Model Railroad Signals Made Simple Part 1

[@dabadapple1261]

I'm on Standby for Part 2 I have the Atlas system but wasn't ready to try and tackle that project till now!! Excellent video

[@ThruAWiderLens]

". . . or talked into it by your friends." I love that! Very informative video, and an outstanding layout!

[@UPES2018]

Those Southern Pacific F7 "black widow" A/B units pulling that "Daylight" was amazing! Can't wait for part 2!!

[@theknickerbocker5808]

If I may correct a few things about signals. If we are doing this prototypicaly. Signal aspects are read as following Top aspect= normal speed. example Green MAS Yellow Approach Red Stop Middle aspect= Medium Speed Bottom aspect= Slow Speed In your example of a yellow over green signal, giving it as a Diverging Clear is incorrect. This signal would be a Approach Diverging. Diverging Clear would be Red over Green. Thought this would help. If you have any questions on signals and their meanings I can try to help have been doing it for a living over 20 years

[@aniburns329]

Love the Mount Rushmore!!

[@lthgamingalternate9310]

Very awesome and informative video. I am excited to see part 2 when you produce it. I am a ways from Signaling and blocks etc. However, I am one who likes to plan ahead and know whats coming!

[@UP4013BB]

I used a relay that I hooked up to the double head signal. Green was on top red on the bottom. When switch was thrown the signal heads would change color to indicate that the train either goes straight or enters the switch.

[@johnschultz9023]

I use relay logic and my own detection circuits. A lot cheaper and in conjunction with the switch machines, can display any and all aspects needed for the track arrangement and conditions.

[@davidcurtis5398]

Love the wiring shot. Very funny, but kinda true... My problem is that I have no power going through the track at all. All of my engines are battery powered. A company called Model Train Technology has a system I am looking at.

[@ewoodrailway]

Superb video, I've subbed

[@jimamtrak]

Very nice. Liked option of Iowa's block detector (I've installed mostly BD20's). Somewhat surprisingly, for an NCE user like me, you didn't mention NCE Light-its, an AIU for your Block & turnout Detection and JMRI. LCC (an NMRA standard) is the gold standard of signalling could be mentioned quickly too.

[@MrBillCNW]

Thank you for sharing a very informative video

[@andrewgriffiths1707]

Sounds good but expensive. When all you need is a block detector, plus two relays for each 3 aspect signal. The preassembled relays boards plus the detectors and signals that I use on my layout, all come from an online site.

[@areakt]

Sounds fascinatingly simple and cheap. You should make a KZbin video about it and show us step by step how to setup a block section. Always on the lookout for an easier cost effective solution.

[@andrewgriffiths1707]

@@areakt Hello from the other side of the pond. I will see what I can do. I still have some signals that need installing, so it may be possible.

[@jovetj]

Yep. I haven't been in model railroading in a while. But if I were going to do it today, I would want to keep things as prototypical as I could muster. DCC is a must. Current detection is a must, as well as a resistor on a "B" axle of each piece of unpowered rolling stock. Each control point would require a dedicated detector for the interlocking itself. I would also carve up the signal blocks with extra detector sections as needed for determining direction of travel (for tumbledown) and/or for grade crossing circuits. I would either take all of the detector outputs and shove them into a computer, or design hard-coded essentially relay logic for the signal aspects. "Manual" and "power" switches also need detected by the signal system.

[@redwoodcityintheuknscalera7179]

or you could go the arduino route with 3 aspect block signals like i have signals were 3 uk pounds each sensors were 1 uk pound arduino nano boards were 3.57 or something like that a 5volt supply was 5.00 pounds total cost for 4 tracks with several signals on them less than 130 uk pounds including cabling

[@Trainmaster909]

If you have an ESU System (or the Piko Cab Control), you can use an LNet converter and use LocoNet without a separate system.

[@j.harryfeldman1776]

Has anyone taken a look at the newer signal system by Model Train Technology? It looks very good to me.

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Like video."thumbs up from me".Hope there more

[@tomthetank924]

Do you know what voltage the atlas boards send out? Have some signals but not sure how they'll work. Thanks tom

[@msmrrc-midsouthmodelrailro7075]

What about using a Chubb system for CTC/ABS signal operations?

[@rjl110919581]

thank you for share detail video as point lot there

[@wolfgang2007aaaaaaaa]

Made simple. ok.

[@Stussmeister]

A very nice video. I'm planning on expanding my current 4 x 8 layout (controlled by EZ Command DCC) to a 5 x 10 layout with two reversing loops, industry sidings, and a yard. Given the number of switches I'll likely have, I thought it would be wise to install signals, and thought the Atlas system might be the easiest one to use. Would you recommend this system for a layout of such a size?

[@areakt]

Thanks glad you enjoyed it! Yes the atlas system would be good choice for your layout. Use it to protect your reverse loops and any sidings you have with your main. You probably don’t need to signal your industrial spurs though. Hope that helps!

[@Stussmeister]

@@areakt Thank you again :). I'm still very much a novice when it comes to model railroading, though I think the only sidings I'll have on my main line are a passing siding for one station and a spur track that goes from the main into the yard. Given that trains will likely be both going into and coming out of the yard, I'm thinking I should install two signals (facing in opposite directions) for incoming and departing trains.

[@PacificNorthwestRailfanner]

Can you use HO scale Details West signals on the Atlas signal system?

[@areakt]

Yea you can use any signal provided you splice it’s wires into one of their connectors. Pretty easy to do once you’ve identified which wires you have and if it’s common anode or cathode.

[@michaelmorgan7893]

I understand the Atlas system is expensive because one has to purchase a control board for each head. But I hear it will work with straight DC. I don't have DCC or the inclination to get into DCC, and since most manufacturers are getting away from DC, will your system work for DC?

[@areakt]

Yea it will work for DC only provided the block to be detected had a train moving through it. A stopped train with the power off will not be detected.

[@daveblaedow8419]

What would you suggest I do if I had digitrax on a small layered what is still be cost-effective to go with digitrax or with the atlas?

[@areakt]

Yeah if you are comfortable with loconet already it should be competitive from an economic standpoint. According to the documentation the SE8C has built in resistors but be sure to check you’ve got the right resistance for your signals.

[@geomodelrailroader]

4:18 what's wrong with this picture? 1. No Block Detector! you need a block detector or the signal will be wrong. 2. No Interlocking Control Board! your switch needs to be wired to a interlocking control board to slots 1 through 3 for Atlas and slots 5 through 7 for Tortoise or other manufactures. and 3. the signals are wired incorrectly and the jumpers are not set to the correct mode. On each board you need to set some jumpers according to the manufacture BLMA and Atlas signals you set the second to 1 for BLMA and to 3 for Atlas which is default the third and forth jumper are for aspects see the Atlas signal book and wiring book on the website for instructions. Green over Green is wrong this aspect is never used in the US because it can trigger a collision the correct aspects are Flashing Yellow over Green, Fleshing Yellow over Lunar, Yellow over Green, Yellow over Red, Red over Lunar, and Flashing Red over Red. How you fix this is on a double head signal plug in the jack to the #3 board and install a BD 20 to the Block 3 wire wrapping the feeder wire around the tombstone block twice. Next connect a green wire to the signal control board from the BD 20 and connect common and ground to the BD 20 and to the Interlocking Module and connect the other end of the green wire to the jack labeled RIN or Red Input this way when the main is occupied by a train in the trailing point direction the siding shows Red unless the switch is thrown in the facing point direction from Block 1.

[@AbelG8781]

Is that Joseph at the end????

[@justinc4424]

I dont need block detectors because theres a block build in the atlas signal control board

[@areakt]

While the atlas board will “detect” when its sent an occupancy signal and change the aspect accordingly it does not have a way to actually detect a change in voltage across the rails or an infrared sensor itself. For that it still needs an external detector.

[@farmerdave7965]

Where did you get the California cars ?

[@mack042]

great video i have mrc system about to tackle the signal project what do you suggest thanks

[@modeltrains1507]

Atlas will work fine with MRC. I would not do Digitrax because you would need to buy a new Digitrax System to run in tandem with your MRC. Infrared would be OK too.

[@jovetj]

1:10 There is no such thing as a "target signal" ... this is unfortunately-persistent misnomer. In North America (and Canada) these are the common and historically-common designs of signals: - Lower-quadrant semaphore - only displays two aspects per arm. - Upper-quadrant semaphore - displays up to three aspects per arm. - Colorlight - discrete lens per aspect; can be arranged vertically, horizontally, or triangularly. These are often called "Style D", "Style E" and "Style G" based on prototypical catalog descriptions. - Searchlight - one lens for multiple aspects, effected with a movable vane mechanism that places a colored roundel in the light path. Max of three aspects. Technically these are a specialized form of colorlight signal. - Unilens - Like searchlights but effected by fiber optics with dedicated internal lamps. Up to 4 aspects. Today can now be done better with LEDs. - Position-Light - Mimic upper-quadrant semaphore arm positions with rows (chains) of 3 (initially 4) lamps. Aspects typically "fog penetrating yellow" colored. (Pennsylvania Railroad) - Color-Position-Light - One central head with up to 4 pairs of colored lamps that mimic semaphore arm positions; this head indicates block state. Surrounded by up to 6 marker lamps to indicate speed requirements. (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad) - Position-Color-Light - Special colorized version of Position-Light signals that don't use the central pivot lamp, with all the other lamp aspects colored to mimic upper-quadrant semaphore night colors. (Amtrak)

[@michaelplumb298]

Can atlas signals work without using dcc

[@areakt]

If you used infrared detectors it would work fine. But using track voltage detectors it would always display red signals since dc voltage would be off until you switch on the block for the train to enter. Might be some other workarounds but I’d go with the photovoltaic or infrared detectors for DC. Or better switch to DCC. Good luck!

[@floridian2023]

W.O.W.

[@isaacder3i121]

damn that mask is scary as hell lol😐