Model Railroading > APB Signals

Gents-

I am going to be building a signal system for a friend's layout. I'll be making the signals from commercial parts, and thats the easy part.

The nuts and bolts of the system itself is what I need help with. I'm thinking BD-20's for the detection, then JMRI running the back end, but what drives the signal heads? How do they get their commands?

Posted from Android

Railroad Model Craftsman just completed a series on signalling that should answer your questions.

Circuitron makes great products - and you don't have to go to the trouble and expense of using computers.

I'm a computer guy, and like using JMRI. Going with that, I'm also planning BD-20's but will use Digitrax SE-8C's for signal drivers as recommended by RGDave previously.

Don't forget to take a look at Azatrax systems too.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/18 05:41 by Bob3985.

Like you, I use BD-20's and the NCE AIU for block detection. When I built my CTC system, NCE did not yet have a signal decoder, so I used a Digitrax Zephyr command station and installed a Digitrax bus to run SE8C signal decoders. Both systems are tied together with JMRI. It works well.

Chris Rye

I prefer the old fashioned way.

---

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I prefer the old fashioned way.


You must have learned how to wire from the phone company.
Everything laced up and labeled per the AT&T practices!

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I prefer the old fashioned way.
>
>
> You must have learned how to wire from the phone
> company.
> Everything laced up and labeled per the AT&T
> practices!


The SP way, never too many tie wraps.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/18 10:48 by SP4360.

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > SP4360 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I prefer the old fashioned way.
> >
> >
> > You must have learned how to wire from the
> phone
> > company.
> > Everything laced up and labeled per the AT&T
> > practices!
>
>
> The SP way, never too many tie wraps.

Of course you can go really old school and lace up the wire bundles with waxed cord instead of the zip ties!

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Of course you can go really old school and lace up
> the wire bundles with waxed cord instead of the
> zip ties!

And use cloth covered wire.

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> >
> > Of course you can go really old school and lace
> up
> > the wire bundles with waxed cord instead of the
> > zip ties!
>
> And use cloth covered wire.

Does that approach also require ceramic standoffs?

chakk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > PHall Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > >
> > >
> > > Of course you can go really old school and
> lace
> > up
> > > the wire bundles with waxed cord instead of
> the
> > > zip ties!
> >
> > And use cloth covered wire.
>
> Does that approach also require ceramic standoffs?

Yes, and Asbestos backboards too.

The model of NCE train control and block detection with their BD-20's and AIU's through the command station, and a Digitrax loconet powering SE8c decoders running along side with JMRI as the 'connection' between the systems works very well.

In addition for the Onondaga Cutoff we used the Crandic Automated Traffic System (CATS) program, written by Rodney Black that operates as an overlay to JMRI. This greatly simplified the programming and still allows for totally prototypical aspects.

~RGDave
http://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/

To control the signal heads, you use NCE DCC Light-Its boards.

Dave
Mount Joy, PA