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 Posted - November 12 2006 : 1:29:33 PM
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From the Milwaukee TrainFest of 11/11/2006...
Here's two pictures I found for the coming Walthers Cornerstone Series Operating Crossing Lights. One is for a 2-Lane Highway, the other for a 4-Lane. They look great.
http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3973219
http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3973266
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - January 21 2007 : 10:53:05 AM
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This week we received the new Walthers Cornstone Series HO-scale Working Grade Crossing Signals and Controller.
Upon close inspection, I'm not as pleased with the tooling on the Crossing Signals. They are not bad, but seem a bit thick to me. There is a good amount of wiring that must go inside the pole and that may the reason it appears a big big or wide, but it just didn't seem quite right to me. The flashers would be improved with some painting detail work. They look a bit odd, but if you painted silver on the section between the round light housings I think they'd look better. The overhead grating seemed a bit thick to me too. Again, they are not bad...just maybe not great.
Walthers Cornerstone
Working Single Lane Grade Crossing Signal
Walthers Part # 933-2304
$24.95
Walthers Cornerstone
Working Two-Lane Grade Crossing Signal
Walthers Part # 933-2303
$34.98
The package states you'll need the Walthers Controller, shown below here, plus detection sensors both to be bought separate of the Crossing Signal. This is a bit misleading. Yes, you do need Walthers Controller or something similar...but if you buy the Controller that Watlhers sells you're in business. Here's why, though not stated on the box the Walthers Controller includes a bag with a handful of optical sensors. All you'd need is some wire and solder and you solder wire to each leg of each sensor and then drill out a spot before and after the crossing in the center of your roadbed and place the sensor up through the train board. The sensors then wire into the Walthers Controller and you're in business.
Walthers Cornerstone
Crossing Signal Controller
Walthers #933-2307
$34.98
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - January 21 2007 : 11:02:11 AM
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Though the Walthers is a very nice product, I should mention it does lack sound and doesn't appear to be able to handle the Crossing Signal with a gate. When you consider that you'd need a pair of these Crossing Signals ($50-$70 depended on single- or two-lane highway) and then $35 for the Controller...you could have something more serious for your layout...
I'm tooting my own employer's horn here, so keep that in mind as you read this but Doc's Caboose Road Crossing Controller includes the ability to handle gates on your Crossing Signals and includes a bell system that can be customized to your desire.
Take a look at Doc's Road Crossing Controller and compare it to the Walthers. The way I see it, you're not probably gonna have super working crossing gates at every single crossing on your pike...who could afford that? But it would be cool to have at least one show piece really nice operating crossing gate.
Here's a link to what is offered by Doc's Caboose...
http://docscaboose-online.stores.yahoo.net/rocrco.html
/tyco/forum/uploaded/Tony Cook/docscaboose-online_1929_5323292.gif
Tony Cook
HO-Scale Trains Resource
http://ho-scaletrains.net
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Posted - January 21 2007 : 12:07:32 PM
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Thanks for posting this. I was actually thinking there's a spot on my own layout that would be prefect for these, especially in the sense of realistis traffic safety (overhead signals would be more visible to traffic cresting to come down a hill toward a crossing).
What do you think of the traffic signals? I almost pre-ordered the overhead 4-way, but I'm glad I didn't. That thing is HUGE - like for a 4-lane road. I had envisioned it over a two-lane... but I don;t see a clean way to shorten the boom.
The stand-up 1- and 2- way signals looked pretty good to me. I even liked the older yellow color too.
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