Unloading the goods

[Madman]

This subject could fit here or in "Rolling Stock". Fortunately, for those of you that are here, I chose to place it here. I have had the LGB hot metal unloading car for quite a few years. It never made it's way, permanently, to my garden railway. Mostly due to difficulty in getting reliable operation out of it. Now that I have discovered battery power for my trains, I am rethinking operating methods for the railway. I plan to make it more of an operating railway and less of a piece of artwork. One reason for this is my grandson.
What I have done is to purchase an inexpensive key fob transmitter and a receiver as a pair. The receiver has four double pole switch relays. The key fob has four buttons. I am able to dump and raise the bucket anywhere on the layout by remote control. The bucket motor is powered by four AA batteries. The receiver is powered by eight AA batteries housed in a small gondola. Here is a short video of it in operation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IFG7Cw52nc

 

[gregh]

Very clever. Did you use interlocks to stop the bucket in the up and down position, or just your manual finger control?

 

[Madman]

Just good old non-technical finger control. You do have to pay attention to what you are doing however.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Didn't they make this into a film? :-:-:-


Hot Metal Bucket

 

[C&S]

Congratulations, very ingenious. Wonder if it might have other applications - working a crane for example?

 

[Madman]

I don't see why not. All it is, is a key-fob transmitter of the type that you might use to unlock your car doors, and a receiver that has four latching double throw switches. Each of the four buttons on the transmitter will throw a corresponding switch in the receiver. So each switch can be used to turn on or off a motor, electro-magnet in the case of a crane that one might use to load scrap metal. The switches can turn on and off lights, etc, etc, etc.

 

[Bram]

Brilliant Dan, and it works so smoothly without glitching, well done you

 

[3Valve]

Damn clever that