Model Railway home-brew control box...

The buttons on the left are of press-and-release type and operate the points/turnings. Tapping the left or right button in each pair switches the track in that direction. The large switch top-right swaps power between the two separate sets of track. The smaller switches operate the LED signals. A switch set to left will give a green light for that track and a red light for the right track. Flipping the switch right will set the right hand track to green and give the left track a red signal.

In the below photo the control-box is wired up in analog fashion, with a 9v source to the turning buttons, 5v for the LED signal lights and 16v to power the track. Soon the control box will be all 5v and wired to an Arduino micro-controller which will then send the correct voltages to the turnings / signals and track. This way the setup can also be automated to run by itself.

N-Scale TGV - Using Heat-Shrink Tubing to make new Traction Tyres!

My Lima TGV was having all kinds of trouble when I got it, starting with truly unreliable power delivery through the rails. After stripping the model down I notice that the front wheels are dedicated to electric-pickup and the motor drives the rear wheels only. The contacts that touch the wheels were cruddy, along with the inside of the wheels themselves and it took quite a bit of cleaning and adjusting the contact pieces to get power reliably through the track, which was also cleaned a bit. Next, I found the paper-thin traction tyres had deteriorated to the point of not moving the train forward, rather spinning the rear wheels. The most gradual of starts would produce wheel-spin at the slightest sign of resistance on the track and even once moving the partial tyres were causing the loco to rock side to side and bounce around on the rails. I duly removed the remaining tyres and set about creating new ones, eventually using heat-shrink tubing which works very nicely.

N-Scale Model Train Layout - Full Arduino Control schematic

So here is where I am up to, with Arduino Mega controlling everything:

LED signals are powered by the Arduino directly at 5v, using 2 digital pins each, with Green one side and Red the other side wired to a single pin, switching both LEDs in each signal at the same time. Signals can also be wired to 4 digital pins for independent operation of red/green LEDs on both signals.

Points (turnings) need 9v to operate, so have a permanent supply and use a relay board triggered by 5v from the Arduino. The points only need a very short pulse of 9v to move the solenoids that operate them, so I added a function to turn the relay pin on, wait 100ms and turn it off again, which is used to trigger the points rather than leaving the pin/relay turned on constantly powering the solenoid.

Track is powered at 16v, using a DC motor-driver board controlled by the Arduino. Forward / reverse is controlled by switching polarity to the rails as usual. Speed and acceleration are controlled using PWM signals.

LDR (photocell) are used to trigger events on the track. They work by resisting more current when receiving light than when light is removed, so if placed between the rails, a train passing over above them will cut light to the LDR momentarily and the change in value can be recorded. If the current being allowed through the LDR suddenly increases then the Arduino will know a train has passed over it and can trigger events accordingly, like stop at a station or switch the signals and points so another train can pass.

N-Scale Layout - Signals / Points Wiring Diagram

This is what I have built so far...

Gran Turismo Lost / Forgotten / Removed Car List

Gran Turismo:

• Honda NSX-R GT1 Turbo '95
• Honda CR-X del Sol LM Edition
• Mazda RX7 LM Edition
• Mitsubishi GTO LM
• Nissan R33 GTR LM
• Nissan S14 Silvia LM Edition
• Toyota Chaser LM Edition
• TVR Cerbera LM Edition

Gran Turismo 2:

• Suzuki Cultus Pikes Peak [wiki]
• Renault Espace F1
• Nissan Skyline Silhouette Formula (R30)
• HKS Skyline R33 Drag Car
• HKS Nissan 180SX Drag Car
• Ford Saleen SR Widebody
• Ford GT90
• Chrysler Phaeton [wiki]
• Lotus Elise GT1
• Lotus Esprit GT1
• Mazda RX-7 GT-Turbo (SA22C) '83
• TVR Speed 12
• Jaguar XJR15 GT Race Car
• Lister Storm V12 '94 [wiki]
• Venturi Atlantique 600 LM
• Vector M12
• Vector M12 LM Edition
• Wiegert Vector W-8 TwinTurbo
• Audi A3 '96 [wiki]
• Audi S3 '99 [wiki]
• Audi A4 2.8 quattro [wiki]
• Audi TT LM Edition [wiki]
• BMW 323Ti Compact [E36] [wiki]
• BMW 320ci [E46] [wiki]
• BMW 328ci [E46] [wiki]
• BMW 328i [E46] [wiki]
• BMW 528i [E39] [wiki]
• BMW 740i [E38] [wiki]
• BMW 840ci [E31] [wiki]
• Citroën Saxo 1.6i VTS [wiki]
• Citroën Xsara 1.8i 16V Exclusive [wiki]
• Daihatsu Opti Aerodown Beex (4WD,J) '98 [wiki]
• Daihatsu Opti Club Sport (2WD,J + 4WDJ) '97 [wiki,wiki]
• Daihatsu Sirion / Storia Rally Car [wiki]
• Daihatsu Terios Kid Aerodown (J) '98 [wiki]
• Dodge Avenger ES [wiki]
• Dodge Charger '71 [wiki]
• Dodge Intrepid ES [wiki]
• Dodge Neon ACR [wiki]
• Dodge Neon R / T [wiki]
• Dodge Stratus ES [wiki]
• Dodge STP Taisan Viper GT (JGTC) '99 [wiki]
• Fiat Barchetta [wiki]
• Fiat Coupe 2.0 20V Turbo [wiki]
• Fiat Punto GT [wiki]
• Ford Taurus SHO '98 [NASCAR Race Mod] [wiki]
• Ford Cougar 2.5i 24V '99 [wiki]
• Ford Mondeo Ghia X 2.5i 24V [BTCC Race Mod] [wiki]
• Ford Puma 1.7 Zetec-SE VCT [wiki]
• Ford Mustang GT '98 + '99 [wiki,wiki]
• Ford Mustang SVT Cobra '98 + '99 [wiki,wiki]
• Honda Accord Wagon SiR '96 + '98 [wiki,wiki]
• Honda Accord Wagon 2300 VTL 4WD '97 [wiki]
• Honda Z Turbo '98 [wiki]
• Honda Logo TS (J) '98 [wiki]
• Honda LIFE T '97 + '98 [wiki,wiki]
• Jaguar XJ Sport 3.2 [wiki]
• Jaguar XJR Vehicle [wiki]
• Jaguar XK8 Coupe [wiki]
• Lancia Y 1.2 16V [wiki]
• Lexus GS300 + GS400 [wiki,wiki]
• Lexus SC300 + SC400 [wiki,wiki]
• Lotus Elan S2 '64
• Lotus Elan S2 '90
• Lotus Elan S4 Sprint '71
• Mercedes-Benz AMG C 43
• Mercedes-Benz AMG E 55
• Mercedes-Benz CLK Race Car
• Mercury Cougar '99 [wiki]
• MGF 1.8i VVC '95
• Mitsubishi LEGNUM Super VR-4 '98
• Mitsubishi LEGNUM ST '97 + '99
• Mitsubishi LEGNUM VR-4 Type S '97 + '99
• Mitsubishi MINICA DANGAN ZZ '90
• Mitsubishi MINICA Pj '98
• Mitsubishi PAJERO MINI Sport '98
• Mitsubishi PAJERO MINI VR-II '97
• Mugen Accord SIR-T
• Mugen Accord Wagon
• Mugen Beat
• Mugen Civic Ferio
• Mugen Civic Type R
• Mugen CR-X Pro.2 + Pro.3
• Mugen Integra Type R
• Mugen Prelude Type-S
• NISMO 400R Preceiding Model
• Nissan SKYLINE GT-R 4door Tuned by Nismo
• Nissan Stagea 260RS Tuned by Nismo
• Nissan Almera VZ-R '97
• Nissan Micra Super Turbo '89
• Nissan Primera 2.0Te-V '98
• Nissan Primera Wagon '98
• Nissan Daisin Silvia GT (JGTC) '99
• Nissan Sunny VZ-R '98
• Opel Astra SRi 2.0i 16V
• Opel Corsa Sport 1.6i 16V
• Opel Tigra Ice Race Car
• Opel Vectra GSi 2.5 V6
• Peugeot 306 S16
• Peugeot 406 Sedan
• Plymouth Cuda '70
• Plymouth GTX
• Plymouth Road Runner '71
• Plymouth PT Spyder
• Renault Laguna V6
• Renault Megane 2.0 16V Coupe
• RUF BT2
• RUF BTR TypeI + Type II
• RUF CTR2 Sport
• RUF RCT
• RUF Turbo-R
• Shelby GT500KR '68
• Shelby Series One Super Charged '98
• Subaru 360 '69
• Subaru Forester S/tb '97
• Subaru Pleo RM + RS '98
• Subaru SVX '95
• Subaru Vivio RX-R '97
• Suzuki CERVO MODE SR FOUR '90
• Suzuki Kei S '98
• Suzuki WAGON R TURBO RT/S '95
• Tom's Angel T01
• Tom's Altezza 280T
• Tom's Supra
• Tom's T020 [MR-2]
• Tom's T111 [Integra]
• Tommy Kaira M13 Stage II [Micra]
• Tommy Kaira M30 (GTS) '87 [R31 Skyline]
• Tommy Kaira M30 (GTS-R) '91 [R32 Skyline]
• Tommy Kaira R '95 [R33 Skyline]
• Tommy Kaira R '99 [R34 Skyline]
• Tommy Kaira ZZ-III
• Toyota CALDINA GT-T '97
• Toyota XYR '99
• Toyota STARLET 3 Door Turbo S '82
• Toyota STARLET 3 Door Turbo S '87
• Toyota ALTEZZA LM Edition
• Toyota BP Apex Kraft Trueno GT (JGTC) '99
• Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra GT (JGTC) '99
• Toyota cdma One CERUMO Supra GT (JGTC) '99
• Toyota Denso Sard Supra GT (JGTC) '99
• Toyota Momo Corse Apex MR2 GT (JGTC) '99
• Toyota Weds Sport Celica GT (JGTC) '99
• TRD 2000GT [MR-2]
• TRD Chaser Sports X30
• TVR Cerbera 4.5
• TVR Chimaera 4.0, 4.5 + 5.0
• Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.0i 16V
• Vauxhall Corsa Sport 1.6i 16V
• Vauxhall Tigra Ice Race Car
• Vauxhall Vectra GSi 2.5 V6
• Venturi Atlantique 300
• Venturi Atlantique 400 GT [wiki]
• Volkswagen Polo 1.4 16V

Gran Turismo 3:

• Polyphony 001
• Polyphony 002

Gran Turismo Concept / Gran Turismo 4 Prologue:

• Pod - [I feel the Pod is worth mentioning, appearing only in GT Concept and GT4 Prologue. It was a one-make mini-race series with small rounded-square cars. Not sure what powered them, but they made sort of jingly-bell noises when the cars collided, with LED panels changing colour from blue to red. It obviously never became much of a thing in real life and was dropped by PD.]

List of Lost / Forgotten Tracks here.