Remote uncoupling

22/11/2023

Time to revisit the uncoupling issue! I found a lot of my locos bellied on the Hornby/Peco sprung ramps. I bought a Job lot of micro servos a couple of years ago to drive semaphore signals which proved too fragile for motorise operation.
A start on modifying the ramp by reinforcing the underside with 2mm styrene sheet an drilling a 3mm hole to take a section of Albion Alloys 2.4mm square tube SSB2M this is made to slide into Albion Alloys 3.2mm square tube SSB3M.










25/11/2023
Testing the concept on a dummy base board a 4mm hole is drilled though the baseboard between the sleepers to take the 3.2mm square tube to act as the guide for the ramp lift rod it will be soldered to the 12mm wide brass plate to anchor it to the underside of the baseboard. Attached to the ramp is a length of 2.4mm square tube to make the ramp lift rod which will move up driven by the servo motor.

















A manual test proved the setup works as I predicted. In fact it does not matter where on the ramp the couplings are they uncouple due to the ramp moving parallel to the track base Currently I am waiting for a DCC accessory controller board to arrive from Heathcote Electronics.









27/11/2023
The DCC accessory controller board arrived from Heathcote Electronics this morning testing will have to wait. As I am working on the servo eccentric cam I found that 8 gauge white screw caps would make a suitable basis for the cam I block of plywood is cut to make the standoff to mount the servo.








I have a MegaPoints Servo Controller from the aborted semaphore signals project which I hope to interface with the Heathcote Electronics DCC accessory controller board to drive the uncoupling ramps located in the station termini 3 in each end of the layout. This afternoon testing the concept on the dummy base board using the MegaPoints Servo Controller worked lifting the ramp up by 2-3 mm see the video

28/11/2023
The finishing tape is almost in sight! I spent an hour or so in the loft wiring up the dummy base board to the MegaPoints Servo Controller [only the one servo]; programmed the Heathcote Electronics DCC accessory to address 100 and interfaced the two boards using the opto isolator output yes it worked now I have some fine fettling to do on the servo eccentric cam and lift rod before I make 6 identical units.


29/11/2023 07:45

Continuing refining the design I knew I had some clear plastic rod stashed away in the workshop, eventually I found the elusive ½ inch round Perspex bar; I will use this to replace the 8 gauge white screw caps I’ll part off several 5mm disks for the cams later today.


6 block of plywood cut to make the standoff to mount the servo.