recommendation needed, operating crossing gates

I avoid operating gates because they cycle some many times failure at some point is likely.

I went with the mth crossings with just the flashers. For train detection I used Azatrax D2T-DS  in across the track method and can detect 2 trains on 2 tracks in either detection for less than the cost of one IR device.

Hey Rick, Thanks for the information. Doing just flashers may be a better consideration. Bill

I like the Z-Stuff DZ-1010 crossing gates  - a little pricey, perhaps, but have always worked well for me after years of service.

I agree about the MTH gates being troublesome. I have four working out of eight that I started with. I have them on switches and only run them when I have visitors. I took the arms off two and use them as flashers. Still working after eight years (I don’t have a lot of visitors 😉).

Tomar sells O scale crossing gates. Complete with linkage and a Tortoise switch motor. Not sure what others cost. But this set will set you back $300. You still need to provide detection and a way to flash the lights. You may already have that.  Rick mentioned Azatrax as a source. I use their equipment with some NJI signals. Very reliable. The Tortoise is pretty much bulletproof as a switch motor. Probably works just as well with the gates.

Seeing you already have the gates. I might look into what’s needed to add just the Tortoise or something similar to activate the gates.

There is a reason Lionel made gargantuan crossing gates.

These gates work with large electromagnets that hold the gates down on activation against springs that will push them back to the Up position. Electromagnets can get HOT in use, as it is essentially a controlled short circuit. The over-scale Lionel gates have a lot of surfaces to dissipate the heat.

Enter MTH's scale crossing gates. Much much smaller electromagnet that still can get hot when activated. But because of the scale not a lot of surfaces for heat dissipation. So failures due to over-heating can happen.

Ho gates do not rely on electromagnets within the gate. Instead there is a rod that pulls the gate down below using a Tortoise-like electro-magnet that is larger.

On their website, Azatrax  does not sell O-gauge crossing gates; instead they sell the MTH ones. That are sold-out!

one of these days I will design and 3D print some of them.

that will require additionally flashing LEDs in the head and along the arms, bell circuit and sensors and of course a Tortoise or other pull-down device.

Bill- I bought a set of the MTH gates but couldn't use them. PM me if you are interested.

I had to go with flashers and crossbucks instead. These are from Model Power. They come equipped with random flashing LED's. I took the flasher module out and installed a Circutron FL-2 flasher board and GRJ isolated rail relay board instead.

Bob

The Z-Stuff gates @Richie C. mentions above work and look great. I've had them on my table for about 20 years. In addition to looking realistic in size and slow gate closure, they use optical sensors without the need to wire anything to the track.  I can understand the possibility that one new gate could be bad, but the fact you found both gates bad sounds especially strange. I would contact Z-Stuff for technical assistance and, if necessary, do an exchange. The company owners typically show up at York in the Orange Hall.

I have the DZ1010 crossing gates on my S scale layout. They have cycled in excess of 4,000 times in the 8 years on the layout. No issues with them. I think they look good and sound good.

@AlanRail posted:

Enter MTH's scale crossing gates. Much much smaller electromagnet that still can get hot when activated. But because of the scale not a lot of surfaces for heat dissipation. So failures due to over-heating can happen.

Alan, my MTH gates are gear driven, power up and power down. Most of the failures have to do with the many plastic gears. Much to small for my farmer mitts to fix, even using parts from a donor. I did fix one that just had the drive gear spinning on the motor shaft. Like smoke fan motors, a little super glue did the trick.

@Dave_C posted:

Tomar sells O scale crossing gates. Complete with linkage and a Tortoise switch motor. Not sure what others cost. But this set will set you back $300. You still need to provide detection and a way to flash the lights. You may already have that.  Rick mentioned Azatrax as a source. I use their equipment with some NJI signals. Very reliable. The Tortoise is pretty much bulletproof as a switch motor. Probably works just as well with the gates.

Seeing you already have the gates. I might look into what’s needed to add just the Tortoise or something similar to activate the gates.

I’m with Dave on this one……I too have the MTH gates, gutted, and use a Tortoise…..I have my junk wired so the flashers come on first, then the gates drop nice & slow,….extremely reliable, and I don’t even notice the rods, they’re so tiny …..

Pat

I cannot recall as to when, but I thought the original MTH gates had incorrect wiring instructions.

Thanks to all who weighed in on this issue. There were some really good suggestions and I will take a look at them all. Thanks for offering help. Bill Park

For my burnt out Lionel gate, I printed a motor mount and control piston that fit inside the base, then removed the electromag guts and installed a MG90S servo motor to raise/lower the gate.

It runs on 5V with very small current, so minimal risk of overheating.

Control is from an Atom Lite WIFI module from M5Stack, but an Arduino or similar would work the same. The gate and other accessories can be switched with individual control wires, or via Wi-fi. Wi-fi eliminates the need for other wires to the devices.  In the demo video, the USB cable is only to provide 5v/ground.

Min angle, max angle, opening and closing speed can be set with software.

There are multiple I/O pins on the Atom that can be used to synchronize control of other devices.

There is enough room to enclose the Atom inside the crossing base if only the single device is needed.

I don't have bulbs with the correct base for the gate, so I just stuck a red LED in there for the demonstration.

Total cost per gate is ~ 12.00 (plus new bulbs if I can ever find them).