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Lumsdonia Railway

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A guide to the many options to make your level crossing actually move!

Automation of level crossing Guide

Level Crossing (Barrier)

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If you are capable of fitting LED’s to a wagon, then making a test bogie is no different.

Fit pick ups to each of the wheels, on both axles (wheel wiper type)

A carriage bogie or a wagon can be used

Wire the pick ups to the LED/resistor network on veroboard


An anatomy

When installing or fault diagnosing track, it is useful to have a quick method to test if voltage is present along each part of the track and what polarity it is (on DC systems).

You could of course use a multi-meter or a bulb!

But the simplest method is to buy (or make) an LED and resistor circuit board with two prongs/pads the width of the track.

If two Led’s are wired back to back, then the polarity can be detected (on DC systems).

This works perfectly well, but is a faff to keep on the tracks as you sweep down its length. Pushing a truck down the track seems much easier, so lets combine the two! This makes it very easy to check voltage around the whole layout, especily

This makes it very easy

Here are the pic's of the design for the vertical direct drive type











https://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=50608

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Supply list

Plastic Level Crossing gates

2mm diameter brass rod (or slightly larger)

Brass tube slightly larger in internal bore than the brass rod

Electrical (Choccy block) connectors

1mm Piano wire (or 0.8 or 1.2)

SG90 servo

Mounting screws (see text)

Servo bracket (see Note 1)

Araldite (two part epoxy)

Servo controller (see Note 2)