TCS TrainSpeed1 User manual

TrainSpeed1
Single train speed indicator
Model Railroad Speedometer
Operating Manual
TCS Inc.
215-453-9145 Main Number
215-257-0735 Tech Number
www.tcsdcc.com

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TrainSpeed Operating Instructions
TrainSpeed will give you a reasonably accurate scale speed
indication for your trains on your model railroad. The
maximum speed measurable is 999 Mph (or Kph) and the
minimum speed measurable is 1 Mph (or Kph). It can be used
to match speeds in MU lashups or be used to ensure that track
speed limits are obeyed during operating sessions (beware that
our younger model railroaders may use it to see just how fast
they can go!).
Installation
The unit is designed to be mounted to your control panel or
behind the façade of the layout. A rectangular hole needs to
be made in either the façade or the control panel along with
four 4-40 screw clearance holes. If you are using a clear
plexiglass control panel then you can mount the unit behind a
clear window instead of cutting a hole in the panel. The
layout for these holes are shown on the included full sized drill
template.
The unit may be configured to measure the train’s speed over
1/25, 1/50, 1/100 or 1/200 of a scale mile (or Km). The sensor
spacing for most scales can be found in following tables (table
1 for miles and table 2 for Km).
For example, in N scale if you use the 1/100 scale mile
interval, you need to place the sensors 3.96 inches apart. If
your particular scale is not listed you need to calculate the
proper interval by dividing 63360 (the number of inches in a
mile) by your scale’s ratio, and then dividing that result by the
interval chosen (25, 50, 100 or 200). The unit is configured
for 1/100 of a mile at the factory.
Table 1

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scale
ratio
Scale mile
(in)
1/25 mile
1/50 mile
1/100
mile
1/200
mile
Z
220
288.000
11.52
5.760
2.880
1.440
In
N
160
396.000
15.87
7.920
3.960
1.980
In
HO
87
728.276
29.132
14.566
7.283
3.641
In
OO
76
833.684
33.348
16.674
8.337
4.168
In
O
48
1320.000
52.8
26.400
13.200
6.600
In
S
64
990.000
39.60
19.800
9.900
4.950
In
G
24
2640.000
105.60
52.800
26.400
13.200
In
TT
120
528.000
21.12
10.560
5.280
2.640
in
Table 2
scale
ratio
scale km
(cm)
1/25 km
1/50 km
1/100 km
1/200
km
Z
220
454.55
18.18
9.09
4.55
2.27
cm
N
160
625.00
25
12.50
6.25
3.13
cm
HO
87
1149.43
45.98
22.99
11.49
5.75
cm
OO
76
1315.78
52.62
26.31
13.16
6.58
cm
O
48
2083.33
83.34
41.67
20.83
10.42
cm
S
64
1562.50
62.5
31.25
15.63
7.81
cm
G
24
4166.67
166.66
83.33
41.67
20.83
cm
TT
120
833.33
33.34
16.67
8.33
4.17
cm
The accuracy of the unit depends upon how precisely the
sensors are spaced. For example, for N scale and the 1/100
interval, from table 1, 3.96 inches should be used. 4 inches
will give you about a 1% error in the speed reading. The 1/50
of a mile setting this same measurement error (0.04 in) will
give only a 0.5% speed error. Sensor spacing errors can be
minimized by choosing the longest spacing that is practical for
your layout and scale (for example, 1/50 of a mile in O scale is
over 2 feet which is a bit impractical, while at 5.76 inches it
would be ideal for Z scale).

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Sensor placement
The sensors are designed to use available ambient light.
Mounting them in tunnels or dark corners of the layout is not
recommended. It is best to pick a well lit section of the layout
where the light source comes from above and ‘inside’ the
layout. If the light source is ‘outside’ the layout a person
walking by may trigger the unit. The included sensor cable is
ten feet long. Cable extensions can be purchased or made.
The TrainSpeed display unit will work with cables as long as
30 feet. See the appendix for cable extension construction.
Using a #20 drill bit (5/32” also works but is a bit tighter),
drill the sensor holes through your roadbed and sub-roadbed to
the chosen spacing (watch out for switch machines and the
like under the layout when choosing the location of the
sensor). Make sure that the edges of the holes are ‘clean’,
especially on the bottom as this will make sensor insertion
much easier. The sensors should then be inserted into the
holes from the bottom and pushed up until the top of the
sensor is flush with the top of the ties. Warning: Power to
the rails should be off when inserting the sensors,
especially if you are using DCC. An insertion tool can be
made out of small tubing by cutting a slot in the tubing to
provide clearance for the wires. This tubing can then be used
to push the sensor up through the hole to avoid damaging the
wires. If you are having trouble getting the sensor through the
roadbed use a larger drill bit (the #20 and/or 5/32” bits provide
a ‘press fit’ for the sensors that will usually hold them in place
without any adhesive or tape). Make sure the sensors do not
exceed the railhead height as you will damage them the next
time you clean the rails with an abrasive rail cleaner. If
needed the ribbon cable can be split easily for wider sensor
spacing. The sensors can be held in place by tape over the
bottom of the hole. If you must glue them in place, be sure to
use a water based, clear drying glue.

5
Connect the sensor cable to the TrainSpeed unit on connector
J1, being sure to align the red stripe on the cable to the pin 1
marking on the TrainSpeed board (see figure 1).
Do not use staples to hold the cables in place as they can cut
the insulation and cause shorts. If you must anchor the cables
to the benchwork, staple a cable tie to the benchwork and then
wrap the cable tie around the sensor cable.
You now need to configure the TrainSpeed’s jumpers to use
the sensor spacing selected from the previous tables. The
factory configuration is set to 1/100 of a mile (or Km). Using
table 3 set the option jumpers for the chosen sensor spacing.
Table 3
Operating
modes
0
1
2
3
jumper
1/25
1/50
1/100
1/200
1
out
in
out
in
2
out
out
in
in
3
out
out
out
out
T
out
out
out
out

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‘In’ means that the jumper is install across the two posts
while ‘out’ indicates that this jumper is removed (or installed
on a single post so you do not lose it).
Once the unit is configured you may connect the power to it.
You may use your power pack’s auxiliary AC or DC terminals
to power the TrainSpeed board, or you may elect to use a wall
transformer (see the appendix on page 14 for wall transformer
specifications). The unit needs at least 6V to operate correctly
and the supply voltage should not exceed 18V (AC or DC).
The unit requires less then 100ma current to function. The
wires from your power source should be connected to J2, the
two screw terminals on the board (polarity for DC supplies
doesn’t matter). If you are using a supply that does not have
overload protection (most powerpacks have this) you should
insert a ½ amp fuse in the supply line. Fuses and fuse holders
are available at Radio Shack. This should complete the
installation of the TrainSpeed unit.
“Out”
“In”

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6v-18v AC or DC
Input polarity does not matter
Figure 1
Sensor
connector
Pin 1
Power
Connector
J2
Option
Jumpers
Test
jumper

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Operation
When power is applied to the TrainSpeed unit, it will display
the jumper settings for a short time by displaying oP.x where
‘x’ is the jumper setting shown in table 3.
oP.1
After about 2 seconds, if all is connected correctly, the display
will show Sn.1 indicating that sensor has been detected
correctly.
Sn.1
If the sensor has not been detected correctly you will see the
Sn.E message:
Sn.E
At power-up the unit will scan the sensor pair. It expects both
sensors to be ‘seeing’ light. If either sensor indicates that it is
‘dark’ (common causes can be a train parked over it, the
sensor fell out of the hole or the connector is not installed
correctly) that will cause the Sn.E display. If the missing
sensor pair is uncovered, see the troubleshooting section. If
you had parked a train over the sensor (or left this manual
lying over it) the unit will begin scanning the sensor as soon as
the error condition is corrected, though this display will not
change. If the sensor was detected properly try a test, tripping
the sensors with your finger exactly 1 second apart. The
display should then read 36 if you are using the 1/50 of a mile
sensor spacing (72 for 1/25, 18 for 1/100 and 9 for 1/200). If

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the speed is off a bit you need to check your own ‘timing’.
When the first sensor is tripped the display will go blank.
Once the second sensor is tripped you will see the scale speed
displayed on the unit.
25
This example shows that the train (or finger) was doing
25 Mph. The speed will remain in the display until the sensor
triggered again. If this test works you are ready to start
running trains!
It should also be noted that the sensor pair will be disabled for
about 2 seconds after the train has passed it before it will be
able to measure another train’s speed. This was done to avoid
false triggering as the spaces between cars in a train cross the
sensors.
Error messages
There are three error messages that can be displayed during
normal operation. If you get a display of Er.F it means that
the train was moving faster then 999 mph.
Er.F
The message Er.S indicates that the train was moving slower
then 1 mph.
Er.S

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You will see the Er.S message if you have inadvertently
tripped the sensors by throwing a shadow over it while
working on the layout (on dimly lit layouts just walking by
could cause this). It takes about two minutes (on the 1/100
jumper setting) for this message to be displayed. The unit will
display normal speed for the next train whenever any of these
errors occur.
If the message Er.1 is displayed it means that both sensors
were tripped at the same time. The probable cause is turning
out or blinking the lights, disconnecting a sensor cable or a
really fast train (or finger). When this occurs the unit will
reset after about 2 seconds and normal operation will resume.
Troubleshooting
The most common problem is not ‘seeing’ the sensor at
power-up. This means that the unit did not detect the sensors
correctly. Several things may cause this. The cable could be
plugged in incorrectly (or not at all), the sensors are ‘in the
dark’ (make sure a train is not parked over the sensors), a
sensor fell out of the hole or a wire is broken. If your layout is
powered up by one switch that powers the lights as well as the
TrainSpeed power source, you may get the missing sensor
error. The unit in this case should operate normally even
though the missing sensor error occurred. If you want to
verify the sensors in this case you will need to power down
and power up the TrainSpeed board to initialize it correctly.
One common occurrence with the connector used is that only
one row of pins is covered by the connector

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If you are sure that the wiring is correct then you should use
the test mode to see if one or both of the sensors are operating
correctly. Do this by powering down the unit and removing
all jumpers. Install one jumper on the pair of pins marked ‘T’.
Apply power to the unit. You should see the jumper option
message ‘oP.0’. Then you will see one of the following
displays:
L.1.L => both sensors are working correctly
H.1.H => both sensors are either disconnected or ‘in the dark’
H.1.L or L.1.H => one sensor is ‘dark’ while the other is not.
For example, if the sensor is working properly you will see:
Wrong!
Correct

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L1L
If sensor 3 was selected and one of the sensors was ‘dark’
(indicated by ‘H’) the display would look like this:
H1L
When a sensor is covered (‘in the dark’) the test display for
that sensor should read ‘H’. When the sensor is lit you should
see an ‘L’ in the test display. For the unit to power up
properly both sensors should be lit (displaying ‘L’). If you are
getting an ‘H’ for a sensor, try shining a flashlight on the
sensor to see if it switches to ‘L’. If this works then you
should either add some additional lighting to your layout at
that point or move the sensors to a better lit location. If you
have marginal light at this location you can sometimes get the
sensor to work if you push it up a little further through the
roadbed (do not exceed the railhead height!).
If the lighting appears to be OK but a sensor is still ‘in the
dark’ dismount the sensor pair and inspect the connections
between the cable and the optic, and the cable and the
connector. Also look to see if the cable itself has been cut
along its length. If you have a damaged sensor assembly
contact TCS Inc. for technical assistance.
Another problem that can occur is the unit powers up correctly
but a train does not trigger the sensor properly. This can, on
rare occasions, be caused by too much light (especially on the
larger scales). It can also be caused by a short circuit in the
sensor cable assembly. To check to see if there is too much
light, put the unit in test mode as outlined above, and cover the

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sensor completely and tightly with a dark opaque material
(usually a hand pressed down firmly will do). If you see a
change in the display from ‘L’ to ‘H” then the sensor is
working (if there is no change see the next paragraph). Now
remove the cover and roll a train car across the sensor. If you
do not see the display change or it does not stay ‘H’ while the
car is over it then there is too much light. There are several
ways to address this. You can recess the sensor further down
into the mounting hole (even below the roadbed surface) to try
to reduce the amount of light hitting the sensor. If this doesn’t
work you can use some black paint to reduce the area of the
sensor’s lens (ballast can be piled up around the sensor to do
this too). Sometimes the sensor can pick up some excess light
from floor reflections, so try covering the underside of the
mounting hole with black tape. If these measures do not fix
the problem contact TCS Inc. for technical assistance.
If the above test failed, then the sensor assembly is probably
bad. Inspect the sensor assembly for damage. Check to see if
the leads on the optics have been bent such that they are
shorting out (most likely caused while pushing the sensors up
through the roadbed). Inspect the cable itself for damage as
well. If you cannot get the sensor assembly working contact
TCS Inc. for technical assistance.
If you do not get any display on the unit when you power it
up, make sure that the intended voltage is present on the
TrainSpeed’s power terminals. If this voltage reads OK then
try disconnecting the sensor cable and powering the unit up.
If you get a display (you should see the ‘oP.x’ followed by
‘Sn.E’) then the sensor cable has been damaged. Inspect the
cable for damage and contact TCS Inc. for a replacement if
necessary.
Appendix

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Extension cables
Extension cables can be made from normal male and female
ten pin ribbon cable connectors and cable. An extension can
be purchased from TCS Inc. or you can buy the parts from
Digikey (www.digikey.com). Please note that Digikey has a
$25.00 minimum order (or else they will charge you an extra
$5.00). The necessary parts are:
Qty P/N Desc.
1 MPK10K-ND 10 pin plug connector
1 MSD10K-ND 10 pin socket connector
1 AE10G-X-ND* ribbon cable
* The ‘X’ in the cable part number is 5, 10 or 25, which is
how long the cable is in feet.
The cable is best assembled using a vise to crimp the
connectors on the cable. Be sure to align the red stripe on the
wire to the pin 1 indications on the connectors. Also make
sure that the cable is ‘square’ to the connector.
Wall transformers
Radio Shack AC adaptors NTE 57-9D-600-4 or NTE 57-9D-
600-2 will work with this unit. Cut the circular connector off
that comes with the adapter, strip and tin the wires, and
connect them directly into the screw terminal power
connectors on the TrainSpeed display unit.

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TCS Inc.
215-453-9145 Main Number
215-257-0735 Tech Number
www.tcsdcc.com