Grade Crossing crossbuck w/lights


D

Dougget

Member
Hi,
For most of my grade crossings, simple crossbuck signs will work just fine. However, I would like to enhance one multi-track crossing just outside of my town. Flashing lights with automatic gates would be nice, but I'm not ready to spend the big bucks.

What's my best option for a pair of crossbucks with alternate flashing lights?
Movable gates would be good, but they don't need to be automatic.

Thanks,
Doug
 
Dougget said:
Hi,
For most of my grade crossings, simple crossbuck signs will work just fine. However, I would like to enhance one multi-track crossing just outside of my town. Flashing lights with automatic gates would be nice, but I'm not ready to spend the big bucks.

What's my best option for a pair of crossbucks with alternate flashing lights?
Movable gates would be good, but they don't need to be automatic.

Thanks,
Doug
Click to expand...


Depending on what you mean by "big bucks", and what quality you want, you can get some on e-bay for under $50.
 
There are a number of lighted crossbucks on the market. I'd go to the Walthers website or their catalog just to see what's available, even if you buy elsewhere. The crossbucks aren't the main item, as you will need some sort of module to make the lights alternately flash, plus a means of detecting the approach of the train (unless you want to manually turn the lights on and off. Circiutron makes such modules, but the detectors are primarily the type that use ambient lighting to keep the signals off, and the train blocking the light triggers the module. I want to run "at night", so this wouldn't work. I went to an outfit called AZATRAX in Longmont, CO, www.azatrax.com , which has a neat infrared detection system that works in light or darkness. Crossing gates require a means of raising and lowering the gates, and I've got an area with the grade crossing, but with benchwork below the area, and I'm going to have to rig some pulleys and Tortise switch machines in order to make them work reliably.

The one thing I don't particularly like about most of the modern flashing lights is they are LED's rather than 12-16v incandescent bulbs, since you have to solder resistors in series with the LED wires (either side will do) to keep from burining them out. Not difficult, but somewhat time-consuming. Tomar Industries' flashers come with resistors of about 390 ohms, but I found I needed some additional to keep them from looking too bright. You just add additional resistors in series. I used a total of about 850 ohms, but your mileage may vary. The AZATRAX crossing controller lets you add doorbell from the hardware store, but I haven't hooked that up yet.
 
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Well there are a number of cheap ones out there, but they look cheap and are no where near scale in size. Therefore I recommend the NJ International crossing gates that come in two styles with either red/white gates, or black/white gates.

Old Style;
http://cgi.ebay.com/NJ-Intl-HO-1160...727973?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item256543bca5

New Style;
http://cgi.ebay.com/NJ-Intl-HO-Cros...011238?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5887f39b66

The gates come with LED's built in and look great. But you will need to buy a sensor circuit to activate it. If you are not using DCC, Walthers makes a sensor that is reasonable in price, but you'll still need a tortoise motor to run the gate;
http://cgi.ebay.com/HO-CONTROLLER-R...159584?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5ae1e861a0

Also should mention the Walthers overhead flashers are a very good model as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/HO-CANTILEVER-G...698773?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item4cf937cf15.

A more do it yourself option is the details west crossing gate model, but no lights are included and you would have to insulate the electrical from this white metal model.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Details-West-HO...754309?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item35b22ff605


MTH makes a fully automated crossing gate for $150~$200, but it looks way too ugly for the money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MTH-80-10001-HO...971084?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item563caa254c
 
I am almost certain, that you can use NJ international signals with the MTH mechanism, just a matter of running the gate actuating cable down to the MTH boxes.
 
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