanks, I hope it all goes as planned. But I enjoy thinking about it and have a lot of fun planning. None of it is hard. Just one step at a time. For example to add a second signal light that would show green when the stop section light is red and visa versa. That is just 3 short wires, signal to signal. Common to common and crisscross the red and the green.
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