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Controlling level crossing gates


FinnerZ

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I am currently in the process of making my own operating level crossing based on the Hornby double crossing with old fashioned gates. My query is how to make the gates move through the 90 degrees needed, using the hornby points and accessories decoder.

I currently am planning on using relays and a mechanical solution (used on an old layout at my model railway club) for turning all four gates; however, I was wondering if there was any way a servo motor (something I still don't understand much) on each gate

could be used, controlled by the pulses from the decoder (these can be set to power for any length from 0.1 s to 25.5 s). If anyone has any idea if this is possible, I would be delighted to know.
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You might like to look at tortoise point motors. as you can guess they are ... "slow and steady". They drive a sprung wire which you might be bale to adapt to a cam on the bottom of the gates.

I had been thinking about the possibility of using one

for a crossing boom gate. My latest thinking is that if I do this it will be with servo motors and a custom microcontroller.

for some ideas have a look at
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuAdPgKGdE8
- http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7689


Greg
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Thank you both. I like the idea of teh tortoise motors, but having only seen and not used one in the past, does it automatically cut out once it has moved across or does the motor keep straining until you turn it off?
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Hi
To operate level crossing gates both barrier or gated types seriously consider using servo motors and a servo controller. These give the very best operation of any moving device.
See the demo videos on the Heathcote Electronics web site. Unfortunately

no LC operating but the signal and crane give the ideas of how controllable these simple stepper motors are when they are used as servos.
http://www.heathcote-electronics.co.uk/ServCont.htm
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Thank you so much Flashbang - I understood the basic idea behind a servo motor and the basic way in which it worked, but I now think I understand the wiring. I take it I would connect a power suply up to the + and 0 temrinals, and then put a wire between

the 0 and S termninal with a relay in between, powered switched on by the decoder. Is this about right? I suppose for my four gate crossing I would need four motors, four brackets and two dual controllers? Also, would you recomend Heathcote Electronics as

the best place to purchase such items.

P.S. I love your signature.
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What are you thinking of using the relay for?

Fig 3 shows a way of sequencing two motors with a single control line.

I think that the output of the accessory decoder could probably be connected directly to the input of the servo controller.

in the end the output on the accessory decoder needs to look like a switch to operate the point motors.

if you need two controllers then probably they can be daisy chained (ie 4 motors, one afetr the other) like 2 x Fig 3.

If you want to do two

in parallel then you can probably connect the two inputs together via a pair of diodes and then to the accessory decoder.

There are a few "probably"s above that you would need to think through.

Greg
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it says you need a switch between the 0 and S terminals, and the relay would be the switch, turned on by the decoder. however, i suppose i could link up the common to the + terminal (this always provides the + current from the decoder) and then the - decoder

terminal to the 0, and the + to the 0 and the S terminal. would it be most realistic to have the opening one after another?
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  • 4 weeks later...
Mike recomended the MERG website for a quad controller, but I can't work out how to buy from their site (if you can). Does anyone else know anywhere else I shoudl get them or should I just buy two double controllers from the Heathcote Electrical site (again

if they have a shop - I haven't looked yet).
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  • 1 month later...

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