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Our other free eBooks,

50 - 555 Circuits
1 - 100 Transistor Circuits and: 101 - 200 Transistor Circuits
100 IC Circuits
For a list of every electronic symbol, see: Circuit Symbols.
For more articles and projects for the hobbyist: see TALKING ELECTRONICS WEBSITE

email Colin Mitchell: [email protected]

13 CIRCUITS as of 26-5-2012

CONTENTS
Arc Welder Simulator
Capacitor Discharge Unit MkII
Capacitor Discharge Unit MkII - modification
Flashing Railroad Lights
Flashing Lights
LED Tester
Make your own point Motor using a servo
Model Railway Time
Over-Current Detection
Point Motor Driver
Reversing A Motor

Pht

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Servo as Point Motor

Track Tester
Traffic Lights
Train Throttle
4-Way Traffic Lights

to Index

INTRODUCTION
This e-book presents some interesting
projects for Model Railways.
Talking Electronics has produced two books for
Model Railway enthusiasts (book-2 is now out of
print).
The two books are:
Electronics for Model Railways 1:
Electronics for Model Railways 2:
The projects in these books can be found on
Talking Electronics website in the left-hand
column.
Since releasing these two books, we have designed
some extra projects and more are being released
all the time.
The projects will be presented in this eBook and
you will need to come back on a regular basis to
see the updates.
Colin Mitchell
If you have DCC Digital Command Control on your
model railway, or are thinking about using it or
starting a layout with this feature, here is a
website dedicated to helping you:
http://www.dccconcepts.com.au/
Digital Command Control is a standard for a
system to operate model railways so that two or
more locomotives can be controlled independently
on the same section of track.
We will not be covering any projects for DCC so it's
best to visit the DCC website.

PROJECTS

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TEST EQUIPMENT

LED TESTER
This project tests LEDs and tests for continuity and tests for other things as well.
It's a very handy piece of test gear.
See the full project HERE

The LED Tester Project

The 3 button cells are held in place with narrow heatshrink

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TEST EQUIPMENT

TRACK TESTER
This project tests the voltage on your track.
It's another very handy piece of test gear.
See the full project HERE
The Track Tester kit costs $10.00 AUD plus $4.50 AUD postage.
The Track Tester is also available ready-made for $16.50 USD
(posted)

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to Index

FLASHING RAILROAD LIGHTS

This circuit flashes two red LEDs for a model railway crossing.

to Index

TRAFFIC LIGHTS
Here's a clever circuit using two 555's to produce a set of traffic lights for a model
layout.
The animation shows the lighting sequence and this follows the Australianstandard. The red LED has an equal on-off period and when it is off, the first 555
delivers power to the second 555. This illuminates the Green LED and then the
second 555 changes state to turn off the Green LED and turn on the Orange LED
for a short period of time before the first 555 changes state to turn off the second
555 and turn on the red LED. A supply voltage of 9v to 12v is needed because the
second 555 receives a supply of about 2v less than rail. This circuit also shows
how to connect LEDs high and low to a 555 and also turn off the 555 by controlling

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the supply to pin 8. Connecting the LEDs high and low to pin 3 will not work and
since pin 7 is in phase with pin 3, it can be used to advantage in this design.

Here is a further description of how the circuit works:

Both 555's are wired as oscillators in astable mode and will oscillate ALL THE
TIME when they are turned ON. But the second 555 is not turned on all the time!
The first 555 turns on and the 100u is not charged. This makes output pin 3 HIGH
and the red LED is not illuminated. However the output feeds the second 555 and
it turns on.
Output pin 3 of the second 555 turns on the green LED and the second 100u
charges to 2/3 rail voltage and causes the 555 to change states. The green LED
goes off and the orange LED turns on.
The second 100u starts to discharge, but the first 100u is charging via a 100k and
after the orange LED has been on for a short period of time, the first 555 changes
state and pin 3 goes LOW.
This turns on the red LED and turns off the second 555.
The first 100u starts to discharge via the 100k and eventually it changes state to
start the cycle again.
The secret of the timing is the long cycle-time of the first 555 due to the 100k and
the short cycle due to the 47k on the second 555.
to Index

4 WAY TRAFFIC LIGHTS

This circuit produces traffic lights for a "4-way" intersection. The seemingly complex
wiring to illuminate the lights is shown to be very simple.

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MODEL RAILWAY TIME

Here is a circuit that will convert any clock mechanism into Model Railway Time.
For those who enjoy model railways, the ultimate is to have a fast clock to match the scale of the
layout. This circuit will appear to "make time fly" by turning the seconds hand once every 6 seconds.
The timing can be adjusted by changing the 47k. The electronics in the clock is disconnected from the
coil and the circuit drives the coil directly. The circuit takes a lot more current than the original clock
(1,000 times more) but this is one way to do the job without a sophisticated chip.

to Index

REVERSING A MOTOR-4 (see 1, 2, 3 in 200 Transistor

Circuits)
In this example the power is applied via the start switch and the train
moves to the away limit switch and stops. The 555 creates a delay of 1
minute and the train moves to the home limit and stops. Turn the power
on-off to restart the action.

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FLASHING LIGHTS FOR MODEL RAILWAY

CROSSING:
A flashing LED is used to create the timing for the
flash-rate and the transistor provides the alternate flash
for the second set of LEDs.

to Index

CAPACITOR DISCHARGE UNIT MkII (CDU2)

This project is available as a kit
for $10.80 plus $6.50 post. email
Talking Electronics for details.

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This circuit will operate a two-solenoid point-motor

and prevent it overheating and causing any
damage. The circuit produces energy to change the
points and ceases to provide any more current.
This is carried out by the switching arrangement
within the circuit, by sampling the output voltage.
If you want to control the points with a DPDT toggle
switch or slide switch, you will need two CDU2
units.

HOW THE CIRCUIT WORKS

The circuit is supplied by 16v AC or DC and the
diode on the input is used to rectify the voltage if
AC is supplied. If nothing is connected to the output, the base of the BD679 is pulled high and the
emitter follows. This is called an emitter-follower stage. The two 1,000u electrolytics charge and
the indicator LED turns on. The circuit is now ready.
When the Main or Siding switch is pressed, the energy from the electrolytics is passed to the point
motor and the points change. As the output voltage drops, the emitter-follower transistor is turned
off and when the switch is released, the electrolytics start to charge again.

The point-motor can be operated via a Double-Pole

Double-Throw Centre-Off toggle switch, providing
the switch is returned to the centre position after a
few seconds so that the CDU unit can charge-up.

The Capacitor Discharge Unit can also be

purchased with screw-terminals for the input and output leads:
See the full article: HERE.

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CDU MkIIB with 2 x 2,200u

electrolytics and screw terminals
$12.50 plus $6.50 postage.
Click HERE for details

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CAPACITOR DISCHARGE UNIT MkII (CDU2) - modification

If your transformer does not supply 15vAC to 16vAC, you can increase the input
voltage by adding a 100u to 220u electrolytic and 1N4004 diode to the input to create
a voltage doubling arrangement. You can also change one or both the 1,000u
electrolytics for 2,200u. This will deliver a much larger pulse to the point-motor and
guarantee operation.

to Index

POINT MOTOR DRIVER

One of the first things (you will want) when expanding a model railway
is a second loop or siding.
This needs a set of points and if they are distant from the operator,
they will have to be electrically operated. There are a number of
controllers on the market to change the points and some of them take
a very high current. (You can get a low-current Point Motor).

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The high current is needed because the actuating mechanism is very

inefficient, but it must be applied for a very short period of time to
prevent the point motor getting too hot.
Sometimes a normal switch is used to change the points and if the
operator forgets use it correctly, the Point Motor will "burn-out" after a
few seconds.
To prevent this from happening we have designed the following circuit.
It operates the Point Motor for 5mS to 10mS (a very short time) and
prevents any damage.
You can use a Peco switch (PL23 - about $10.00!!) or an ordinary
toggle switch (change-over switch - SPDT - single-pole double-throw).
You can connect to either side of the Point Motor and both contacts of
the other side go to 14v to 22v rail.

Point Motor mounted

under the track.

The Point-Motor shaft moves

left-right to change the points.

Wiring a Point Motor

Point Motor connected to track

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See the full article: HERE

CDU with SPDT switch

$13.50 plus $6.50 postage.
Click HERE to buy kit
Here is a video showing a point motor connected to a set of points,
from the Rail Video Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW67CFSWGzU&feature=related
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MAKE YOUR OWN POINT MOTOR using a SERVO

Point Motors can be expensive. You can save over 75% by making your own.
Point Motors (or switches) are also known as Turnouts or Points.
A point Motor can be made from an RC Servo (Radio Control Servo).

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Connecting the push-rod

Servo and Horns

Mounting the Servo on a

bracket

Fitting the Servo to the track

All servos come with a variety of attachments for the output shaft. These are called "Servo Horns"
or "Servo Arms" and are "single leg horn, (or servo arm), double servo horn, circular horn (wheel)
and others.
They convert circular motion into straight-line motion with the aid of a push-rod.
That's exactly what we want, to move the track-rails. Any of the horns can be used for this project
as you only need a very short travel. The push-red needs to be spring-steel and you can unwind a
small spring to get this item.
Servos have 3 leads. Positive, Negative and Signal. The Signal wire is connected to a PC board
containing a chip that detects pulses to activate the motor. We do not need this feature. The PC
board needs to be removed. Open the servo and remove the PC board and signal wire. The pot
can be left in position but the wires need to be removed.
The two remaining leads are connected directly to the motor.
Our circuit drives the motor and gearbox with a short pulse of energy to provide clockwise or
anticlockwise movement.
No limit switches are needed because the railway track provides the limits-of-travel and the motor
effectively stalls when the end-of-travel is reached. The gearing produces adequate torque (or
effort) to move the rails and a current of about 50mA is sufficient to operate the motor to provide
this effort.

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See the full article HERE

Point Controller
for Motor/Gearbox
PARTS LIST $15.50 plus $6.50
postage.
Click HERE to buy kit
to Index

TRAIN THROTTLE
This circuit connects an AC transformer (or a DC supply) to a track to
provide a voltage from 0v to max voltage (depending on the voltage of the
transformer).
The transformer can be AC or DC and any voltage from 12v to 18v.
The throttle handle connects to the 1k pot.
The diode on the output protects the transistors from reverse polarity (if
another controller is also connected to the rails).
The circuit is limited to about 1amp due to the 1N4004 diodes.

Transformer with 12v AC output and 18v AC

An impressive throttle handle

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Train Throttle Circuit

to Index

OVER CURRENT DETECTION

Requested by William Hicks:
This circuit detects when the tracks are overloaded by too many trains.

to Index

Arc Welder Simulator

This project adds reality to a work-site. It produces realistic flickering from an
arc-welder.
The full project can be viewed HERE. A full kit is available from Talking Electronics
for $21.50 plus postage.

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to Index

to Index

CONST
These two c

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If 3rd band is gold, Divide by 10
If 3rd band is silver, Divide by 100
(to get 0.22ohms etc)

25-1-2014 Colin Mitchell

You can copy and use anything for your own personal use.
Direct copying to other websites is not allowed as these projects are updated and too many
websites have copied my eBooks and not given credit to me.

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