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Jim Read
Light railway modelling
Making a controller jemraid AT btinternet DOT com |
Planning a
layout Making a controller Making a van body Links to other layouts Home |
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I'd made 18" of track
from a length I'd found and thought I must make a controller to see if
my locos still work. I'd
been a member of the 2mm Association and one of the mags had a circuit
in it for a pulsed/feedback circuit using only 3 transistors. I made it
and used it for many years on my 0 Gauge exhibition layouts.
20 years later I couldn't find the diagram and it took me ages to find the name of the person who designed it. After much searching on the web and emailing a few people I found him, his name is Brian Tilbury and he very kindly emailed me the CAD of the circuit, I've redrawn it in MS Publisher and converted it to a PDF, if anyone wants the circuit please ask. My Auntie Millie gave me a tin she likes biscuits and always saves the tins, this ones a tad big but there will be plenty of room on the top to rest my hand. This is a pic of the tin before I started;  |
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I arranged the controls so that I could use
them easily with the direction switch (centre off) above the speed
control;
 The loco is my plasikard Manning Wardle Class L with a Mashima motor and flywheel. |
 This is the inside, the little bits, resistors, capacitors, diodes and small transistors are soldered to some Veroboard and the rest bolted through the lid to the alloy sheet. The controller will work right down to speeds
of five miles a fortnight
and stalls (the track and wheels must be clean as well) are very rare,
even at very low speeds.
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Warning! This circuit uses a mains voltage transformer and care must be taken when making it. For those who have never tackled anything like this, there are plenty of sites about electronics, soldering and taking precautions with the mains. It is fairly easy to do once you know what the components look like, connecting them up is a matter of reading the circuit, knowing which pin goes where and above all being careful. The reward for taking the time to find out about the components is being able to make circuits for all sorts of model railway items very inexpensively. I made this controller, I did have a few conponents, for £11.50. Here are some useful links to sites with explanations and identifications; Circuits and soldering; http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/components/tran.htm Resistor colour codes; http://www.elexp.com/t_resist.htm Transistor identification; http://hamradio.lakki.iki.fi/new/Datasheets/transistor_pinouts/ |
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