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Help Wiring MTH 30-9107 Operating Platform for "Toggling" Effect

dennishdennishOGR Forum Member

Hi All!

I have a situation that I hope someone can shed some light on for me. 

I've made a 4' by 8' trolley layout with a station stop at both ends of the loop.  With trolleys 1 and 2 stopped in the stations, a third trolley will continue to run and trigger trolley 1 out of the station, then stop at the station itself. Trolley 1 will run to the other end and trigger trolley 2.  Trolley 2 runs back and triggers trolley 3, and so on.

At one end, I have the MTH Operating Platform (30-9107). I would like to have each trolley stopping trigger the operating platform into its other state - first passengers sitting on the bench, trolley stops and triggers the "boarding" passengers, next trolley stops and triggers the "return' of the passengers, etc.  I do not want to use the rocker switch that is included and I have attempted to wire the Lionel 153R, but to no avail.  The 153R will trigger the boarding but returns the passengers when the time setting expires.

Is there a way to wire this accessory to get the "toggling" effect (passengers disappear, then reappear, then disappear, etc.) as each trolley stops?  I hope I have been clear with what I am after.  I can include a video of the action if necessary.

Thanks,

Dennis

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S stan2004OGR Forum Member

What's your budget?  Are you comfortable working at the electronic component level, soldering, etc.?

One approach would be a bi-stable relay module which I suppose could be called a "toggling" relay.  Every time it's triggered it toggles between on and off.  This particular relay module has NO and NC outputs which would connect to the NO and NC inputs under the Operating Platform.  The particular module I happened to have in the parts stash operates on 12V DC so I used an AC-to-DC converter module which takes AC Accessory Voltage (e.g., 14-16V AC) and converts it to DC.  But if you already have a source of 12V DC like from a wall-wart that would work too.

bistable relay module and ac-to-dc voltage converter

In this case, the bi-stable relay is triggered by a contact closure - the 2 white wires in the video.  For proof of concept I connected a reed switch which closes when a magnet is nearby.  So the idea would be a magnet would be placed on each trolley, and a reed switch would be placed in the track bed or on the station siding or whatever.

When a trolley (magnet) approaches the station (reed switch), the bi-stable relay toggles between ON and OFF.  A tiny green LED on the relay module indicates ON or OFF.  You can also hear the relay "click" when it toggles.   Note that after the relay toggles there is no additional action even if the magnet is held over the switch or when the magnet departs from the switch.  It only toggles when the magnet again approaches the switch.  I believe this is the behavior you're looking for.

The magnet reed switch combo is just one way to generate a contact closure suitable for triggering this particular relay module.  One could just as well concoct some optical scheme using a light source and detector akin to an ITAD/153IR.  Or the insulated-rail method.

 

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Tags: Wiring, MTH, Operating Platform, passengers, trolley
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