If you use a Mianne lift gate I have a question for you

dobermann posted:

My control just lays on the surface of the layout for now but i need some other mounting idea, I bought a 15' cord with the intention of hanging it from the floor joists with a screen door type spring. I've already knocked over a tree where it is now so that's not working. How and where did you mount yours ?

thanks

joe

My lift-gate control spends its time on the floor tucked out of the way.  For me, it's convenient though I do have to go to the floor to get it.  Bending is not a problem for me - luckily.

Forum member Sandjam has a Mianne liftgate and has mounted controls for it on his layout near the gate. He has a very nice layout too. He made videos of it as he was building it and in the link below. Episode 2, parts 2 & 3 cover the Mianne lift gate and I believe he explains the changes he made to the controls in these two videos, if memory serves me here. Pretty detailed videos too, all are worth watching (if you have time). A complete list of build videos is in the 1st post of the thread. Here's the link: Mianne Lift Gate (3rd & 4th links in the post are on the Mianne lift gate).

I have a Mianne lift gate on the wish list, but do not yet own one. Need to expand my layout first.

hOW ABOUT VELCRO TO THE FACE OF THE BENCH WORK JUST ADJACENT TO THE LIFT BRIDGE.  tHAT'LL KEEP IT HANDY YET OFF THE TABLE TOP.  Sorry for the caps lock.

Thank you for posting

Temporarily I'm going with the spring hanging from the floor joists. Later we're mounting 2 switches one on each side of the framework and eliminate the big yellow controller.

Forum member Sandjam has a Mianne liftgate and has mounted controls for it on his layout near the gate.

Thanks . That is exactly what I had in mind. Another future project

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I thought what Sandjam did with his was a pretty neat idea too, glad you found it useful. He had some other pretty neat things in some of  his layout videos as well.

I was able to view full screen and read part numbers on the bags so I ordered everything form Amazon today. Thanks again for the link. I'll check out the rest of his stuff later. Hindsight working in O I wish I would have done what he did with the lift gate.

joe

Slightly off-topic, I would bet that one or more of the innovative folks on this forum will find a way to control the gate via TMCC and/or DCS.  If someone has already done so, please point me to the thread!  I don't know how the gate is wired, but I speculate that it might not take much more than a couple of relays between the command base and the gate electronics.  I'm guessing the gate controller has momentary push buttons that control latching relays whose current source is broken by the gate's limit switches.  I already use DCS to control all of my layout lighting, and as I recall one can set up an accessory to have a momentary pulse instead of constant on.  Or maybe use the turnout control function.  If I had one of these gates I would be exploring this possibility myself.  It's on my wishlist for the future.

I need to go back and watch those videos myself, they are interesting and it's been a while since I have seen them. Also, I am a big fan of anything Mianne, great stuff!

Retinpa, you should also watch Sandjam's videos on the lift gate. I bet your idea of using relays could be adapted to operate the gate as Sandjam did with switches. As I recall, he did a great job of describing the changes he made to operate the gate as he wanted to.

Guess I will now go back and watch them again myself as a refresher...

Dobermann, I didn't want the controller/cord hanging around and having to reach for it, so I took it apart and instead wired two spring loaded dpdt toggle switches.  One was mounted in the paneling on either side of the bridge.  Now when you are entering or leaving the layout, I just hold the toggle switch up or down until the cutoff stops the motion.

see Sean train depot on youtube......he puts switches on the front and back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDfl5QUimtI

I put my controller just behind the Mianne Benchwork and next to the liftgate secured with zip ties. Out of sight but easy to reach!

I eliminated the big yellow control and put switches on each side of the gate.  My liftgate is 4 foot across and it was very cumbersome using the control.

Here's how I wired mine, I used a 4x4x4 junction box from Lowes for the wiring and the motor cap and PTC.  The PTC is just there in case someone gets on both switches and commands up and down at the same time.

My switches are recessed into the fascia, they're DPDT ON-OFF-ON spring-return-to-center.

Another thing I fixed on mine was the lower limit switch.  The existing switch is very touchy in adjustment, a fraction of an inch of bend on the limit stop will either cause the bridge to stop too soon and not be fully seated, or even worse, not stop at all and unspool the cable and make a real mess!  Once time unspooling the cable was all it took for me to decide I needed something better!

Mianne Lift Bridge Lower Limit Switch Enhancement

Another major bonus of this arrangement is that if something happens to block the bridge downward travel (it happens), the improved lower limit stop will detect it and stop the bridge immediately.

Thanks, Gunrunnerjohn.   I will imitate it if I get the liftgate.