yR2006 LS 5 - tc-nmra.org

MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE TURKEY CREEK DIVISION OF THE MID-CONTINENT REGION, NMRA

VOL. 19 NO. 5 “For all gauges and all ages.” MAY 2006

MEETING LOCATION 6000 Lamar, Shawnee Mission, KS (See map on page 9.) 7:00 PM

TUESDAY, May 23rd, 2006 SCHEDULED CLINICS :

Paul Richardson, MMR on

“Cedar Shingles by the Hundreds”

AND: THE MODELING CHALLENGE

1

From the Super’s Desk PAUL RICHARDSON, MMR

8

The Brass Pounder’s Desk

9 MINUTES, MAP, OFFICERS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE SUPER’S DESK . . .

2-6 DCC Detector Circuit Using Current Sensing by

RICHARD E. NAPPER, MMR 7 Photos by Miles Hale of Recent events in Turkey Creek with AP Awards for Paul Myers, Gary Hankins, Jim Flynn, and Lou Seibel. Recent Clinics by Paul Rich ardson, MMR, and Joe Robertson. Two audience scenes of recent meetings.

THE

LIGHTNING SLINGER TURKEY CREEK DIVISION IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION

The Turkey Creek Division met at our usual location in April. Follow-ing a welcome to first-time attendees and some members we haven’t seen in a while, we discussed the proposed constitution revisions and shared our thought processes as we developed the revisions. I would like to say “Thank You” to the following members who served on the constitution revision committee: Chairman Brad Morneau, Louis Seibel, Joe Robertson Larry Alfred, Gary Hankins, Miles Hale, Pat Harriman, Paul Myers, Marty Vaughn and our scribe, Dean Windsor who compiled our revisions into the document you received by email or USPS. Guys you did a great job and your efforts are much appreciated. Following the discussion I had the honor as National Tenure Chairman to present a 25 Year membership certificate to Marty Vaughn, Con-gratulations Marty! Warren Weston, MMR presented his clinic “Building Fences” and I learned some things I didn’t know about building wood fences. His clinic sparked a good question and answer session and the clinic was well received. Thanks Warren! Upcoming Clinic - I will present a short clinic, about 20 minutes or so to demonstrate how to make your own cedar shingles by the hundreds and install them in strips. The bottom line is you can make individual shingles without a ton of effort. Call for Clinicians - Please give some thought to hosting a clinic, find a topic (and most of us have something we do well) that could be put into a clinic. It can be a short clinic or a half hour to an hour if you wish. Call me at 816-866-4043 or email [email protected] and I will get your clinic on the calendar. Modeling Challenge - Don’t forget – the MAY 23rd will be the Modeling Challenge so get building, there is still time to participate. It does not have to be scratch built, just a model of something where you can show the photo of the item you modeled and en-tered. I invite you to attend the May meeting and become involved in the ac-tivities of the Division. To get the most from your NMRA membership you need to put effort into it. I invite you to get the maximum from your membership. If you want to be involved but you are just unsure of how to do it, please contact me by email or phone and I will be happy to help you. Constitution Voting - We will vote on the proposed constitution revisions at the May meeting so be sure to attend the meeting and vote on the revisions. Division Meet - In just a few months the Division will be hosting the annual Turkey Creek Divi-sion Meet. We need all the volunteers we can get to make this activity a success. If you would like to volunteer contact Chairman Paul Myers or me and we will help you get involved. Our phone numbers are in this document. REMEMBER – The next monthly meeting is May 23rd – 7:00PM. I’ll see you there,

Paul Richardson, MMR

While running around the internet I visited http://Home.cogeco.ca and there was the circuit I needed in his VT-5 which I have modified to my own use. The VT-5 is two detector circuits using a LM556 timer but it had no output relays of any kind. That was a decision that he made to keep the cost down and to put two de-tector circuits on one circuit board. So using his basic circuit I designed my own current sensing detection cir-cuit. I went with this final design because this little circuit has one big advantage; it will detect a locomotive in a block even if the locomotive is not moving! This circuit will work with DCC only, but is sensitive enough to detect a motor controller circuit inside a locomotive, even if the locomotive is not moving. Although I have not tested it this way, I do not see any reason why the circuit would not detect a resistance wheel set, or a lighted caboose or passenger car. (Continued on Page 3) I used two DPDT relays for four independent SPDT set of contacts that I can use in anyway I want to when I build my signal system using LEDs. If you want to cut the cost even more, you can eliminate the two LEDs and two 510 ohm resistors, but that will only save you maybe 25 cents. Please refer to the circuit schematic and I will explain how this simple circuit works. You place one power wire from your DCC track power through the hole in the center of the current sense transformer, and then run both wires to your track block. When there is no power being drawn in the block, then the 2N3904 transistor is turned off, the capacitor C1 is fully charged up, and has the LM555CN timer turned on so output pin 3 is at 12 volts DC. Since there is 12VDC on both ends of the relay coils, they draw no power and are not energized. The Red LED is turned on, or lit. Now as soon as a small current is drawn in the block, the current sensing transformer outputs a voltage which is limited to about ½ volt by the signal diode, 1N4148. That is enough voltage to turn on the 2N3904 transistor which shorts out the Capacitor, C1. That action turns off the

DCC Detector Circuit Using Current Sensing

By Richard E. Napper, MMR

I’m getting ready to start my second layout since I had to tear down my first layout when I moved to Topeka, KS from Manhattan, KS in October 2000. My first layout was a learning experience for me, just like it was for most of you. I learned not to make the layout so wide you cannot reach important things like my turntable, I could not even align the tracks to the turntable because I could not see the pit track ends very well. Reaching things was the most important lesson I learned from my first layout. There is a circuit you can buy that uses a step-per motor for your turntable, so you can align the tracks perfectly, and it will remember the settings. It’s about $300.00 but well worth it in my opinion. The diamond turntable I had before is no longer made, so I will have to make my own or maybe purchase a Bowser turntable, I have not decided yet which way I will go. Most things did go right and I will repeat them on my second layout. It will be an island layout with no duck unders shaped like a large “J”. Under the long side of the “J”, I will have a six track hidden stag-ing yard over thirty feet long at a height of 48”. The actual layout will be built at a height of 54” because I do not like the airplane view of a layout, and I think it causes you to do better modeling since you are so close to a eyeball view of your layout. One thing I promised myself is that this second layout will be fully signaled. I thus will need some kind of track detection circuit so I know where my trains are located on my new layout. I also promised myself this layout will be 100% DCC, that will take a lot of time and money, but it will be worth it in the long run. The signal system will need to have both rails insulated at both ends of the blocks for train detection to work, and that is the way I like to wire a layout any-way, I do not use common rail, and I use toggle

switches to turn off all track blocks, makes trouble-shooting shorts a lot easier. Block wiring is useful even with DCC. Now there are a few different ways to detect your train in a block. You can use photo detection also called optical detection. Not a bad way to go, but it is very difficult to place the photocells correctly to get detection of the whole block if the block is long. Another way is to use the Twin “T” or diode detection circuits that detect the voltage drop across a diode when a train draws power while in the block. This re-quires that you install a bridge rectifier in series with each block power circuit, which causes a 1.5 to 3 volt voltage drop, so you have to increase the starting and running voltage to your trains. This is a little better than the optical option. I wanted some way to detect the train in a block without causing the voltage drop and that would detect the train as long as the train was in the block, not necessarily moving! I found the answer while cruising the internet. I was looking at the Dallee Elec-tronics, Inc. web site, and noticed they had a current sensing detection circuit they call the TRAK-DT. So I ordered myself one circuit for evaluation. The TRACK-DT uses a Coilcraft D1869L 50 turn, 5 mH sensing coil and a LM358 integrated circuit on the 2” x 3” circuit board. The TRAK-DT can be used on DCC and DC layouts. It has one DPDT relay on the circuit board for output. With shipping one board cost me about $34.00. I will probably have at least 50 blocks on my layout, so that means $1700.00 for TRACK-DT circuit boards. I might be able to get a discount with that kind of order, but I am not sure. Wait just a minute! I’m an electrical engineer; I should be able to design my own current detection circuit with the outputs I want at less cost than $34.00 each. So I went back on the internet to find the current sensing transformer that Dallee used, and that is how I found out it was a Coilcraft D1869L. In my opinion I like the more substantial CS1050L in a plastic hard-ened case. I finally settled on the MTC30101 sold by Jameco Electronics. Block wiring is useful even with DCC. (Continued on Page 3)

While running around the internet I visited http://Home.cogeco.ca and there was the circuit I needed in his VT-5 which I have modified to my own use. The VT-5 is two detector circuits using a LM556 timer but it had no output relays of any kind. That was a decision that he made to keep the cost down and to put two detector circuits on one circuit board. So using his basic circuit I designed my own current sensing de-tection circuit. I went with this final design because this little circuit has one big advantage; it will detect a locomo-tive in a block even if the locomotive is not moving! This circuit will work with DCC only, but is sensitive enough to detect a motor controller circuit inside a lo-comotive, even if the locomotive is not moving. Al-though I have not tested it this way, I do not see any reason why the circuit would not detect a resistance wheel set, or a lighted caboose or passenger car. Here are the parts I used in my design. (I got most of the parts from Jameco Electronics at www.jameco.com. Plus one from Hosfelt Electronics at www.hosfelt.com ) 4 Part # 99397CB 5MM 3 Terminal block 1 No Part # Hosfelt - one 5MM 4 Terminal Block 1 Part# 27422CB LM555CN 8 pin Dip IC Timer 2 Part# 174377CB12 volt relay LM2-12D RL1,RL2 1 C1 Part# 330405CB Electrolytic Capacitor 2.2ufd 16 WVDC 1 Q1 Part# 38359CB 2N3904 NPN Transistor 1 D1 Part# 36038 1N4148 signal fast switching diode 1 T1 Part# 164718CB MTC30101 Current Sensing Trans-former 1 D2 1N4004 power diode (A 1N4002 would also work) 1 10K ohm ¼ watt resistor R1 1 1Meg ohm ¼ watt resistor R2 2 510 ohm ¼ watt resistors R3 and R4 1 IC 8 pin socket 1 Red LED 1 Green LED 3 ¼” 6-32 Screws 3 ½” plastic insulators 1 three inch piece of 16 gauge lamp cord 1 Home made circuit board

The most expensive parts were the re-lays at $2.45 each and the current sensing transformer at $2.65 each, but the more you buy, the less each unit costs. I used two DPDT relays for four independent SPDT set of contacts that I can use in anyway I want to when I build my signal system using LEDs. I f you want to cut the cost even more, you can eliminate the two LEDs and two 510 ohm resistors, but that will only save you maybe 25 cents. Please refer to the circuit schematic and I will explain how this simple circuit works. You place one power wire from your DCC track power through the hole in the center of the current sense transformer, and then run both wires to your track block. When there is no power being drawn in the block, then the 2N3904 transistor is turned off, the capacitor C1 is fully charged up, and has the LM555CN timer turned on so output pin 3 is at 12 volts DC. Since there is 12VDC on both ends of the relay coils, they draw no power and are not energized. The Red LED is turned on, or lit. Now as soon as a small current is drawn in the block, the current sensing transformer outputs a volt-age which is limited to about ½ volt by the signal di-ode, 1N4148. That is enough voltage to turn on the 2N3904 transistor which shorts out the Capacitor, C1. That action turns off the LM555CN timer and its out-put drops to zero volts. Now the two relays draw power from the 12 VDC power supply and both of them turn on as well as the Green LED which is now lit. Once the current draw in the block drops back to zero, the circuit resets to off in about 1.5 seconds. Dirt simple, but it works! Although I designed and manufactured my own circuit board, since I will need quite a number of them, I will probably have them commercially made at a later date. If you would like me to make this detec-tor for you E-mail me at [email protected] or call me at 785-582-4209 or write me at 7244 NW US Highway 24, Topeka, KS 66618-5605 and we can discuss the cost. Remember the FRISCO! (Editor: The lines on the drawings are the traces connecting the parts, all on the bottom side of the PCB. The dots indicate where the parts are inserted on the top insulated sides of the PCB)

(Continued from Page 2) Pages 4, 5 and 6 following have diagrams and pictures.

Change OMRON GSV-2 to LM2-12D (Relay 1 and 2)

Marked drawing of Schematic for Richard E. Napper MMR’s, Printed Circuit Board.

Paul Myers awarded Volunteer AP Cert. Paul Richardson giving his Clinic

Gary Hankins awarded Scenery AP Cert. Jim Flynn awarded Scenery AP Cert.

Lou Seibel awarded Volunteer AP Cert. Joe Robertson Clinic On Making Fence Posts

TCD Members at Febr. 06 Meeting at Union Station; TCD Members at March 06 Meeting

All Pictures credit to Miles Hale; The good-looking man making the awards: Joe Robertson

The Brass Pounder’s Desk Editor

Dave Eisenstein E-Mail: [email protected]

Our newest member writes: “I was pleased to get “The Lightning Slinger” and found it both inter-esting and useful. I expect to be at the April 25th meeting. However, there is a typographical error which over my life time has been common. On Page 9 in the Meeting Minutes the correct spelling for James Baker should have been “Barker” …. James “Jim” Barker.” Jim, thanks for the correction. We too share your problems and thank you for the most polite way you told us about it. Lou “Sigh-Bell” and Dave “Einstein” (Great Uncle Al must have shortened his name). Page 1 of Section A of the Kansas City Star on April 19th, 2006 had this sub-headline: “MORE MONEY NEEDED FOR TURKEY CREEK.” A double-take cleared it up, they were talking about a tunnel that threatens South-West Boulevard, in Kansas City, Missouri. No, we are not broke, but our costs are out-running our annual budget. Most of our costs are this newsletter, which for years was sent out every two months for $2.00 annually as part of our dues structure; now sent out monthly to correspond with our monthly meetings started by former Super Larry Alfred, MMR. Now, with the New Constitution, we do not charge dues to be a member, but subscription costs need to be addressed. Subscription costs, not DUES. I respectfully suggest $2.00 a year for those who elect to receive this via e-mail which includes color copies for those with a color printer. For our present mailing with U.S. Mail Service, which includes cur-rently 39 cents postage for ten pages (63 cents over ten pages), and TCD costs for paper, ink, labels, etc. for black and white, I suggest $12.00 annually to not quite cover actual costs. These costs currently will include buying a new Microsoft Office package (which includes Microsoft Publisher and MS Excel) every so often, and allowing the editor (whoever that may be) to buy special fonts plus a new OS MS XP and MS Vista whenever that comes out. If we do buy a color printer for exclusive use of TCD, then $12 would include de-preciation charges and maintenance costs which are unknown, but still will be there. Also, we do print 12, 14 and 16 pages on occasion, which costs more for U.S. mailed copies as well as more costs for more pages, so even $12 per year would not always cover our actual out-of-pocket costs. If this disparity in costs is decided upon, perhaps many more members will give us their e-mail addresses for a savings of $10 a year! Breaking news! Steve Priest is the newly appointed editor of SCALE RAILS, our national NMRA publication. He is a member of Turkey Creek. Heartiest congratulations to one of our own! April’s SCALE RAILS on Page 37 also names the following members of Turkey Creek Divi-sion as new winners of Achievement Programs, photos also shown on Page 7, herein, of some of the presen-tations. Honor to Fred Hulen, Paul Myers, Gary Hankins, Jim Flynn and Lou Seibel our newest Achiev-ers. Page 20 of SCALE RAILS, also discusses our TCD Member Pat Harriman, MMR, with his recent publication named “Early Wood Frame and Stone Structures” 163 pages of B&W and color pix for $29.95 plus $5 shipping per book. Wonder if we can persuade him to bring several copies to our next meet-ing to sell to us, without shipping costs? This from the Library Car page by Brent Lambert, Director of the NMRA Library (Also known as the Kalmbach Memorial Library). We welcome back Dean Windsor, MMR to our meetings after a long hiatus. He is also a Columnist for the commercial magazine each month: RAILMODEL JOURNAL, on Locomotive Performance.

NO DECEMBER MEET; NO MINUTES. . Respectfully submitted, Lou Seibel, Clerk

Minutes of Turkey Creek Meeting, December, 2005

We meet at the Johnson County Courthouse, NE Branch, 6000 Lamar, Shawnee Mission, Kansas. We meet at 7:00 P.M., Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005 The new site is also planned for all of 2005.

Minutes of Turkey Creek Meeting, January 27th, 2004

. Respectfully, John Boren, Clerk

Page 9

We meet at the Johnson County Courthouse, NE Branch, 6000 Lamar, Shawnee Mis-sion, Kansas. We meet at 7:00 P.M., February 28th, 2006. 7:00 P.M., Tuesday, October 25th, 2005.. The new site is also planned for all of 2005.


Respectfully, Louis Seibel, Clerk.

OFFICERS NAME PHONE E-MAIL AT:

Superintendent Paymaster Clerk Division Director Train Show Chair-man for 2006 Membership Chair Editor AP Merit Awards and Achievement.

Paul Richardson, MMR Jack Boren Louis Seibel Paul Myers Paul Myers Gary Hankins Dave Eisenstein Joe B. Robertson, MMR

913-897-0669 913-962-2408 913-393-3495 816-734-3719 816-734-3719 913-782-3645 816-333-6359 816-331-2773

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

NO DECEMBER MEET; NO MINUTES. . Respectfully submitted, Lou Seibel, Clerk

Minutes of Turkey Creek Meeting, December, 2005

Page 9

We meet at 7:00 PM May 23rd at Johnson County NE Courthouse, 6000 Lamar,


. Respectfully, John Boren, Clerk

Page 9

Minutes of Turkey Creek Meeting, April 25th, 2006

26 members attended. Paul Richardson,MMR, Super started off the meeting getting members to volunteer to do clinics for up-coming meetings. Dean and Pat said they would do one on Back Drops in June. Pat Harriman, MMR & Dean Windsor, MMR-Contest Judging in November: Learn how to be a qualified NMRA contest judge or even more importantly learn what judges are looking for when you enter the model contests or have models judged for the AP. The current National Achievement Program Chairman and the former National Contest Chairman will show you .AP Program: Jim Eudaly just rejoined the NMRA and has completed his requirements for MMR. Paul Myers has 6 AP cer-tificates, Jim Flynn has 7 certificates. There are 13 MMR’s in the in the Division. Paul Richardson brought up the idea of doing a clinic on a Saturday on how to scratch build Cars, Structures, and Bridges. If any one is interested please contact Paul. Clinic: Warren Weston, MMR, did a clinic on More Formal Fencing in Inch and ½ scales with a handout.

Lighting Slinger: Dave thanked everyone for their comments on sending it by E-mail. Show and Tell: Joe Robinson did a build-ing of a station in HO from Paper Creek. This company does buildings in card stock (60 to 80 lb). He used Elmer’s Glue to put it together. The kit needed no weathering to the finished model. The Larry Long Award: This is a plank that given to a Division Volunteer of the Year from any Division in the Mid-Continent area. It must be submitted to the board at the Jan. meeting. Cut off Date is March of the previous year. Constitution and By Laws: Dean gave an overview of the changes and why they were done. We sent out by e-mail and by mail a copy of the By Laws to all 209 members of Turkey Creek Division. Vote on this will take place at the next meeting on May 23, 2006. Gary Hemmingway sends out a monthly email of all events called The Switching List. Anyone who would like on the list may e-mail Gary at [email protected] Respectfully, Louis Seibel, Clerk

OFFICERS NAME PHONE E-MAIL AT:

Superintendent Paymaster Clerk Division Director Train Show Chair-man for 2006 Membership Chair Editor AP Merit Awards and Achievement.

Paul Richardson, MMR Jack Boren Louis Seibel Paul Myers Paul Myers Gary Hankins Dave Eisenstein Joe B. Robertson, MMR

816-866-4043-Home 816-767-7523-Office 913-962-2408 913-393-3495 816-734-3719 816-734-3719 913-782-3645 816-333-6359 816-331-2773

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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