# Report Axle Revolutions on Caboose



## jbooker (Jan 15, 2008)

I'd like to add a transponding equipped decoder such as Digitrax TL4 to a caboose and also count axle revolutions and report counts over loconet.

I know some sound decoders have chuff cam inputs which use a cam switch on an axle.

Let's say I installed a cam switch on a caboose axle...

Does anyone know whether\how I could get the TL4 transponding decoder to send a message every time the switch activates?

Assuming the TL4 has no inputs, would it be possible to use the cam switch to interrupt the rail power to the TL4 and basically make it turn on and off - perhaps that would force send the transponding signal (?)

Any other suggestions?

The purpose is to detect stuck-spinning locos and broken trains.

Thanks in advance,
Josh


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Josh, I don't have any answers but I'd be very interested in whatever you figure out 

-Jim


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## Homo Habilis (Jul 29, 2011)

There was an article in the June 2012 GR about using the Arduino to make a track odometer. Perhaps that could serve as a basis for your needs. 

Here's a link to a You Tube link


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## jbooker (Jan 15, 2008)

HH,

Thanks I'll check out that issue of GR.

Josh


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## Michael Glavin (Jan 2, 2009)

Dave Bodner has lots of interesting gadgets on his site. Perhaps Dave will see your post and offer a solution...

http://www.trainelectronics.com/products.htm

Michael


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## Cooke (Aug 26, 2012)

Very interesting idea as the miles on wheels is part of the conducter's trip report on the D&SNG where I used to worked. It was away to let the car shop know about usage and necessary maintance on wheel sets. It could even be incorporated into model train operation work sheets, if that wasn't your intent already.


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

Michael Glavin said:


> Dave Bodner has lots of interesting gadgets on his site. Perhaps Dave will see your post and offer a solution...
> 
> http://www.trainelectronics.com/products.htm
> 
> Michael


Right you are, Michael - I did something similar with my model train speedometer a few years ago - it uses a light chopper to count turns of the axle and uses that data to wirelessly report the speed of the train to the speedometer. It works very well.
One unique part of that project was the use of a laser printed disk that is used to give very precise, consistent pulses of light. The disk was printed on laser printer transparency material.
You can see details of that unit here:

http://www.trainelectronics.com/speedometer/wireless.htm 

There are links on that page to a number of installations that I did.

This method could easily be re-purposed to do what Josh is looking for.

dave


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## jbooker (Jan 15, 2008)

Dave,

The projects on your website are really impressive. I wonder if you might consider quoting a custom setup similar to your wireless speedometer.

The purpose is to calculate position (+/-) of a transponder equipped car. The idea is to frequently report speed and distance to a computer (connected to loconet) which will do the calculations and act accordingly. IE: stop the train if caboose and loco are not traveling together.

All end-of-train cars will have this capability active at all times so it would need to be a solid installation for continuous outdoor use.

Would it be possible to keep all electronics inside the car by using another device like chuff cam?

Would it be possible to use loconet I/O type device to send a packet on the rails instead of the expense of wireless?

Please let me know if you're interested in discussing a prototype for this. Of course the price matters, but I wonder if by nixing the wireless and lcd display while adding locoIO would make this an affordable approach.

Thanks again.
Josh


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## dbodnar (Jan 2, 2008)

jbooker said:


> Dave,
> 
> The projects on your website are really impressive. I wonder if you might consider quoting a custom setup similar to your wireless speedometer.
> 
> ...


Josh - drop me a private email ([email protected]) and we can discuss this off-line
thanks
dave


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