Start Stop Rinse & Repeat Timer Control

A search for "intermittent timer" brought up this (among others):

iPower Short Period Repeat Cycle Intermittent Timer

Available from Amazon, Zorro, and other sites.  It cycles 120VAC power.  If you can plug your transformer into it, it may fill your needs.

Search Dallee Automatic (Back and Forth) Train Control.  Requires a Forward, Neutral, Reverse trolley control board.  More advanced systems, with multiple electronics boards, did controlled station stops.

There are others as well.  Check out these old posts:

     How to wire a Pocono Mountain Lines 5 amp Timed Station Stop Unit (12/19/12) | Fred from Pittsburgh PA

     Z Stuff makes a trolley stop unit (10/4/12) | DMASSO

Mike

An arduino board would make it easy, with adjustable delays...

On my list, just hasn't made it to the top yet!

@eddiem posted:

An arduino board would make it easy, with adjustable delays...

Eddie,

You're quite right.  The programming would be nice and easy.

There is a problem though.  The engineering for the electrical interfaces is not quite so.

We need an interface board to attach to the Arduino and connect to the AC supply going to the track, several track segments for train position detection, and those plus other segments for track voltage control to start and stop the train.

Any ideas on how to create this?

We can find some inspiration in the old Lionel generic Instruction Manuals, entitled "How to Operate Lionel Trains and Accessories" like from the 1950's.  They published one every year, largely the same but updated occasionally.  Each carried pertinent info on how to detect the position of trains, adjust voltage going to the track, and start and stop motion.

Without what we now call an embedded controller, i.e. the Arduino and the interface board, they did basic portions of this sort of thing with relays.

There are good hints in these documents.

Mike

Robert"

Fellows

Wiring up and programing   "We need an interface board to attach to the Arduino and connect to the AC supply going to the track, several track segments for train position detection, and those plus other segments for track voltage control to start and stop the train."

This is not simple for most of us.

The timers referred to are mostly 110v and/or involve F N R operations again not real simple.  Simple would involve locking the eUnit in forward.  Robert needs a timer to control the track voltage to the train, ON and Off it sounds like.

Charlie

@Choo Choo Charlie posted:

Thanks for the reply, I am looking a more simple way if all possible. I really would like to find a timer that works out of the box with me making minor tweaks and adjustments if necessary.

Wiring up and programing   "We need an interface board to attach to the Arduino and connect to the AC supply going to the track, several track segments for train position detection, and those plus other segments for track voltage control to start and stop the train."

This is not simple for most of us.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

The controllers made by Dallee, Pocono Mountain Lines, and Z-Stuff already exist, have been on the market for years (meaning that there are probably few bugs or other oddities), and have support if you get stuck, both from the manufacturer (websites) and here on the forum.

They're probably the simplest approach presently available.

It's surprising what we can think of doing with our trains that is still difficult to accomplish, in spite of over 120 years of innovation.

Mike

Hi Robert,

I bought this to test small electric motors after I repair them.  I love it.  I can set the on time down to as little as 1 second, and I can also set the off time to as little as 1 second.  I haven't seen any other timer, at this price, that will give me such an infinite on/off range.  It works great for me.  $20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@rick s posted:

Hi Robert,

I bought this to test small electric motors after I repair them.  I love it.  I can set the on time down to as little as 1 second, and I can also set the off time to as little as 1 second.  I haven't seen any other timer, at this price, that will give me such an infinite on/off range.  It works great for me.  $20

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rick,

Based on this Amazon customer question this may work. I need to locate the online manual for further options. Below is Q & A from an Amazon customer on this product.

Robert

The timers like Rick suggest work on 110 vac and turn ON and OFF 110 vac.  In other words, your train transformer 110 v plug is plugged into the timer and timer turns on and off the whole train transformer.  It will not just turn off your transformers 6-25 vac or 18 vac to the track that your one train is on.  You may be OK with that or not.

Charlie

@R Whitley posted:

Rick,

Based on this Amazon customer question this may work. I need to locate the online manual for further options. Below is Q & A from an Amazon customer on this product.

Question:

Hi, will this timer do variable countdown cycling? E.g., if i want it to turn on for 5 minutes, off for 6 minutes, and keep repeating will it work?

Answer:

Hello Thank you for your question.
Yes, you can set it work in a loop. on for 5 mins off for 6mins in a loop

Hi Robert,

The word variable is causing me some concern.  Yes. I can set it to be on for x seconds or minutes, then off for x seconds or minutes, and it will loop that sequence forever.  That is how I use it.  The setting is held by an internal battery. 

Can it be set up to be on for 5 minutes, off for 6 minutes, then on for 7 minutes, off for 8 minutes, etc.?  I don't think so. 

I do not see the users manual online anywhere.  There are a few videos out there.  Search YouTube for "permanent industry programmable timer." 

I hope that helps. 

I won't be able to respond to any more questions for the next week.  I will be away from all computers, phones, etc. 

Rick,

Thank you so much for your help. I will continue to study/research this product and others as well.

Enjoy your weekend!