End block for H0 trains

youmagine

I needed some automatic end stops for my turntable project, so I designed them to stop the train when it reaches the end. To make everything work seamlessly, one must be able to stop the train from moving forward once it hits the end. There are many ways to achieve this, and I chose to create an intelligent end stop by switching off the electricity when it gets triggered. Since I'm using DC current for my track, which is directional, I simply turn the positive or negative power off depending on the end stop orientation. This way, once pressed, you can still drive out but not forward. It took some time to perfect the printed parts. Initially, I printed them all at once, but that didn't work at all - as evident from the four images I've supplied of my failed prototypes. It ended up taking much more time than anticipated to develop it. When using Cura for printing, make sure to adjust the nozzle size to 0.38 mm to prevent details from getting lost. Keep in mind that these electronics might not work on digital-operated tracks. I designed the electronic components using Kicad and included the schematics as well - there's a positive and negative version available. I opted for an optical interrupter, which adds some complexity but is essential due to the high force required by simple micro switches. Reed relays could be used, but amplifying the signal would increase costs. To install the optical interrupter, you'll need to drill a hole through your track's bottom. Since PLA is slightly transparent to infrared light, I applied copper tape on one side of the interrupter part to block any stray light when the train hits the end.