1. posterid:1029507
  2. Wiring a swing gate?

Re: Wiring a swing gate?

Tom O'Hara
 

I used a limit roller switch on one rail to turn off the power when it was up. It worked for 8-10 years without a hitch. No relay required, since the switch was over 2 A, and the engines didn't draw that much power. If I had used old open-frame motors, perhaps I would have needed a relay. As far as alignment, I attached a table leaf alignment pin (wooden) that came down into a nylon sleeve. I carefully filled an oversized hole in the lower receiver with enough epoxy along the outside, put the sleeve on the pin, lowered it down to where the epoxy filled the area around the sleeve and let it set up. Careful with the epoxy. Always lined up at the correct height, based on getting the alignment correct before epoxying. A toybox lift spring (there are other possibilities) at the other end would hold it up at about a 70 degree angle from horizontal on a bridge that was about 30" long. 

Maybe a new way next time, and maybe the same.

...Tom

On Wed, Jun 8, 2022 at 4:42 PM Jim Betz <jimbetz@...> wrote:
Wouter,

  I know all about keep alives - and install them on ALL of my locomotives..  I'm not
worried - the dead track will be almost a meter long and that will stop any train at
any speed with any number of MU'ed locos (however it will be rare to ever see
more than one loco on a train on my layout).  And yes - I also know about the
loss of control while the loco is running only on the keep alive.

Dave McBrayer,

  I'm not sure I understand your caution about the power thru the limit switch.  I
understand they can go bad - but the number of times these will make/break is
very low.  Remember - I am thinking I will use one limit switch per swing gate
which will "re-wire" both layers ... cause the track on the gate and 3 feet in 
either direction to go dead when the gate is open.

Ron Merrill/all,

  My -swing- gates are already done ... with the exception of the track going
across them.  They are very positive in terms of going back to the exact
same place every time they are closed ... so no problems with the track
not lining up perfectly.  In fact, it is my intent to run the track right across
the "gaps" (perhaps better called "joints"), spike it all down, and then cut
the rails with a Dremel.  Yes, these gates are that good/that dimensionally
stable and return to exactly the same position every time.

                                                      ****

  No one has ... yet ... suggested a method of killing the track power other
than the limit switch and relay(s).  Are there no other methods?  Or none
better?
                                                                                            - Jim in the PNW

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