ERR mini commander

Good idea for automating the hotbox car, I think I'll consider that.   I wondered how I could use that for club displays, don't know why I didn't think of automating it.

 

I also, did that to my Hotbox car quite some time ago. The Mini commander really works great. I think Lionel should have put one of them in when they made the car. The car is a lot of fun but the Best thing about it is turning it off! 

I looked at the hotbox wiring, exactly where did you connect?  The only way I see of switching it off is to interrupt the main power from the pickups.  Maybe mine is different?

 

I'm planning on a relay driven by an old LCRX I had left over from another project.  I guess you could power the whole thing from one of the higher current outputs of the MiniCommander ACC model.

John - i would guess they are using the ACC, if you go to the ERR website, they hav ea hotbox reefer kit that uses the ACC when you go to purchase > mini products it is the first one on the list.

 

http://www.electricrr.com/

 

but I haven't done myself, so I could be easily be wrong

 

thanks,

Jason

Yep, I think I'll just use this leftover board, I got it working with a relay to switch the track voltage totally off for the car, that should do the trick.

It just opens and closes the wire from the track.  I did mine on the wire from the center roller and on connects the wire and off disconnects the wire.  very simple.

I put the mini ERR to power in series with the on/off switch I believe. And I think I bought the one that responded to ACC#. I also put a small red LED on the bottom of the car sticking down (not too noticeable unless you looked for it) so I could see that the car was on or off.

I'm using the headlight control of the LCRX board, so I'll just use a small incandescent across it, since I need a load anyway for the triac to fire.   The diode and relay prevents it from working without a load, just like those outputs on the R2LC.

These are great. I have used them in 3 milk cars and a log dump car and a cattle car and the platform for it. Gets rid of those darn remote control sections and the slider shoes. The milk and log dump cars I also put in an entire new mechanism. Got rid of the solenoid actuators and installed minature gear motors with a crank style actuator arm and used a small microswitch for the home position. Works really great. 

Boy Jim, you went nuts with the milk cars!  Got any details on how you did the new mechanism?  I have done a milk car and a log dump car, but I stuck with the standard mechanism.  A smoother operating milk car would be cool.

Here are pictures of one of the milk cars. The white thing is the DC gear motor. You can also see the mini commander and the custom board I built to be a voltage regulator since the mini commander output is AC. I also put the mini commander output into the latched mode and the output is also bypassed with the micro switch when the mechanism is not in the home position ( milk man in ). I also added coil couplers while I was at it. 

Thanks for the post.

 

I just picked up a stepper motor and driver board for the Arduino, I might be able to do something like that with that combination.  It would be nice to have a controlled activation, it would probably make the milk car more like the K-line one with the motor drive.

Jim,

Great job on the mod.  I love getting rid of solenoida whenever I can.  What does the pager motor by the milkman do?

Nick C.

I was trying to get some vibration to help the cans vibrate down the chute. Not sure how much it helped but it was cheap and the hot glue gun was handy. 

The vibrator is interesting, and probably a good idea.  The solenoids provide the vibration in the stock car.

Great modifications, Jim! Be nice to see a video of it working...

Can you post a diagram of the voltage regulator circuit?

Jay

Where did you come up with the gear motor?  How was that mechanically linked into the mechanism?  I suspect that will be the most complicated part of this project, the electronic parts would be easy.

That vibrator looks like the one in the CAB2, where are they available.

In the last cell phone you retired and are about to toss.

I bought a few of the vibrators from Jameco  # 256365

Also bought some from All Electronics  DCM-382

 

The small gear motors came from Hobby Engineering

The larger offset one is a H01212-01D

The right angle one is a H-3389-01K

 

I used the right angle one in the older smaller white milk cars. The larger offset one I used in the larger newer milk car with the brown roof. 

 

The voltage regulator is a LD1585CV three terminal adjustable. Diagrams for the milk car and the log dump car are attached. 

Thanks for the information, Jim. I'm putting one of these on my to-do list for this winter.

Jay

Very inventive Jim! Kudos!