Trackside Cabinet

thingiverse

This is a Hall Sensor mount with track side cabinet designed to automate a Garden Railway. The sensor fits standard 45mm Gscale track perfectly. The main picture showcases the design with the track-side cabinet, but there's also a simpler version without it. The electronics are powered by a NodeMCU, which fits snugly in the cabinet, and features a HALL sensor fitted right in the center of the track. When a locomotive with a suitable magnet passes over the sensor, it sends a signal to the railway controller immediately, indicating that the line is occupied. I chose a hall sensor for its reliability, but it will require good sealing from rain and other elements. I used 25mm circular magnets mounted on the locos with epoxy, but other magnets will work just as well. Make sure all the hall sensors are oriented in the same direction, and that all the magnets are correctly aligned to activate the sensors. Now (2020), I recommend using just the Hall mount and placing the electronics in an alternate cabinet or building instead. I've switched to Rocrail "WIO" software and hardware since then. You can learn more about it at https://wiki.rocrail.net/doku.php?id=arduino:wio-en&s[]=wio. Check out this video to see the original version running different software: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6bxuHB6rpU