Automating Hornby twin track level crossings.

I have two of the Hornby Twin Track level crossings on my layout, and I've been considering ways to automate them for a while now. I'm aware that there are electronics available (at a price!), but I felt there must be a better/easier/ cheaper way of doing it, and realised that servo's were likely to be the best way of automating the gates. (Barrier crossings weren't installed until after 1968 in the UK, and I model early to mid 60's, so it had to be gates, 4 in each crossing). I came across the MERG stand at the GCR model event, Loughborough, a few weeks back, I know Paul L is a member, so decided to join also, and ordered two 'Servo4' kits and two 'Dual Hector' kits. Paul has already covered the 'Servo4' kits, so I won't go into that much, but the 'Dual Hector' kits use infra-red emitter and sensor heads to detect an approaching train as it passes over the sensors fitted in the track between sleepers, and trigger the 'Servo4' boards into operating the servo's which open/close the gates. These then close after a short delay when the train is no longer over the track sensor. I have now built and tested the 2 'servo4' boards, followed by the two 'Dual Hector' boards, and have downloaded the software to a spare 'Windows 10' laptop (I normally use an iMac), bought a USB/Serial converter (laptop is too new to have a Serial port), and hopefully have now set up the servo's, ready to mount under the board below each gate. Here's what you get in one of the 'Dual Hector' kits.

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These are the completed boards, 'Servo4' are the smaller boards, 'Dual Hectors' the larger ones with flexible leads having sensors on the ends. Some experimentation will be needed, but further info and pics will follow as I hopefully progress. I must point out that I am NOT an electronics 'Geek', although I do have some previous electronic kit building experience, but if you can solder and follow very easy building procedures, then anyone can build these kits without problems.
Keith.

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I've done more work on the level crossing electronics, and have been able to program the 'Servo 4's' chip so that the four servo's work as required to open and shut the gates. I need to have 4 separate train sensors, as it's a twin track crossing and I want to be able to run trains in either direction on both tracks, so have 'parallelled up' the sensors and linked both channel outputs on the 'Dual Hectors' to do this. In addition, I've substituted the supplied sensors for RPR220 ones, as these combine Infra red emitter and detector into one head unit, which will make it easier to install between track sleepers on the 4 approaches, thus triggering the gate opening/closing. This is the completed (but not yet installed) setup, and although it currently resembles a rats nest(!), it will look much tidier when I get around to installing it in due course.
Keith.

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