Electric Switch Tracks Set

[deejay]

Hi there, your points motors look really good. Did you have to modify the switch so it would change with less friction? I had to do that with mine as the motors i use didn't have quite enough torque.

Hi, thanks. :)

Do you mean without modifiying the switchtracks?

The Switchtracks must be a little modified because the Motors are not strong enough to switch with the plastic spring.

[skaako]

Hi, thanks. :)

Do you mean without modifiying the switchtracks?

The Switchtracks must be a little modified because the Motors are not strong enough to switch with the plastic spring.

Hi, that's what i mean :) Yea i had the same problem with my design with trying to find a small enough motor with enough torque, the best way i found was just to remove the underneath of the switch and squeeze the friction part together with pliers. And the most readily available motor i could find was from a cdrom drive that controls the movement of the lens. In most drives i found this motor to be the same and took about 5 minutes to disassemble and remove. And these little motors are the perfect size to fit inside 2 stacked hollowed out 2 x 4 bricks :)

Edited May 5, 2011 by skaako

[deejay]

Now, i tried a new Variant. The modify of the 7896 Lego Crosstrack. Each Track is electrical seperatly operated.

It´s very tricky to modify, but i think it looks okay. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIq081MEZnI

[kyphur]

If the problem with selling these commercially is basically that they are made of actual LEGO parts which have been modified then why not contact someone like ME-Models (who is already manufacturing LEGO compatible metal tracks) and seeing if they'd be interested it taking what you've got a further developing it into something that is commercially viable? If they built a housing that could snap onto LEGO plates then you eliminate LEGO having leverage in stopping the sales.

[mr_jrt]

If the problem with selling these commercially is basically that they are made of actual LEGO parts which have been modified then why not contact someone like ME-Models (who is already manufacturing LEGO compatible metal tracks) and seeing if they'd be interested it taking what you've got a further developing it into something that is commercially viable? If they built a housing that could snap onto LEGO plates then you eliminate LEGO having leverage in stopping the sales.

...or, you could just use the 3rd party clones stuff instead (i.e. Enlighten). Lego would have no say in that, surely?

[kyphur]

...or, you could just use the 3rd party clones stuff instead (i.e. Enlighten). Lego would have no say in that, surely?

Yes but I honestly would prefer it becomes something that is readily available to the "masses" (as in all of us Train fans who would want it) versus some guy in his garage hand-building them piece by piece...

[skaako]

Yes but I honestly would prefer it becomes something that is readily available to the "masses" (as in all of us Train fans who would want it) versus some guy in his garage hand-building them piece by piece...

I'm not convinced that its commercially viable at this stage anyway, the biggest challenge being that the switching track still needs to be modified for it to work. And if you are willing to modify the track yourself, then you're probably more inclined to build the motors and housing by yourself too. And besides, its more fun to do

Edited October 8, 2011 by skaako

[deejay]

Hey, i had time to make a new version of the Trackswitcher. :)

Now it´s not necessary to modify the top of the Track.

Only the Spring must be cutted in the bottom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2geeH20-fg

[StephanSz]

Wow, very good job!

This looks like a professional remote switching solution.

[kyphur]

When you overcome the Spring issue please let me know...

[JopieK]

Now, i tried a new Variant. The modify of the 7896 Lego Crosstrack. Each Track is electrical seperatly operated.

It´s very tricky to modify, but i think it looks okay. :)

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mIq081MEZnI

Thanks deejay, did you overlook my question some days ago?!

I'll post the link there too!!!

Can you elaborate on how to modify the 7896 switch?!!!

Update: Uh, it is 7996, not 7896!!!

[deejay]

Thanks deejay, did you overlook my question some days ago?!

I'll post the link there too!!!

Can you elaborate on how to modify the 7896 switch?!!!

Update: Uh, it is 7996, not 7896!!!

Hi Jopie,

oh no i had not overlook. Sorry.

I split the Plastic in two pieces an then i put a Plasticshift on it with glue.

And then i made a Motorunit with 2 Micormotors. That´s it.

Sorry for my English.

[Tearloch]

Hi Jopie,

oh no i had not overlook. Sorry.

I split the Plastic in two pieces an then i put a Plasticshift on it with glue.

And then i made a Motorunit with 2 Micormotors. That´s it.

Sorry for my English.

Deejay:

Amazing work. Could you post a picture or two showing how you did these modifications? I have been wanting to try this for a while, and was hoping to see some ideas on cutting the sliding bar and adding in the lever connections.

The stock design has the yellow lever sitting in between 2 raised bars on the sliding piece. Once you split it, how did you add in the parts to allow your modified yellow levers to sit in between 2 raised bars? Also, when you split the sliding piece, did you have to shorten it at all, to allow for both sides to be in the position where their independant sliding piece is closest to the center (since the stock design does not allow this condition)?

Edited December 15, 2011 by Tearloch

[deejay]

Deejay:

Amazing work. Could you post a picture or two showing how you did these modifications? I have been wanting to try this for a while, and was hoping to see some ideas on cutting the sliding bar and adding in the lever connections.

The stock design has the yellow lever sitting in between 2 raised bars on the sliding piece. Once you split it, how did you add in the parts to allow your modified yellow levers to sit in between 2 raised bars? Also, when you split the sliding piece, did you have to shorten it at all, to allow for both sides to be in the position where their independant sliding piece is closest to the center (since the stock design does not allow this condition)?

Hi Tearloch.

Sorry i can not create a gallery here. I get this failure code: [#1072] Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature. If you are not logged in, you may do so using the form below if available.

And my global upload quote is used completely.

I cut out the plastic at the sliding bar and put a new lever with glue on it. I send the admin an email why i can´t make a gallery. Maybe when it function i will load some Images up.

[kyphur]

Sorry i can not create a gallery here. I get this failure code: [#1072] Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature.

How about using flickr to host your images and then just embedding them or linking to the set here?

[deejay]

How about using flickr to host your images and then just embedding them or linking to the set here?

Now i put some Pictures on this Pdf:

http://dj-marco-dee.de/Weichenumbau/Weichenumbauneu.pdf

[deejay]

And now another Version. :)

With colored Strings on the Side and not so high like the other Version.

[deejay]

And now a Set with the new 8 Motorunits.

[deejay]

And now a Controlldesk with 12 Actuators.

[fluffybunny]

Deejay,

What gauge wire and connectors are you using especially on your new ones. On the control box it looks like female d-sub connectors, but on the remote switch boxes it looks like small female banana plugs on your new design. I have never seen anything like that and I am having trouble finding that. What connectors are you using for joining the control box to the remote switch boxes like the actual wire that would go around your layout? earler in the thread it looked like you were using male dsub connectors inside of a lego brick, is that what you are using?

Edit: are you still using the motors from CD drives? the motor that controls the laser reader or have you found an online source for the motor?

Thanks for your help and your design is great.

Edited August 30, 2012 by fluffybunny

[graphite]

Does anyone have a torque wrench or gauge that could measure the torque required to flip the switch? Curious to find out what it takes.

[deejay]

Deejay,

What gauge wire and connectors are you using especially on your new ones. On the control box it looks like female d-sub connectors, but on the remote switch boxes it looks like small female banana plugs on your new design. I have never seen anything like that and I am having trouble finding that. What connectors are you using for joining the control box to the remote switch boxes like the actual wire that would go around your layout? earler in the thread it looked like you were using male dsub connectors inside of a lego brick, is that what you are using?

Edit: are you still using the motors from CD drives? the motor that controls the laser reader or have you found an online source for the motor?

Thanks for your help and your design is great.

HI fluffybunny,

i think it´s a awg 22 wire gauge.

First i used normal D-Sub connectorpins. Now i use bigger Connectorpins. The D-Subs were to fragile and it was to much work to put they into the Legobricks.

No, i use these Motors still

You can see the Cable in this Movie at 2:22 Min. These are the newest Versions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-AXPz2Cbgs

Thanks for the Compliment. :)

[Pulsar]

Just when i decided i like 12v track over the new track because it has remote controlled switches, i find this...

I guess the real question is: how much does it cost? :)

[deejay]

Now i have a Actuator who is not necessary to modify the Switchtrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bJYKkbR_OM

[King Aragorn]

Very nice work even if I do not understand German well!