Trigor (from Walthers?)

Hi Dave; OLD tech, but usable if you don't mind the appearance. The "Trigor" was a mechanical electric switch, with an adjustable 'trip' setting. I.E. it could be set stiff enough that it would only activate for HEAVY locomotives. This 'adjustable switch' mechanism was attached to one side of the track section, and was large enough to not be easily ignored. For your described usage, it could be just he trick, BUT you might have problems if the 'flasher' unit wants a 'clean' on/off signal for it's control. YMMV

Chuck Davis

There don't even seem to be any on eBay. I wonder if I could make one...

Thanks, Dave

You can buy phosphor bronze strips from Scale Shops and make your own. This is the material they use for the switch machine contact points.

Arizona Rock & Mineral Co. spake thus:

Or how about a microswitch under the rail? They're pretty sensitive.

Hey Guys,

I just discovered I have one of the Trigor doohickies. It was in a batch of old track I got from a guy. After looking it over, I think I have an idea that will work for my modules, be less visable, simpler, and cheaper.

I'm going to try and work something up and I'll let you know if it works. Basically, I'm thinking of two thin brass strips, one under one of two ties, with a 'shim' of paper under a tie near the two with the brass.

Thanks,

Dave

David Nebenzahl wrote:

NOT ----- Microswitches that are 'sensitive' in terms of amount of movement needed are very 'stiff' (lots of pressure to move), 'sensitive' in terms of amount of pressure needed -- need lots of travel before the 'switch' happens. You CAN get both, for LOT$ of $$.

Chuck D.

Hi Dave; You have got the right idea. Anything that works will do the trick. I once drilled a #65 hole down through the rail and used fine 'piano wire' to operate a switchblade under the bench work.

Chuck D.

Charles Davis spake thus:

Yeah, just checked my collection of microswitches: out of the lot, there's maybe one which *might* be both sensitive enough and have short enough travel (a mm or two). Probably better to use something like mechanical relay contacts, maybe with a TTL latch circuit.

Check in old CD or DVD players.

It must be part of the scatchbuilding point of view. It's usually cheaper to figure something out than to buy it.

Dave

Wish I hadn't thrown one out a few months back.

Dave

I don't know if you can still get one or not, but it is very "toy train" unless you can hide it somewhere. They work OK, but look terrible in a setting that is striving for realism.

Actually I'm working on something similar (homemade) that will be less obtrusive. Got a lot of irons in the fire right now, so I'm doing more thinking on it than testing.

Our modules are usually connected together with a 9 inch length of snap track anyway, and no one usually even does the old 'tape on the back to hold ballast' trick.

Dave Rutan

...blah blah blah...

Had to get ANOTHER e-mail address, did you? I think you're half my kill file.

It turns out I have one. I found it in a bunch ofd stuff someone unloaded on me a while back.

It looks like a length of 9 inch Atlas track with a sort of switch (length of brass) in the center of the track. It's set up so that it will either make or break contact when the track is pushed down by the weight of a train. There's a screw to adjust sensitivity and three contacts for solder conections.

What I find oddest is that no where on the track does it say 'trigor track, just Atlas snap track.

Dave

"Greg.P." wrote:

You're describing something I had on my layout as a kid for a crossing flasher. It was just as you describe and made the flashers 'flash' (not very realistically) as the wheels of the train passed over it.

Dave

"Greg.P." wrote:

From what I was able to make of it from the ads and articles in MR, the thing was no more than a strip of phosphor bronze secured in a position where the passage of a wheel forced it down into contact with the railhead. The effect was to link a wire etc to the common return rail. It's a very simple device and very effective. For your application on a single direction track you would use it to actuate the solenoid of a double coil relay, and a second contact beyond the crossing (more than a train length apart) to operate the other coil. The switches of the relay would then activate your flashers/accessory. It's too simple a concept for DCC.

I've had the same email address for at least 8 years.

Regards, Greg.P.