Accessing A Train Shed

[WKDOR]

Planning to build a single track train shed in the new year. In concept its a tunnel with one blind end, construction probably a twin-wall pipe, with emergency access at the blind end. The intention is to park and retrieve the rake manually i.e. uncoupled from a loco.

Access to/from the existing railway will be via a point (Aristo or Trainline) and raises two interesting challenges

1. Designing a slighty secure door and

2. Deciding How to "lock" the point so that it defaults to the diverging running track and prevents human drivers from inadvertently crashing into the shed door or worse still entering the tunnel and crashing a loco into the blind wall!

All ideas welcome. We're all Battery/RC so isolating section strategies don't help. I did wonder whether the ideal solution would be if two solutions could be combined (interlocking?), but then again I generally prefer low-tech solutions.

mike

 

[Madman]

I use spring loaded points with a barrel bolt as a throw. Have a look at my video. At :26 into the film, I throw a point using the barrel bolt. At 5:15 you will see a spring loaded point.

Oops, here it is;

 

[WKDOR]

I use spring loaded points with a barrel bolt as a throw. Have a look at my video. At :26 into the film, I throw a point using the barrel bolt. At 5:15 you will see a spring loaded point.

Sorry don't see a link to the video. Please take me there!

 

[WKDOR]

Thanks Dan

 

[WKDOR]

Can you give me some more details on how the spring-loaded point works please. They say a picture is worth a thousand words!

Many Thanks

mike

 

[Nodrog1826]

Tried this with a pair LGB manual switches, just a piece of wire fastened to the switch



As part of a set up to allow trains off a bridge onto on track, but only access via another.

 

[WKDOR]

Thank you, then thats worth 2,000 words.

Radical and low-tech I like. But I would need to remember to lock it in the normal running position after unlocking it to get the rake out and it may be that I am the main risk here.

 

[Madman]

Here are some photos of two of the turnouts that are spring loaded, on my railway. The two photos at the top show the same turnout ?????? This one can be set to straight with the barrel bolt. The second photo simply has spring loaded points. The barrel bolts are solid brass. The springs are galvanized, I think. The galvanized plate beneath is a "Simpson Strong Tie" product used in the building trades for connecting all sorts of framing.

 

[Nodrog1826]

Thank you, then thats worth 2,000 words.

Radical and low-tech I like. But I would need to remember to lock it in the normal running position after unlocking it to get the rake out and it may be that I am the main risk here.

Maybe not that clear at all....

The set up allowed the point to be run through, but would reset as shown, the "Wire" fastening the switch lever acting against the spring in the switch...



Another pic to illustrate it....

Access to the bridge was only from the LH line, (1st pic.) but trains coming off the bridge could only do so on the second line, (2nd pic.) anything running towards the bridge on the second line could not access the bridge.....That is probably as clear as mud.....

Have revised the layout since then and it is no more....

 

[Madman]

I don't see anyway around either manual or electric control of that switch on the second track from the left. If you set the spring loaded position so the a train traveling toward the bride would always go that way, you would still have to set the points for straight if you wanted a train to follow the track as it curves to the right.

 

[Nodrog1826]

Ok try this way to explain it, with the two manual switches wired to spring back.

Train arrives from the bridge running straight onto track two, this point springs back to main line ....loco at head uncouples....pulls forward, passing through normal controlled point, bottom of picture....runs round on track one, back onto bridge clearing the point, which springs back....pulls forward, back onto track two, by re springing point again, to re couple to what was the rear of the train.....then heads off curving to the right.....

Or to put it simpler both points were set up to always spring back to the straight through position....


I have a headache now........

 

[Madman]

Very good. I hadn't thought about switching the loco to the opposite end of the train. In my mind, all of the trains were coming from the bottom of the picture.