Model Train Hot Box Detector

Description

Real railroads deploy trackside defect detectors - why not your model railroad? The Twisted Trains Hot Box Detector is intended for the model train hobbyist interested in railroad realism. The passing of a train triggers the detector to speak one of six announcements. The contents and probability of each kind of "defect" is programmable to match your favorite railroad. The detector includes voice synthesizer capability, allowing each announcement to include actual axle count of the train, scale speed and scale length of the passing train.

Example Announcements

The Twisted Trains Hot Box Detector can accurately reproduce these transcripts recorded from actual defect detector radio transmissions:

• B N S F Detector Milepost 4 6 Point 3 Track Main 1 No Defects Repeat No Defects Total Axles 5 8 4 Temperature 7 9 Detector Out
• U P Detector Milepost 2 8 Point 4 First Hotbox East Rail Axle 2 From End Of Train Temperature 7 3 Degrees Detector Out
• U P Detector Milepost 1 1 1 Point 9 Track 1 No Defects Total Axles 1 2 Train Speed 2 6 M P H Temperature 3 7 Degrees Detector Out
• S P Detector Milepost 2 2 Point 6 9 Miles Per Hour No Defects No Defects Total Axles 4 4 2
• Detector Milepost 3 7 Point 1 On Track 2 Detector Working Stop Your Train Stop Your Train Wide load On South Side
• Norfolk Southern Milepost 4 5 Dot 0 No Defects
• N S Detector Milepost 6 9 Point 5 No Defects Total Axle Count 2 9 6
• C S X Equipment Defect Detector Milepost 7 1 1 Point 5 No Defects No Defects Length Of Train 3 5 8 8 Total Axles 1 7 6 End Of Transmission
• C S X Equipment Defect Detector Milepost 0 Point 5 First Wide load North Rail Near Axle 2 6 2 First High load Near Axle 2 6 2 From Head Of Train End of Transmission
• Conrail High car Detector Track 1 Alarm First High car Near Axle 1 0 6 Second High car Near Axle 1 1 0 Third High car Near Axle 1 1 4 Excessive Alarms Total Axle Count 3 6 7 Over
• B N L E Railroad Control Point 1 7 Y Track 1 No Defect Have a safe day

The announcements are fully customizable, so you can recreate these, or some favorites that you've picked up on your scanner. You can find links to recorded talker annunciations on this Hot Box Info page.

Click on the following links to hear synthesized announcments from the Model Train HBD that were recorded on our Freedom Central railroad:

	BNSF with high car defects
	Conrail with hot box defect
	Freedom Central, no defects

Features

• Dual infrared axle sensor/counter
• Supports two independent tracks
• Detects train and counts axles
• Installation options for all rail gauges and roadbeds
• Six fully configurable annunciations
• Each is fully customizable to match your railroad
• Independently selectable probability of each "defect"
• Built-in dictionary of common road names and terms
• Like real detectors, synthesized messages can include:
• Actual total axle count
• Actual train speed in scale miles per hour
• Actual train length in scale feet
• Milepost
• Track number
• A custom road name of your specification
• Audio annunciation of messages
• Built-in speaker with volume control
• Stereo jack for powered speakers
• Pushbutton control
• Enable/suppress annunciations
• Force defect on next train pass
• Play any of 4 sound sequences
• USB port for connection to your personal computer
• Windows software
• Use terms from the built-in dictionary to create annunciations matching detectors on your favorite railroad
• Select defect probabilities
• Specify track number/identifier
• Specify milepost

Installation

The Twisted Trains Model Hot Box Detector is composed of the following components:

• One or Two infrared sensors
• Options available for all rail gauges and roadbeds
• Pre-mounted for easy alignment on standard track gauges
• Available unmounted for modeling flexibility
• Barrier board intended for hidden mounting on the layout with the following connectors:
• Screw terminals for sensor connections
• Power jack for wall-mount transformer
• Stereo jack for powered PC-style speakers
• Connector to control panel
• Control panel featuring
• Two buttons, 1 for each track
• Press once to trigger an announcement on next train
• Press and hold to play the next announcement
• Volume control for built-in speaker
• LEDs for sensor beam status and operating mode
• Connector to barrier board for easy removal from the layout
• USB port for attachment to a personal computer
• Cable for connecting barrier board to control panel
• USB cable for connecting control panel to a personal computer
• Color coded wires connecting sensor boards to the barrier board
• Wall mount transformer

Installation involves mounting either one or both of the infrared sensors. These tiny sensors peek across the rails so that passage of wheels breaks an infrared beam. Sensors are pre-mounted on mini-boards for easy alignment on standard gauge track.

Installation Diagram

Color-coded wires from the sensors are connected to terminals on the barrier board that can be mounted on or beneath the layout. A ribbon cable connects the barrier board to the control panel enclosure. The control panel can sit anywhere near the layout, but is designed to allow for mounting just about anywhere. The enclosure is easily disconnected from the layout and connected to a PC using the supplied USB cable for easy updating and customization.

For more details, please view the printable Installation Instructions (537kB PDF)

Detector Dictionary

Nearly any non-defect or defect annunciation can be created using the built-in dictionary. We're looking for feedback - please contact us about additional words or rail names you would like to hear.