Walthers Cantalivier single lane crossing...question

[train_guy]

According to Walthers website,The controller for these cantaliver crossings are DC only?Is this true?The controller does require a 18V AC power supply.I'm sure their are a few members who have these on their layout,is it possible to use them on a DCC layout?

[rrinker]

You probbaly need to add a controller that works with DCC to then turn power on and off to the Walther's unit. Circuitron makes some nice ones, and there's also a new company that was at the recent Timonium train show, they both provide prototypical operation for when the train does things like start towards the crossing and then stops short, or goes through and then reverses. And you cna gang more than one unit in case you have double track.

--Randy

[train_guy]

Thanks for the info,I may be getting to ahead of myself.I don't even have benchwork set up yet.I seen them on sale at Walthers,and i figure i'd stock up on some for the future.And the fact that the NJ International stuff is expensive,plus you have to buy all the accessories to operate their stuff.

[faraway]

And be warned. If you order one you get one. One is one not one pair. You must order two to have one for each side of the crossing. I learned it the hard way...

[mountaingoatgreg]

The controller from Walthers is kinda junky and I would recommend getting a seperate controller for even DC operations. It is only set up to protect one track, so if you have multipe mains it really has no good way of picking up and having the logic to control the other tracks. I will say that they did a pretty good job on the model itself, although they are a little to modern for me.

[rrinker]

Azatrax is the new company that makes grade crossing controllers and a few other goodies. Both theirs and the Circuitron ones handle the blinkign lights, so you would pretty much just bypass the Walthers controller and use only the model. There are also options on those controlelrs to drive a stall motor to raise and lower gates. Oh yeah, Logic Rail Technologies also has one. If I keep typing I'll probably think of more - there's lots of options, and the ones I mentioned use IR detectors so they work with DC or DCC.

--Randy

[train_guy]

Thanks for the info guys!So basically i would need a different controller to operate a double main line w/sensors to operate a "pair" of the cantaliver crossing bucks anyway?Also i will probably have to add a seperate power controller(not connected to track power)to run all my crossing gates and other accesories.
I'm using a standard NCE 3 amp power cab DCC system/controller.

[e-paw]

I'm not a ddc guy, so i don't know if it 's available, but if there is a decoder that runs a set of dry contacts (relay), that could be used to control the existing flasher unit.