Gaugemaster have always interesting products. This one for GBP 28 is not specifically cheap, but it's still something you can buy if you are interested in. It's cheapest than lots of Bachmann's wagons (the SR brake van had gone up from GBP 24 to GBP 32, yipee). By the way, I had learnt today two things : like me, you are left-handed, and how to sold properly something metallic on the side à a track. I've got some DCC leads to make like that, thanks for the tip ! For the unit, well, I think for the price, they could have put more reliable components inside. I'm talking about the real lenght of the period between two changes of direction, not 70 seconds max, that's a pity you don't have the whole 70 seconds, and it might be a component's problem. But it works fine, that's a good point.
Hi Sam. Having used an automatic shuttle system it occurred to me that if Hornby could incorporate this into their HMDC app that would really add a great feature to the HM 6000 functionality. All it needs to do is change direction at a set interval which you do manually anyway on the control screen. Obviously you still need the diodes on the cut rails but after that if timings and other features , eg inertia and acceleration could be built in that would be awesome. I have already emailed Hornby with this suggestion, hopefully they too will think it adds value to the app as well.
Very nice! Our club layout has something similar to this. It lets visitors sort of run the trains (by pressing a button 😂) and it allows trains to run when there arn’t any members near by. Great video!
Really interesting video Sam - never even heard of these gizmos before so interesting to see what they can do...and always nice to see a bit of soldering. Gaugemaster are a great British company - best controllers and fantastic customer service. Made me laugh when you reviewed the Gaugemaster Q a few weeks back as I do genuinely really like the 1970's styling of them.
The only railway set that I ever had as a child, back in the 1970s, had something functionally similar. When the train rolled into the final (unpowered) section of the track, the controller reversed polarity of the main powered track. But then the train had to have just enough speed to bounce off the end block and smoothly roll back to the powered track - which didn't happen often. This was a Piko-Sonneberg 9mm-gauge set. It seems odd that fifty years later same issues are still not quite resolved. Wireless control? AI "driver" in the cab? Not yet, maybe never.
It's good to try something new, I happily admit. I can't stop laughing quietly to myself, because I've just done the craziest thing in the world. Today, I spent the whole day in Chester. My trusted friend Carol and I first went into Chester Model Shop. I bought the last pair of silver Hopper Wagons with canopies, a Chocolate & Cream Mk. 1 Restaurant Car and a 00 gauge Milk Float Van. We had a lunch break and then Carol left me behind. I detoured into the Disney Store for new face masks and the new Christmas Mickey & Minnie Mouse toys. Back into the Model Shop I went. I teased Paul for encouraging me, as that was when the craziness began. Model steam engine Alert! I bought the Dapol GWR Mogul engine, two more Manor Engines (7800 Torquay Manor and 7802 Bradley Manor), the Electrotren Tank Engine Molly (you've got her yourself) and a Hornby Terrier Leadenhall. I don't mind if you turn as green as your green 0 gauge Terrier with envy.
I've gotta say, when I got back into model trains this year I had no interest whatsoever on O gauge, but I gotta say these videos really peaked my interest
Sam if you reach 100 thousand subscribers please buy a big boy! When I search up the results it only comes up with two people. Anyway you are the best you tuber ever and I will watch you forever. It is irresistible to watch your videos as your content is one of a kind. When I was a beginner I needed lots of information and you delivered that along with your funny jokes. You are so helpful with train advice thanks to your review I think I am getting the BR Castle Class with TTS sound. I can’t wait for the train to come! Please keep up your channel. You are the best you tuber ever!!! #SAMSTRAINSFORLIFE!!!
Hi Sam. I fitted one of these on an 'o' gauge line that runs a at the back and raised slightly above a track circuit. If you put another diode on the track after the point at your stairs then you can have two trains set up and switch between them. And if you motorised point it means you can just change them round with the flick of a switch too at a distance.
Good looking, funny and a very good entertainer. I am more into Rollercoaster, but your channel is fun and interesting to watch. Even very dry topics seem to be suddenly fun. I learned more about english trains, 00 and 0 gauge in the last weeks then my whole life. Thank you.
Hey Sam, I have already bought one of these for o and oo gauge I really like the idea of this controller, whoever made this is a good inventor, I think you will like the oo gauge one and I have surprisingly made another one of these out of lots of bits and bobs but it isn't as neat as this one, great video sam, keep up the good work 😀
Well not exactly a new idea :-) My Aunt worked on a department store, and every Xmas the store concierge brought his LGB-Xmas-Train into it, made a display in the shop window and automated the train. And he done so since the late 1980s and I was really really fascinated of it, even when I was a toddler...I asked him how, he did it and he told me there was a company called Minitrix (funny name somehow) which made such automation units for trains since the 1970s or so...
MiniTrix were an offshoot of the German Trix company that were one of the pioneers of quality N gauge around 1964 along with Arnold Rapido also from Germany. Arnold Rapido have no connection with the much more recent Canadian company using the name Rapido. For a while in the 70s British Minitrix outline equipment were marketed by Hornby as Hornby MiniTrix.
I was going to buy one of these for a Christmas layout using the Hornby Santa's Express that would run along a shelf and shuttle between a tunnel and a festive station. Also please add some bridges over those gaps on the 0 gauge layout.
Yes the Hornby Prairie's lovely little mechanism does show speed regulation issues (it slows down as the current draw increases). E (speed related emf) = V-IR. Calculate this and it becomes very clear. So this is natural and not a fault, as the motor is small diameter, even though 5-pole; its static resistance is about 28 ohms compared to 16 ohms for an older Princess Royal - it probably has more turns of finer wire to get the torque up. I absolutely love the loco, my own-design feedback controller allows it to go smoothly all round my layout (25-inch curves, gradients) at any speed I choose (eg constant 90 RPM) with 9 coaches (Hornby 57-foot and similar Airfix). It is certainly one of the jewels of my fleet. The 72xx also has 30 ohms, but no issues at all because of the double-reduction gear which brings the current down to 60 mA (light) to 80 ma (same load).
Did they have these back in the '60s? The grocery store my grandparents frequented in my childhood (back before the national chain that owned it became super-authoritarian, demanding homogeneity from all its locations) had a small gauge one layout over its delicatessen's display with wagons that would broadcast the day's specials that had been there since at least the time my grandparents relocated to town in 1968. As a child I figured it was someone's job to watch the train from somewhere out of sight and change its direction when it got to either end of the track, but looking back its motion was pretty much identical to your Gaugemaster Shuttle.
Lots of model railway enthusiasts back over fifty years ago also developed knowledge of electronics and worked out how to build things like this, and or published articles in the modelling magazines so enabling others to also build them or see how to improve the designs. Sounds like the store had someone clever like this involved. I suspect the founders of Gaugemaster probably came from this sort of experimenter background. Much less common today with DCC and the preference for plug and play.
I have used these Gaugemaster shuttle controllers, but to be honest I would now recommend the shuttle unit by Blocksignalling as it has more features for less money. It is much smaller, but has speed and stop time dials mounted onto the unit, it allows for acceleration and slowing of the train with LEDs to indicate where you are within the running cycle, plus all you need is a 12v power adaper rather than another (and expensive) train controller.
I built a similar system for my old 00 gauge layout where I didn't have enough room for a loop so I built a horseshoe of track so you could walk into the middle of it. Rather than using timings like this does I used a system of relays and some light sensors so when the train covered them it would stop, wait and reverse direction at either end with an arduino program controlling it. I think using timings like this does is a bit less accurate, if you built stations at either end of the track there's no guarantee your trains would stop correctly at both ends. But using some kind of sensor you can program in same direction station stops as well as reversing trains at the end of a track
I have done something like this in the past with an arduino and a pwm motor diver. I also include a IR receiver and an IR remote controll so I can change the programs wireless this includes auto-stop witch was a dimmed stop and auto-start that starts gently and begins to raise the voltage until it reaches around 25%
Hi Sam I have one of these I got of eBay ( automatic station stop/start/shuttle ) from a guy called Andy quirot with an adjustment time of 2seconds to approx 3.5 min I also found it easier to use isolating track to fit the diodes to that way you don't burn your fingers
scratching the rail a bit removes whatever metal its plated with. it can be tough soldering onto plating, either the solder doesn't like that material, or it it might flake off when heated. you might find this trick useful, you can control what happens with the heat in objects some times. if you attach an alligator clip or otherwise attach a mass of metal next to where you apply heat, it will soak up the heat and prevent most of it from getting past it. it might also make it harder to heat if its too close, but it make it take longer for heat to get where you don't want it. and lastly, perhaps soldering a a small switch at each diode to bypass them when you don't want to use it? looking at the end of your configuration, seems like a bit of an oversight to not include the bypass switch you put in between the controller and the module as part of the unit.
Yes that's right - even without plating, scratching is a good idea as it removes any oxidation, exposes the bare metal, and increases the bonding surface! Yes you're right - that's why I just use my fingers! xD Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There's a pub in Bristol does that. A little freight train runs from one end the bar to the end and back again...i think it's a terrier... Anyway..i wondered how the landlord had done it but was too scared to ask!
what u need is to put a raspberry pi inside a DCC loco, add a camera with a periscope type lens thing so the camera sees out of the cab window, and have the pi insert DCC signals into the DCC decoder of the loco, then u can do some object recognition to make an /actual/ self driving train, bonus points if u add microcontrollers to the switches to let the pi handle switching for it's loco and the camera can also double as a neat camera view for videos
@@SamsTrains the easiest way for object recognition would probably be to just place QR codes on objects like the switching points, turn around points, etc
Hi Sam, buy a little tub of solder flux / resin / solder paste. Makes little soldering jobs like this much easier and neater. Small tin lasts at least 1 lifetime :-)
I use 2 of these units. On mine I wired the controller to the unit and the unit to the track, and then just switched the 16v supply. When you kill the 16v it bypasses the unit allowing the control to just drive the train manually. Switch on the 16v and it is then the shuttle unit. As you found, the time between polarity changes would be better being longer. Mine is just on or off and starts at the beginning of the cycle rather than a 3 way switch meaning you are turning it on mid cycle. Mine therefore gets to the end everytime from switch on, whereas after turning it on yours probably won’t on the 1st run. It will work your way though now it’s done that way. Lol I think you worked out that you burst through the sticker with a tiny screwdriver and worked out how to adjust the time but just never mentioned it in the video. Lol 1 of mine runs a loco from the shed onto a headshunt over a pit and I can leave the loco in the headshunt, turn it off and run another loco into the shed as the complete unhindered depot. the other unit is for running a shunter with a few wagons back and too for when I’m not manual shunting in the goods yard.
If I woke up in the morning and I see my model train moving it's self even though the controller is off I would totally freak out!!. But it is a good thing to sit down on your chair and not to crouch down and fiddle with anything.
A pair of extremely snug leather gloves will prevent burns, if you have to hold items by hand when soldering. Thank you for the diode tip, I will definitely find use for it. Stay well and keep on chooching!
It would be great if they did them for N or even Z! Forgive me if I'm wrong but if they don't right now, hopefully they’ll do one in a few years. By the way, Sam, do you know if these are compatible with DCC or not?
This one isn't compatible, its Analog only. DCC uses ac voltage, so it can't work in the same way. You can use a HO/OO unit for N or Z. I believe its the same nominal voltage (12V DC) so it will be fine. You won't be using the current capacity but that doesn't matter.
What a great idea Sam but if you have wagons or carriages they will hit the buffer one end before the engine stops , so you can only really run the engine by itself ?
Thank you! Yes that's right, this will only work with a few wagons, but fine for running in and filming models during reviews - that's the main purpose! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder if a more sophisticated (and no doubt more costly) system could look for a current drop when the loco goes past the diode. Probably going to be difficult to set the right kind of cut-off for what does and doesn't count with the variety of motors and loads they could be under, though.
Broadway Limited has been doing this in ALL of their (ho) locomotives for about ten years. They call it "Macro Event Recorder". You can enter a function (F26, I think), run your train...stop, start, backup, whatever. After you done with your "route", you press F26 again to save it. Then you press F27, and the loco does what you programmed it to do. You definitely don't have to do what you're doing! 🤣
Hmmm. On a seemingly weekly basis you drop 100 quid on a steam loco as if you are just buying a tasty snack, but then are concerned about a "very expensive" one-time purchase of 28 pounds for a very useful electronic module. Your model railroading preferences are showing! ;-> Thanks for checking out this bit of kit. Cheers from Wisconsin.
haha of course - this is a very basic thing for what it cost, but it works as it should, so I have no complaints overall! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Seriously, it does seem a bit pricey; and I suspect the electronics are a simple 555 timer circuit. But the case and connections are tidy. If it is a 555 timer circuit it would be a relatively simple matter to modify the timing components, IF they are not surface mount types. Again, thanks for your very entertaining videos.
The timer, isn't that how long it stays stationary at the end? I believe the electronics in the box detect the flow of current. When the current stops flowing, the box knows that the engine is on the end track. You can decide how long you want it to remain there, before the box changes the polarity.
No, it's literally the time between changes of polarity. It doesn't detect when the current stops flowing, because the polarity changes even if the loco hasn't reached the end of the track! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
HI Sam, apologies if you have already answered this in one of the many comments, but what type of switch did you use to by-pass the controller unit ? I have just bought exactly the same unit and was mulling over how best to bypass it when I found this video that does exactly what I was thinking. Any suggestions of the bypassing switches would be welcome thanks (PS: have been enjoying all your videos over last few weeks while recovering from surgery and have also got my small collection of locos last runing 35 years ago all now working - now to just build a shelf layout to run them on, hence the shuttle controller !).
Hey Sam here’s a update on the model railroading So I have a small layout it’s just a oval I waiting on a table to arrive that’s 5 feet long so I can expand I have a small ho Thomas it’s a starter pack with Thomas Annie and Clarabel I was thinking of getting a ho Henry then Edward trucks vans and tankers
I wonder if the O gauge specific unit may have worked better, especially if it’s capacitor based - the O gauge unit may have slightly larger value capacitors fitted, which would give you a longer run in each direction.
Interesting device Sam. Your electrical theory knowledge is most impressive. I'm afraid I don't get along with electrics/electronics at all. Many thanks, great stuff.
.. Love the soldering .. its about as good (bad!) as mine.. I use the mantra 'the bigger the blob the better the job'... Perhaps that's why I am having so many issues with my N Gauge layout.. Maybe I should also consider 'O' gauge.... ...Great and entertaining video as ever.
Didn't know you ran Two Rail O Gauge/Scale. I was figuring that you ran Three Rail O Gauge (the type of track Lionel and Hornby/Dublo uses (and maybe Marklin) )
Hi Sam, great gizmo and I love the O gauge engines you have, looking forwards to you adding some more of these? on the time delay you would have hoped it would not start timing until the engine stops after the diode rather than from start up. As you say this does limit the devise to the length of track you can run. However much simpler that block detection for full computer control! Stay safe and keep up the excellent reviews. hve you done your Christmas wish list yet?
Is there not something under the adjust "button" i.e. you punch that bit out and there's a screw underneath to adjust it? Sure I've seen something similar in a magazine. Every time I see one of these my mind wanders to a bookshelf "yard" to run trains I the background while working. Also, very informative on the soldering how-to 😆
Yes that's right Michael - I punched through and adjusted the delay to the maximum! haha glad you liked my expert soldering skills ;) Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam, do you know that you can only use that unit on DC. I think they may be a setting not set right. Jenny Kirk had two sections of her layout using DCC Concepts units. her trains run for a long time, stop, wait and then return all at slow speed settings. Does it say anything in the paperwork at Time and Distance? Good luck with it. Martin. (Thailand)
You'll be fine with OO gauge components on that O gauge Sam, you're only wandering around with a handful of wagons. I have a scratch built O gauge 20 that runs off a Volvo windscreen wiper motor that regularly pulls 6 amps!
HI Sam great video it would make soldering much easier if you add a small bit of flux to the surface of the rails this would have gave the solder a better flow and somewhere to stick its not necessary but thought you would like to know, keep up the good work.
Are your locos DCC where they could be controlled by an app on your phone? That way you could be anywhere with your camera and still be in control of the loco.
Yes, I have the facility to do that in OO (with railmaster) but not with O gauge unfortunately - this total automation is better, as I don't need to control the engines at all! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The shelves that you used to store the engines on you should put little things on the side of the boards to keep the engines from falling off , just a suggestion
I did - this was filmed around the same time, I kept them around until I'd taken the thumbnail photo... I now only have the part hat! ;D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. Interesting. Would a telephone call to Gaugemaster be worthwhile? Does it work if you throw one or more of the points? I would be very unhappy with the Adjust control; I know you don't need to use it often, but I worry the membrane above the switch will breakdown sooner or later. Anyway, good luck with it.
Thanks Paul - yeah the delay wasn't accurate, but I can live with that! Yes it would work if I threw the points open, as they're isolated! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
bought one of these but cant get to work properly. commected as per the instructions, on one end the loco stops but does not reverse on the other end it just runs off the track, I use kato unitrack. does anyone have suggestions whats wrong?
Yes it was interesting but is that really a layout or track on a shelf??? And you have O and HO scale I am jealous always wanted that.... actually wanted O HO and N on the same layout.
Ok, yesterday I installed a TTS decoder in my King Class, and I think you should get an analog one for re-review. The TTS decoder fixed the main issue I had with the model, which was that it was geared to run extremely fast, which greatly affected it's slow speed, at least on the old Bachmann decoder I put in it originally. At 50% speed it ran at a scale speed of 90 mph, which is pretty unrealistic. Alright, one final question. I have narrowed the choices for the replacement locomotive for the lemon to be either the B17 or the K1. Which do you think is better? (Factoring in that the K1 is a tiny bit cheaper).
Thanks for sharing William - yes I agree the gearing isn't very sensible in the Kings - I've noticed that the last few times I've run them! I'd say they're both equally good quality - the K1 probably being slightly better! I think whichever you choose, you'll be happy! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
10:02 "Armpit reaching across the track" I'm more concerned about the wind turbine blade going up your nose. I like the idea of this -- it works much better than the thing I tried, having the train push a button when it's near the end of the track.
Great vid mate. Is the timing thing perhaps due to it being designed for OO? The O gauge version may have a longer timing range? Regards, Jas. Rockhampton Queensland Australia P.S. myself and quite possible many of your viewers would like to see a vid about your multi-camera setup and control system, including any mini-cams for FPV rides? J
You might be right Jas - but even in OO, a layout this size wouldn't be particularly large! For reviews, I only use one camera, although there are 10 of them during live streams! I have behind the scenes videos about that available to Engineers and Chief Mechanical Engineers members - you should be able to access them from the community tab (though you may need to scroll down a ways!) Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Another fun fact: she is one of 10 preserved terriers, the others being: 32636, 32640, 32650, 32655, 32662, 32670, 32678, 82 and 54. Sam also has models of 32636, 32650 and 82.
Hi sam Very interesting Burton model shop used to have one for testing stuff Great bit of kit if it works as it should Sorry I can't add much Tar for sharing Keep safe arp
I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a 555 timer, a DPDT relay, and some basic regulation to run the box off 16VAC. There'll amost certainly be a capacitor that you can swap out.
Sam, you could just say: "My camera must be everywhere" 🤣🤣🤣
haha I guess you're right! ;D
Funny Takuma95😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😆😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😅😂🤣😅😅😂😆😁😄😀😗😃😄😁😆😅😂🥰😍😍
LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂
LOL
Gaugemaster have always interesting products. This one for GBP 28 is not specifically cheap, but it's still something you can buy if you are interested in. It's cheapest than lots of Bachmann's wagons (the SR brake van had gone up from GBP 24 to GBP 32, yipee).
By the way, I had learnt today two things : like me, you are left-handed, and how to sold properly something metallic on the side à a track. I've got some DCC leads to make like that, thanks for the tip !
For the unit, well, I think for the price, they could have put more reliable components inside. I'm talking about the real lenght of the period between two changes of direction, not 70 seconds max, that's a pity you don't have the whole 70 seconds, and it might be a component's problem. But it works fine, that's a good point.
Yeah I agree Oliver - not too cheap, but it did the job! Thanks a lot for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. Having used an automatic shuttle system it occurred to me that if Hornby could incorporate this into their HMDC app that would really add a great feature to the HM 6000 functionality. All it needs to do is change direction at a set interval which you do manually anyway on the control screen. Obviously you still need the diodes on the cut rails but after that if timings and other features , eg inertia and acceleration could be built in that would be awesome. I have already emailed Hornby with this suggestion, hopefully they too will think it adds value to the app as well.
Very nice! Our club layout has something similar to this. It lets visitors sort of run the trains (by pressing a button 😂) and it allows trains to run when there arn’t any members near by. Great video!
Very cool! Sounds like a great way to go! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
This should be ideal for my Hayling Billy branch line which was only 4.5 miles end to end. Brilliant, and a reasonable price
Sounds fantastic - good luck Colin! :D
Really interesting video Sam - never even heard of these gizmos before so interesting to see what they can do...and always nice to see a bit of soldering. Gaugemaster are a great British company - best controllers and fantastic customer service. Made me laugh when you reviewed the Gaugemaster Q a few weeks back as I do genuinely really like the 1970's styling of them.
Thanks a lot Jon - yeah Gaugemaster do make some great products!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I never knew you where left handed
Im left handed too
But i think the system is verry clever
I am a left handed railway enthousiast too. I guess it has to do with training?
haha yep I'm a lefty! Glad you liked the shuttle :3
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I am also lefthanded. But no model railway😒😒😒
The only railway set that I ever had as a child, back in the 1970s, had something functionally similar. When the train rolled into the final (unpowered) section of the track, the controller reversed polarity of the main powered track. But then the train had to have just enough speed to bounce off the end block and smoothly roll back to the powered track - which didn't happen often. This was a Piko-Sonneberg 9mm-gauge set. It seems odd that fifty years later same issues are still not quite resolved. Wireless control? AI "driver" in the cab? Not yet, maybe never.
3:49.I HEAR THAT VOICE CRACK, i told you ill get you every time
Oh god - you always notice!!! :O
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
It's good to try something new, I happily admit. I can't stop laughing quietly to myself, because I've just done the craziest thing in the world. Today, I spent the whole day in Chester. My trusted friend Carol and I first went into Chester Model Shop. I bought the last pair of silver Hopper Wagons with canopies, a Chocolate & Cream Mk. 1 Restaurant Car and a 00 gauge Milk Float Van. We had a lunch break and then Carol left me behind. I detoured into the Disney Store for new face masks and the new Christmas Mickey & Minnie Mouse toys. Back into the Model Shop I went. I teased Paul for encouraging me, as that was when the craziness began. Model steam engine Alert! I bought the Dapol GWR Mogul engine, two more Manor Engines (7800 Torquay Manor and 7802 Bradley Manor), the Electrotren Tank Engine Molly (you've got her yourself) and a Hornby Terrier Leadenhall. I don't mind if you turn as green as your green 0 gauge Terrier with envy.
That sounds great Kelly - I hope you really enjoy your new goodies, hope you had a great day in Chester! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Seeing all the short cuts you tried to take was funny
I've gotta say, when I got back into model trains this year I had no interest whatsoever on O gauge, but I gotta say these videos really peaked my interest
That's awesome to hear Dom, thank you! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice self driving Terrier that you installed on your O gauge layout! 👍
haha thank you! :D
Sam if you reach 100 thousand subscribers please buy a big boy! When I search up the results it only comes up with two people. Anyway you are the best you tuber ever and I will watch you forever. It is irresistible to watch your videos as your content is one of a kind. When I was a beginner I needed lots of information and you delivered that along with your funny jokes. You are so helpful with train advice thanks to your review I think I am getting the BR Castle Class with TTS sound. I can’t wait for the train to come! Please keep up your channel. You are the best you tuber ever!!! #SAMSTRAINSFORLIFE!!!
haha I may do, that's a very good idea! Thanks so much for the kind words :3
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. I fitted one of these on an 'o' gauge line that runs a at the back and raised slightly above a track circuit. If you put another diode on the track after the point at your stairs then you can have two trains set up and switch between them. And if you motorised point it means you can just change them round with the flick of a switch too at a distance.
Thanks a lot for the cool idea - I like that!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Good looking, funny and a very good entertainer. I am more into Rollercoaster, but your channel is fun and interesting to watch.
Even very dry topics seem to be suddenly fun. I learned more about english trains, 00 and 0 gauge in the last weeks then my whole life. Thank you.
haha thanks so much Sven, I'm not sure about that though! Bless you,
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hey Sam, I have already bought one of these for o and oo gauge I really like the idea of this controller, whoever made this is a good inventor, I think you will like the oo gauge one and I have surprisingly made another one of these out of lots of bits and bobs but it isn't as neat as this one, great video sam, keep up the good work 😀
Thanks mate, yeah you're right - a very good inventor!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Now this is awesome! A self driving model train, brilliant!
Thanks mate, glad you liked it! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Well not exactly a new idea :-)
My Aunt worked on a department store, and every Xmas the store concierge brought his LGB-Xmas-Train into it, made a display in the shop window and automated the train. And he done so since the late 1980s and I was really really fascinated of it, even when I was a toddler...I asked him how, he did it and he told me there was a company called Minitrix (funny name somehow) which made such automation units for trains since the 1970s or so...
No, not a new idea - I wouldn't claim that! That sounds very cool, thanks for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
MiniTrix were an offshoot of the German Trix company that were one of the pioneers of quality N gauge around 1964 along with Arnold Rapido also from Germany.
Arnold Rapido have no connection with the much more recent Canadian company using the name Rapido.
For a while in the 70s British Minitrix outline equipment were marketed by Hornby as Hornby MiniTrix.
I was going to buy one of these for a Christmas layout using the Hornby Santa's Express that would run along a shelf and shuttle between a tunnel and a festive station.
Also please add some bridges over those gaps on the 0 gauge layout.
That sounds awesome!! And that could be good Ben! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Yes the Hornby Prairie's lovely little mechanism does show speed regulation issues (it slows down as the current draw increases). E (speed related emf) = V-IR. Calculate this and it becomes very clear. So this is natural and not a fault, as the motor is small diameter, even though 5-pole; its static resistance is about 28 ohms compared to 16 ohms for an older Princess Royal - it probably has more turns of finer wire to get the torque up. I absolutely love the loco, my own-design feedback controller allows it to go smoothly all round my layout (25-inch curves, gradients) at any speed I choose (eg constant 90 RPM) with 9 coaches (Hornby 57-foot and similar Airfix). It is certainly one of the jewels of my fleet. The 72xx also has 30 ohms, but no issues at all because of the double-reduction gear which brings the current down to 60 mA (light) to 80 ma (same load).
Many thanks for sharing Stuart, very interesting stuff! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Did they have these back in the '60s? The grocery store my grandparents frequented in my childhood (back before the national chain that owned it became super-authoritarian, demanding homogeneity from all its locations) had a small gauge one layout over its delicatessen's display with wagons that would broadcast the day's specials that had been there since at least the time my grandparents relocated to town in 1968. As a child I figured it was someone's job to watch the train from somewhere out of sight and change its direction when it got to either end of the track, but looking back its motion was pretty much identical to your Gaugemaster Shuttle.
Lots of model railway enthusiasts back over fifty years ago also developed knowledge of electronics and worked out how to build things like this, and or published articles in the modelling magazines so enabling others to also build them or see how to improve the designs.
Sounds like the store had someone clever like this involved.
I suspect the founders of Gaugemaster probably came from this sort of experimenter background.
Much less common today with DCC and the preference for plug and play.
Yeah, there's nothing modern about this, so I bet they had this in the 60s, or something similar! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have used these Gaugemaster shuttle controllers, but to be honest I would now recommend the shuttle unit by Blocksignalling as it has more features for less money. It is much smaller, but has speed and stop time dials mounted onto the unit, it allows for acceleration and slowing of the train with LEDs to indicate where you are within the running cycle, plus all you need is a 12v power adaper rather than another (and expensive) train controller.
Thanks a lot for the tip, that does sound good - I'll look into that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I built a similar system for my old 00 gauge layout where I didn't have enough room for a loop so I built a horseshoe of track so you could walk into the middle of it. Rather than using timings like this does I used a system of relays and some light sensors so when the train covered them it would stop, wait and reverse direction at either end with an arduino program controlling it. I think using timings like this does is a bit less accurate, if you built stations at either end of the track there's no guarantee your trains would stop correctly at both ends. But using some kind of sensor you can program in same direction station stops as well as reversing trains at the end of a track
That sounds great Joe - I reckon using sensors is a much better approach! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have done something like this in the past with an arduino and a pwm motor diver. I also include a IR receiver and an IR remote controll so I can change the programs wireless this includes auto-stop witch was a dimmed stop and auto-start that starts gently and begins to raise the voltage until it reaches around 25%
Very interesting, I'd love to give that a go for sure - thanks for sharing! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Self Driving Model Trains?This should be intresting!
Thanks Leo! :D
Trans on Gps or satelite...
Hi Sam I have one of these I got of eBay ( automatic station stop/start/shuttle ) from a guy called Andy quirot with an adjustment time of 2seconds to approx 3.5 min I also found it easier to use isolating track to fit the diodes to that way you don't burn your fingers
Ahh very interesting - that delay time sounds way better than mine!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice vid sam! I’m glad your back into o gauge
Thanks very much! :D
scratching the rail a bit removes whatever metal its plated with. it can be tough soldering onto plating, either the solder doesn't like that material, or it it might flake off when heated.
you might find this trick useful, you can control what happens with the heat in objects some times. if you attach an alligator clip or otherwise attach a mass of metal next to where you apply heat, it will soak up the heat and prevent most of it from getting past it. it might also make it harder to heat if its too close, but it make it take longer for heat to get where you don't want it.
and lastly, perhaps soldering a a small switch at each diode to bypass them when you don't want to use it?
looking at the end of your configuration, seems like a bit of an oversight to not include the bypass switch you put in between the controller and the module as part of the unit.
Yes that's right - even without plating, scratching is a good idea as it removes any oxidation, exposes the bare metal, and increases the bonding surface! Yes you're right - that's why I just use my fingers! xD
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great video Sam I have seen something similar on everard junctions layout he has it on his branch line and it is quite good
Thanks David, yeah I've been very happy with this!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Wrong opening scene! Where the Christmas one go
This was filmed a while ago - the new stuff will have the Christmas intro! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There's a pub in Bristol does that. A little freight train runs from one end the bar to the end and back again...i think it's a terrier... Anyway..i wondered how the landlord had done it but was too scared to ask!
The terrier got a mind of its own and it goes fast
haha yeah it was pretty speedy! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, nice review, have got one of my own , it's a variable resistor you need to give you more time , All the Best Brian 🤗
Thanks Brian, yeah perhaps a larger value resistor would be a good idea! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I need something like this. Not enough of my HO gauge engines have minds of their own.
But with all seriousness, this is pretty cool
haha thanks Felix, yeah it is cool! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
what u need is to put a raspberry pi inside a DCC loco, add a camera with a periscope type lens thing so the camera sees out of the cab window, and have the pi insert DCC signals into the DCC decoder of the loco, then u can do some object recognition to make an /actual/ self driving train, bonus points if u add microcontrollers to the switches to let the pi handle switching for it's loco and the camera can also double as a neat camera view for videos
That'd be amazing - I'd love to give that a try!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains the zero w is tiny so should easily fit in a loco
@@SamsTrains the easiest way for object recognition would probably be to just place QR codes on objects like the switching points, turn around points, etc
@@SamsTrains ua-cam.com/video/shepxe2QBpg/v-deo.html
"One of many moments of truth that I will have today" Great Sam quote :-)
haha thank you! xD
Hi Sam, buy a little tub of solder flux / resin / solder paste. Makes little soldering jobs like this much easier and neater. Small tin lasts at least 1 lifetime :-)
My solder has a flux core, so no flux required! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I use 2 of these units. On mine I wired the controller to the unit and the unit to the track, and then just switched the 16v supply. When you kill the 16v it bypasses the unit allowing the control to just drive the train manually. Switch on the 16v and it is then the shuttle unit. As you found, the time between polarity changes would be better being longer. Mine is just on or off and starts at the beginning of the cycle rather than a 3 way switch meaning you are turning it on mid cycle. Mine therefore gets to the end everytime from switch on, whereas after turning it on yours probably won’t on the 1st run. It will work your way though now it’s done that way. Lol
I think you worked out that you burst through the sticker with a tiny screwdriver and worked out how to adjust the time but just never mentioned it in the video. Lol
1 of mine runs a loco from the shed onto a headshunt over a pit and I can leave the loco in the headshunt, turn it off and run another loco into the shed as the complete unhindered depot. the other unit is for running a shunter with a few wagons back and too for when I’m not manual shunting in the goods yard.
Very nice Leigh, thanks a lot for watching! Yeah I figured it out - not sure why I didn't mention it though!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
If I woke up in the morning and I see my model train moving it's self even though the controller is off I would totally freak out!!.
But it is a good thing to sit down on your chair and not to crouch down and fiddle with anything.
haha yeah, I guess it is a bit freaky! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Howdy Sam That Is One Frickin Awesome Controller Pal And I've Built Three Flags Of Portugal
Thanks a lot Jacob, yeah it is a cool one! Awesome - out of lego?!? :O
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
A pair of extremely snug leather gloves will prevent burns, if you have to hold items by hand when soldering. Thank you for the diode tip, I will definitely find use for it. Stay well and keep on chooching!
haha I might have to invest in those, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
It would be great if they did them for N or even Z! Forgive me if I'm wrong but if they don't right now, hopefully they’ll do one in a few years. By the way, Sam, do you know if these are compatible with DCC or not?
This one isn't compatible, its Analog only. DCC uses ac voltage, so it can't work in the same way.
You can use a HO/OO unit for N or Z. I believe its the same nominal voltage (12V DC) so it will be fine. You won't be using the current capacity but that doesn't matter.
Yes - this works fine for all scales (provided your within the current rating), but this is only suitable for analogue!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
What a great idea Sam but if you have wagons or carriages they will hit the buffer one end before the engine stops , so you can only really run the engine by itself ?
Thank you! Yes that's right, this will only work with a few wagons, but fine for running in and filming models during reviews - that's the main purpose! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder if a more sophisticated (and no doubt more costly) system could look for a current drop when the loco goes past the diode. Probably going to be difficult to set the right kind of cut-off for what does and doesn't count with the variety of motors and loads they could be under, though.
I'm sure that could be done - I think that'd work much better too! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam - taking what I would never have thought was possible and turning into what I can now call possible lol
haha awesome!! :D
Broadway Limited has been doing this in ALL of their (ho) locomotives for about ten years. They call it "Macro Event Recorder". You can enter a function (F26, I think), run your train...stop, start, backup, whatever. After you done with your "route", you press F26 again to save it. Then you press F27, and the loco does what you programmed it to do. You definitely don't have to do what you're doing! 🤣
That's very interesting - I'd love to give that a try! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam, could you please do a video on how to solder, I'd like to get into brass kit building for o gauge, but the thought also scares me
You are asking sam after seeing how many times he burnt him self?
Here is my slogan. “Self-driving trains, the train set that drives on its own accord.”
haha love that Tomas! xD
Yes another O gauge vid! I’m a happy camper 👍
Thanks Grant, glad to hear that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Great job sam, love the way you dont make sensible videos keep up the good work 😂👍
haha thanks a lot Ciaran, very glad to hear that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hmmm. On a seemingly weekly basis you drop 100 quid on a steam loco as if you are just buying a tasty snack, but then are concerned about a "very expensive" one-time purchase of 28 pounds for a very useful electronic module. Your model railroading preferences are showing! ;-> Thanks for checking out this bit of kit. Cheers from Wisconsin.
haha of course - this is a very basic thing for what it cost, but it works as it should, so I have no complaints overall! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Seriously, it does seem a bit pricey; and I suspect the electronics are a simple 555 timer circuit. But the case and connections are tidy. If it is a 555 timer circuit it would be a relatively simple matter to modify the timing components, IF they are not surface mount types. Again, thanks for your very entertaining videos.
The timer, isn't that how long it stays stationary at the end? I believe the electronics in the box detect the flow of current. When the current stops flowing, the box knows that the engine is on the end track. You can decide how long you want it to remain there, before the box changes the polarity.
No, it's literally the time between changes of polarity. It doesn't detect when the current stops flowing, because the polarity changes even if the loco hasn't reached the end of the track!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder if possible, to take apart a heavy RC car motter and put it in a loco and see if that works, you can have your own remote for the loco??
Sure! I think that would work fine, if there was enough space! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
HI Sam, apologies if you have already answered this in one of the many comments, but what type of switch did you use to by-pass the controller unit ?
I have just bought exactly the same unit and was mulling over how best to bypass it when I found this video that does exactly what I was thinking. Any suggestions of the bypassing switches would be welcome thanks (PS: have been enjoying all your videos over last few weeks while recovering from surgery and have also got my small collection of locos last runing 35 years ago all now working - now to just build a shelf layout to run them on, hence the shuttle controller !).
Sam I have had the shuttle for years in OO gauge ,great for end to end, stay safe
Mike
Thanks Michael - yes I'm very happy with mine too! Stay safe! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You probably know not use Eelectric track cleaner with DCC
Hey Sam here’s a update on the model railroading
So I have a small layout it’s just a oval I waiting on a table to arrive that’s 5 feet long so I can expand I have a small ho Thomas it’s a starter pack with Thomas Annie and Clarabel I was thinking of getting a ho Henry then Edward trucks vans and tankers
That sounds great - best of luck with the rest!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I wonder if the O gauge specific unit may have worked better, especially if it’s capacitor based - the O gauge unit may have slightly larger value capacitors fitted, which would give you a longer run in each direction.
Yeah I wondered that too - not a problem though, I may decide to change the cap one day! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Interesting device Sam. Your electrical theory knowledge is most impressive. I'm afraid I don't get along with electrics/electronics at all. Many thanks, great stuff.
Thanks so much Mike - I don't usually, I only do basic things! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
.. Love the soldering .. its about as good (bad!) as mine.. I use the mantra 'the bigger the blob the better the job'...
Perhaps that's why I am having so many issues with my N Gauge layout.. Maybe I should also consider 'O' gauge....
...Great and entertaining video as ever.
haha thanks Kevin - I aim to please, lol! Sure - O gauge is a lot of fun, I can highly recommend it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Didn't know you ran Two Rail O Gauge/Scale.
I was figuring that you ran Three Rail O Gauge (the type of track Lionel and Hornby/Dublo uses (and maybe Marklin) )
Yeah I do! All of the British stuff is 2 rail these days! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
What's next? Live steam locos? Who knows if sam could fit it in his loft. Lol cheers mate always make the hobby fun.
haha I do like that idea - maybe! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
How strong is that shelf where your o gauge layout is and I’m surprised a loco hasn’t fallen off it especially if there was no buffer stops
It's strong!! And yeah, I have buffer stops for the rest of the tracks now! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Smooth Sam, very smooth. Still missing the long promised 'Return of the Dapol Egg Wagons'... perhaps a Christmas Day Special ?
haha thanks Michael, I will think about it, lol! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, great gizmo and I love the O gauge engines you have, looking forwards to you adding some more of these? on the time delay you would have hoped it would not start timing until the engine stops after the diode rather than from start up. As you say this does limit the devise to the length of track you can run. However much simpler that block detection for full computer control! Stay safe and keep up the excellent reviews. hve you done your Christmas wish list yet?
Thanks very much Richard, yeah I might look into doing that! Yes it's a bit simple, but it does the job just about!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Is there not something under the adjust "button" i.e. you punch that bit out and there's a screw underneath to adjust it? Sure I've seen something similar in a magazine. Every time I see one of these my mind wanders to a bookshelf "yard" to run trains I the background while working.
Also, very informative on the soldering how-to 😆
Yes that's right Michael - I punched through and adjusted the delay to the maximum! haha glad you liked my expert soldering skills ;)
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains ah, had missed that bit in the video.
Sam, do you know that you can only use that unit on DC. I think they may be a setting not set right. Jenny Kirk had two sections of her layout using DCC Concepts units. her trains run for a long time, stop, wait and then return all at slow speed settings. Does it say anything in the paperwork at Time and Distance? Good luck with it. Martin. (Thailand)
Yes that's right Martin, it wouldn't work on DCC
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I've been trying to do this for years. I dont have a lot of room so a shelf layout is all I got. I brought a unit off Ebay that let's me do the same.
Fantastic - hope it works well for you! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You'll be fine with OO gauge components on that O gauge Sam, you're only wandering around with a handful of wagons. I have a scratch built O gauge 20 that runs off a Volvo windscreen wiper motor that regularly pulls 6 amps!
Yeah I thought so too - I did measure the current draw from Dapol's stuff - barely more than OO!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Interesting, might add one to my layout.-Ben
Awesome Ben - good luck! :D
Hey Sam I love this train 🚆
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Thanks Jake - Merry Christmas! :D
HI Sam great video it would make soldering much easier if you add a small bit of flux to the surface of the rails this would have gave the solder a better flow and somewhere to stick its not necessary but thought you would like to know, keep up the good work.
Thanks Andy - my solder has a flux core! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Are your locos DCC where they could be controlled by an app on your phone? That way you could be anywhere with your camera and still be in control of the loco.
That can be done with DCC++ and the engine driver app.
Yes, I have the facility to do that in OO (with railmaster) but not with O gauge unfortunately - this total automation is better, as I don't need to control the engines at all! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The shelves that you used to store the engines on you should put little things on the side of the boards to keep the engines from falling off , just a suggestion
I could do, though I've never had an engine fall off - I'm careful! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There was a character named Mallard in the railway seires. Sadly he was't introduced
Ooh really? I didn't know that! :O
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have done a couple of these projects with an Arduino microcontroller. Low-cost and effective.
Ahh fantastic - I bet that'd be even more effective if anything!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
D'you think you could do a review of Gaugemaster's electric track cleaners in a future vid?
Nahh, I'm not a fan of those unfortunately! :(
Judging by what we have seen it will only clean 80% of the track!
17:24 I thought you'd binned those buildings
LOL sam has some explaining...
not only did he keep them, he reserved an entire shelf for them!
I did - this was filmed around the same time, I kept them around until I'd taken the thumbnail photo... I now only have the part hat! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. Interesting. Would a telephone call to Gaugemaster be worthwhile? Does it work if you throw one or more of the points? I would be very unhappy with the Adjust control; I know you don't need to use it often, but I worry the membrane above the switch will breakdown sooner or later. Anyway, good luck with it.
Thanks Paul - yeah the delay wasn't accurate, but I can live with that! Yes it would work if I threw the points open, as they're isolated! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam it might have a NE 555 timer chip inside and the pot controls the time
Mike
Thanks for sharing Mike, I would like to open it up and see! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You can build Astable multivibrator for longer delay with DPDT reply ....
That sounds very cool! :D
I gave my g scale Thomas 3d printed chain couplers on his hook and removed the big standard Bachmann couplers!
That sounds pretty cool - did it work well? I haven't really thought about it, they do look cool though! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
bought one of these but cant get to work properly. commected as per the instructions, on one end the loco stops but does not reverse on the other end it just runs off the track, I use kato unitrack. does anyone have suggestions whats wrong?
Sam dose this mean the trains have a mind of there own 😳
haha almost! ;D
Their *
Yes it was interesting but is that really a layout or track on a shelf???
And you have O and HO scale I am jealous always wanted that.... actually wanted O HO and N on the same layout.
haha I think by definition it's a layout, but not a model railway! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Ok, yesterday I installed a TTS decoder in my King Class, and I think you should get an analog one for re-review. The TTS decoder fixed the main issue I had with the model, which was that it was geared to run extremely fast, which greatly affected it's slow speed, at least on the old Bachmann decoder I put in it originally. At 50% speed it ran at a scale speed of 90 mph, which is pretty unrealistic.
Alright, one final question. I have narrowed the choices for the replacement locomotive for the lemon to be either the B17 or the K1. Which do you think is better? (Factoring in that the K1 is a tiny bit cheaper).
Thanks for sharing William - yes I agree the gearing isn't very sensible in the Kings - I've noticed that the last few times I've run them! I'd say they're both equally good quality - the K1 probably being slightly better! I think whichever you choose, you'll be happy! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hey Sam, did you see that Rapido Trains has reentered the UK market? And are you going to include them in your next model railway news?
Yes I did - it's very exciting!! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
10:02 "Armpit reaching across the track"
I'm more concerned about the wind turbine blade going up your nose.
I like the idea of this -- it works much better than the thing I tried, having the train push a button when it's near the end of the track.
haha yeah - the place is full of pitfalls, lol! Sure - it did work well, I'll admit that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Seeing you solder with your finger holding the wires...ouch. Id highly recommend investing in a pair of tweezers
haha I know - I'm never as accurate with tools - I prefer to get burned, and do the job properly ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Awesome video today Sam really nice self controller
Thanks a lot James, glad you liked it too! :D
Great vid mate.
Is the timing thing perhaps due to it being designed for OO?
The O gauge version may have a longer timing range?
Regards, Jas.
Rockhampton Queensland Australia
P.S. myself and quite possible many of your viewers would like to see a vid about your multi-camera setup and control system, including any mini-cams for FPV rides?
J
You might be right Jas - but even in OO, a layout this size wouldn't be particularly large! For reviews, I only use one camera, although there are 10 of them during live streams! I have behind the scenes videos about that available to Engineers and Chief Mechanical Engineers members - you should be able to access them from the community tab (though you may need to scroll down a ways!)
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Fun fact: Your Terrier is preserved, it is on the Isle Of Wight Steam railway number W8 Freshwater.
Another fun fact: she is one of 10 preserved terriers, the others being: 32636, 32640, 32650, 32655, 32662, 32670, 32678, 82 and 54.
Sam also has models of 32636, 32650 and 82.
Ahh fantastic, thanks a lot for the cool info! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam do you reason that will work on my outdoor g scale layout?
See Sam, this is cool and all, but you haven't hit the limit until you have voice controlled trains 😃
haha true, I'd love that!! :D
Hi sam
Very interesting
Burton model shop used to have one for testing stuff
Great bit of kit if it works as it should
Sorry I can't add much
Tar for sharing
Keep safe arp
Thanks Adi - ahh yeah I think I saw that when I went to Burtons, glad you like it!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains he moved to online now
I wouldn't be surprised if it was just a 555 timer, a DPDT relay, and some basic regulation to run the box off 16VAC. There'll amost certainly be a capacitor that you can swap out.
I would like to open it up and find out - a higher value cap (or resistor) might well do the job! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Clever little gizmo... and to be honest, I wouldn't have said that £28 was too expensive for that!
That's fair enough Al - it is an easy solution! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
you should do a terrier running session you have so many of them (at least i think so) thats cool you should do a terrier runing session
Great idea Emily, I could do that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Plot twist: this is how the Sodor engines became alive
haha I wonder?!?! ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I thought you binned those cardboard buildings from the wild west set? Or was this filmed around the same time as that review?
Yeah, twas filmed around the same time, before I took the thumbnail. Only the party hat remains ;)
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains That could be El-cheapos next hat!