Best Scale Crossing Gates Ever Made

Don, who manufactured them and do you want to sell a set? 

scale rail posted:

I have four sets of these crossing gates. Brass construction, sound, lights and large slow moving motors. All electronics and motors under table. I have never seen anything better. At one time they were sold through Ross Switches. Wish someone would make them again. Don

These were originally planned by RoW.  I made a board that would activate the gates well in advanced of the train approach and the gates would rise immediately after the train passed.  Never went to production.  I think Steve contacted the original designer and had some made, possibly at Ajin.  As I recall the board was made by OMS (Dave Ott - Ott Machine Services).  After York I'll have to ask Steve what he remembers about these.  I can't remember who designed that gate mechanism.  You are correct; It was the best.

I remember we showed these on the RoW layout in the Gold Hall.  Lionel was all over these; pictures, videos, etc.  They put them in the Lionel Catalog but never made them.  It was the same time the RoW Shay was introduced.  The boys from Samhongsa were taking pix of the Shay in the yellow hall until they got tossed.  They couldn't figure out how we made the Shay go around 042.  

Somewhere in a dark corner of the basement I have the circuit diagrams.

Lou N

My wife bought my first set of them for my birthday. They were expensive, about $200 or more. I think they were sold by the guy that made them at that time. My later sets all were in Ross Switch Company boxes so at sometime they started selling them for the guy, as they do now with the transfer tables and round tables. I first saw them in CTT magazine and had to have a set. This had to be over twenty years ago. I'm sorry someone doesn't still made them. Hope someone else knows more about them. Don

Here's a better shot of the crossing gates. Don

The same crossing gate model (tooling and brass build construction) is available at Azatrax and he uses his own design with Tortoise switch machines and his own detectors. Have a look. 

http://azatrax.com

http://www.azatrax.com/o-scale-crossing-gates.html

Lou, as I remember it, when I first saw an article about them in CTT they pointed out that they were made by one guy in his garage. I know I didn't get the first set from Ross but all the others I have did come from Ross. I have looked in many of my old CTT magazines and haven't found the article about them. It was just a small piece but it had to be in 1995 or 1996. Of course that was a long time ago so most likely I could be wrong on some points expect the years. What do you think? Most of the under table parts where brass but later ones look like they were made of aluminum. I still have some of the old Ott sound systems I put in my early Williams Locos. Don

scale rail posted:

Lou, as I remember it, when I first saw an article about them in CTT they pointed out that they were made by one guy in his garage. I know I didn't get the first set from Ross but all the others I have did come from Ross. I have looked in many of my old CTT magazines and haven't found the article about them. It was just a small piece but it had to be in 1995 or 1996. Of course that was a long time ago so most likely I could be wrong on some points expect the years. What do you think? Most of the under table parts where brass but later ones look like they were made of aluminum. I still have some of the old Ott sound systems I put in my early Williams Locos. Don

Don,

I have to do some digging around as I owe some folks some data on RoW.  If I find the circuit diagram I'll have the date for the first set of these gates,  I remember they were on the RoW layout in the Gold Hall the same time the T1 and passenger cars were introduced.  

Dave Ott made some simple creative sound systems.  Unfortunately he had some issues with the Pennsylvania Sales Tax folks and ended up quitting TCA.  

Lou N