What is the world is this thing!!!? HO Test Station?

I don't know what it is, either -- did you win it as part of a group of things you were bidding on?

Did you reach up to swat an insect perchance and 'won' this?

Yeah - I had no idea what it was - or what gauge it was - I was thinking it was N.

Lets just say I was the only one who bid...an insect indeed!

More stuff in there than I expected - that's for sure.

B Smith posted:

I don't know what it is, either -- did you win it as part of a group of things you were bidding on?

It was listed by itself. It was shot in the dark on an item with no bids.

uhhhh, programming track for DCC?? I truly have no idea, just throwin' stuff out there....

Maybe it's a bomb. Hope you didn't pay too much for it.

It must be a flux capacitor prototype. Install it and run your trains past 88 scale mph. 

Roving Sign posted:

B Smith posted:

I don't know what it is, either -- did you win it as part of a group of things you were bidding on?

It was listed by itself. It was shot in the dark on an item with no bids.

Did it have any type of description in the listing?

It appears to have a line cord (110v) with one leg wired through a sp-st toggle switch -- then there's a power transformer, so that makes a basic low-voltage AC power supply with an on/off control; then there's probably a rectifier in the circuit somewhere; there are various resistors and capacitors (including what looks like a long adjustable resistor), and also what looks like a relay or two.

Perhaps it is an old D-I-Y automatic reversing display track for a locomotive, with some sort of slow-down cycle at each end that somehow works by cutting in the multiple small resistors one by one, and then a detection circuit of some kind to operate a relay to change polarity, then some mechanism to increase speed again by cutting out resistors.

This is obviously just a wild guess, but I'm trying to account for the weird complexity of the many components and wires inside.

I go with B smith, notice the gaps in the rails, and the multiple power sources, and the relay... the gaps really give it away, that is how you sense the loco is there and triggers the relay to reverse... also the big variable resistor shows a slow down or speed control.

Pretty darn old

Greg

Measure the rail width. is it S?

The aluminum is worth the purchase. Need a bridge anywhere?

Ditto B Smith and Greg.

There are also a set of socket for banana plugs.  These may have been used to a multi meter.  A test stand is most likely use.

The reversing circuit and speed controls could have been used to Run-in a new, HO locomotive.

HO trains are recommended to be "Run-In" before being placed in service on your railroad.  Running the engine for a period of time would seat the brushes to the proper contour of the motor commutator.   The run-in would also distribute the grease in the gearing after sitting in a box on a store shelf. Both of these fixes would make for better and more reliable slow speed operation.

This rig could have allowed an engine to be run-in without being on display on a layout (a museum for example).

thanks for all replies guys...

Its definitely HO gauge...and I would think it qualifies as some sort of test station - and not part of a layout.

There are more knobs, switches and buttons on the ends (cant see in photos) - so I doubt it was part of layout.

I'll try to add some more photos.

In addition to the 2 banana plugs (on top) - there are also 3 sets of LEDs - 2 Red on each end - and 2 green in the middle.

Overall - looks like late 1970s electronics...

Probably a test run stand... gaps / relay kind of indicate back and forth automatic operation, pots may be to adjust the voltage to the loco so that it goes gently back and forth, ..I made one with a latching relay, and micro switches on each end, no wheres near as fancy as this one appears to be..

Looks like a good purchase