STILL LOOKING for ANSWERS &/or SUGGESTIONS......REPLACEMENT for MTH 30-11028 Watering Tower...... Lionel Version ??

Hi All,

Still looking for some answers &/or Suggestions!!!

Fred

Yes they have replacement parts you just need to contact Midge over at MTH. 

The small gear is known for breaking. When mine broke I got lucky and found a metal gear the same size in my parts box. Maybe you could find a replacement metal gear.

The water tower has worked fine ever since. But you are right, the spout movement is too quick.

Hi from Sydney,

I have recently finished an upgrade to the MTH water tower which solves the motion problem.  I am using a little Arduino micro computer that sits in the tank and drives a servo motor.  The simple software watches the switch and lowers the spout when pressed and held, then raises it once released.  This simple project cost me less than US$40.  I think it works a treat.

Check out my YouTube video showing it in action:     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3CEOZuMguk

My next job is to link it into the AIU, with the TIU, then run from my iPhone via the WiFi module... easy.

Cheers Pete

Pete

nice video showing an electro-mechanical device and the moving spout.  

now how did you do it ?

I'll take some photos this week and post them... but it is a little servo from a model airplane, attached to the main push rod for the spout via a short metal wire.  A basic push button connected by 2 wires goes into the tank (later to be connected to the DCS AIU for remote control).  The micro computer does the rest.  I just change some settings in the software to calibrate the upper and lower limits, and the speed etc.

I have designed it so it can be an upgrade that would retro-fit to the standard water tank, using the standard mounting points. Would that be of interest to you and others do you think?