Integrated Railroad Crossing Kit
All necessary Components
This product system provides all that you need to integrate 2 Railroad Crossings together with 2 side-on Detectors and 1 crossing bell all controlled by the Lamplighter DFL unit.
The Detectors are of the pulsed infrared kind so they are insensitive to ambient lighting. They stay on as long as they "see" an object. The DFL unit in turn turns off 5 seconds after all detectors return to their waiting state.
There is absolutely no programming or soldering required. The 3 wires from the detectors and crossing bell are attached to the control unit using screws built into the control unit. It couldn't be easier.
The fibers are inserted into two "chimneys". Each can hold either a 1.0mm fiber for the HO RR Crossings or 0.75mm fiber for the N RR Crossings, or 1.5mm fiber for O RR Crossings.
Components of the system
This system is available in HO, O, and N Scales.
Detector Unit
Lamplighter DFL
Railroad Crossing
Crossing Bell
To purchase components of this system click on the links below.
Purchase a Kit
All kits include a lamplighter DFL, Two Side-on Dectors, crossing bell, and two railroad crossings.
Whether you want a power supply (9V) (extra cost) or not (in which case you can use your DC bus from your layout which must be >7V with center positive wiring into the power jack connector provided in the kit).
Purchase Individual System Components
Instructions
In this video, we take a look at the Dwarven Enterprises Railroad Crossing and Block Detection System, a fully integrated kit that utilizes optical fiber for lighting without wiring. The kit includes a DFL unit that controls everything, railroad crossings that can be used for HO, N, and O scales, side-on detectors that are easily mounted with the provided kit, a crossing valve, and a crossing bell packaged with wires.
We walk through the kit's components and demonstrate how to assemble and mount the side-on detectors and crossing bell. The video also shows how the kit can be easily converted from a railroad crossing system to a block detection system by moving the jumpers across.
Lamplighter® DFL Instructions
(Dedicated RR Crossing / Block Signal controller)
This control module allows you to control 2 Railroad Crossing Signals or 2 dual-color Block Signals without any need to program. Just insert the fibers from the Signals into the “Fiber Chimneys” and insert the wires from the detectors and bell (for the RR Crossing configuration) and you are done. This is the easiest setup for Signals that you will find on the market.
Crossings Jumper Pins: To function as a Crossing leave them in their default position covering the 4 pins to the left. Each jumper is mounted perpendicular (at right angles) to the labels on the board.
Set for Block Detection: Move the jumpers to cover the 4 pins to the right. Detectors and bell are connected into the screw terminals (Gnd and 5V out TRG (trigger).
- 2 sets of “Fiber Chimneys”(Yellow dots) with 2 fibers each.
- Insert 2 fibers from each RR Crossing or Block Signal into each Chimney
- 1mm for HO, 0,75mm for N, and 1.5mm for O Signals.
- Insert the power inputs (Red and Black) of the Detectors and Bell into the right two Terminals - Red on the extreme right.
- The Trigger wire goes into the extreme left of the Terminals.
- The unit comes with an automatic 5sec turn-off delay after being triggered.
Enjoy the simplicity of this system
The Detectors
Detection Units
A detector is an essential part of the Dwarvin Integrated Railroad Crossing System.
We offer verticle and side-on detectors.
The Vertical detectors, designed to go under the layout, need only the black mounting bracket. It comes with 2 screws, and mounts underneath to where the end-on detector is mounted. There are 2 flanges on this piece designed to gently grab the detector so that it cannot be easily pulled down from it’s position under the railroad track.
The Side-on detectors come with both the black mounting bracket (+ 2 screws) as well as 2 optional “Electrical” boxes, designed to hide the detector. These mount over the detector allowing the IR sensor to look out through the pill box. These come in two heights. The smaller one positions the detector at 1/2” above the layout surface and the taller one at 13/16th” above the layout surface.
This detector makes detection of locomotives or rolling stock easy and reliable. Just place the sensor where its invisible light beam will reflect off the object of interest and you're done - no time-consuming or frustrating adjustments! Based on modern silicon technology, this reflective infrared proximity sensor is tolerant of ambient (background) lighting conditions, be it completely dark or under full lights, with no false triggering. Combined with a discrete under-track installation, this low-profile sensor solves many of the challenges that plague other optical detector products
Once a train or carriage goes over the sensor, it reflects the light down into an integrated sensor. This is an all-in-one detector system that does not require separate transmitters and detectors to be mounted at peculiar angles to make it work. The Detectors stay on as long as they "see" an object.
Electrical Connections:
It is designed to be used with the Lamplighter® DFL (D edicated Fl asher). The detector comes with a QWIIC connector attached to 8ft of wire. Just plug the output from the unit (the white wire) into the trigger port on the Lamplighter DFL unit, and the power (red and black) into the power output on the DFL unit.
Multiple detectors can be added to the Lamplighter DFL unit You can mix and match this Vertical detector with Side-on ones.
Note that this detector can be used in combination with with other detectors on the same layout and all plugged into the Lamplighter DFL unit.
The Vertical IR Detector is compatible with all model train gauges. It is elegantly simple to mount and operate. It mounts underneath the rails using small drill holes, see the diagram below.
The Detectors come with several extra pieces for mounting.
Trouble Shooting your DFL Kit:
Detectors:
When activated the very small red LED will come on at the base of the detector.
Problem:
• The red LED does not come on when a train is in front of the detector.
Possible Cause:
• The power is not supplied to the DFL unit and / or the red and black wires from the detectors are not connected properly to the DFL unit.
Action:
• Check this out.
Problem:
• The Red LED stays on all the time even when a train is not in front of the detector.
Possible Cause:
• The detector is seeing something.
Action:
• Adjust the detector (e.g. it may be too low on the layout and is seeing the rail).
DFL Unit:
Problem:
• The Red LED stays on all the time even when a train is not in front of the detector.
Possible Cause:
• The detector is seeing something.
Action:
• Adjust the detector (e.g. it may be too low on the layout and is seeing the rail).
Bell:
Problem:
• The Crossing bell when connected causes the DFL to ring the bell all the time but the Red LED on the detectors is not on.
Possible Cause:
• There is a short between the where the black and white wires enter the DFL unit.
Action:
• Correct this issue as above.
Possible Cause:
• The DFL unit may be defective and may need replacing.
For more information, click on the following links