TCS TrainSpeed 4 User manual

TrainSpeed 4
Four separate train speed indicators
Model Railroad Speedometer
Operating Manual
TCS Inc.
215-453-9145 Main Number
215-257-0735 Tech Number
www.tcsdcc.com
SKU: 1548

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TrainSpeed Operating Instructions
TrainSpeed 4 will give you a reasonably accurate scale speed
indication for your trains at four points along 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 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.

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Table 1
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
All four sensor pairs of the TrainSpeed 4 must use the same
spacing. 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 cables
are ten feet long. Cable extensions can be purchased or made.
The TrainSpeed 4 display unit will work with cables as long as
30 feet. See the appendix for cable extension construction.
Note that you do not need to use all four sensors if you do not
need them. The unit will figure out which sensors are missing
and only use the sensors that are connected.
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
sensors). 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

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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.
Connect the sensor cables to the TrainSpeed 4 unit on
connectors J1, J2, J3 and J4, 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
this table set the option jumpers for the chosen sensor spacing.
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 15 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 J5, 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 supply line. Fuses and fuse holders are
available at Radio Shack. This should complete the
installation of the TrainSpeed 4 unit.
“Out”
“In”

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6v-18v AC or DC
Input polarity does not matter
Figure 1
Sensor 1
Pin 1
Sensor 2
Pin 1
Sensor 3
Pin 1
Sensor 4
Pin 1
Power
Connector
J5
Test
jumper
Option
Jumpers

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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 4.3.2.1 indicating that all sensors have been
detected correctly.
4.3.2.1
If one (or more) of the numbers is missing, and that sensor
pair was installed, then there is a problem with that sensor
pair. For example, if sensor pair 2 was not connected or
connected incorrectly the display would look like this:
43 1
At power-up the unit will scan the four sensor pairs. It expects
all eight sensors to be ‘seeing’ light. If any 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 sensor pair’s number will be blank in the above
display. If the missing sensor pair(s) were installed and are
uncovered, see the troubleshooting section. If you had parked

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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.
The unit will work correctly for the sensors listed in this
display, so you may test the overall functionality of the
TrainSpeed 4 if you want to before troubleshooting a bad
sensor. As a test, try 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 the speed is off a bit you need to
check your own ‘timing’. When the first sensor is tripped the
display will show which sensor is activated in the first digit of
the display with the rest of the display blank. Once the second
sensor is tripped you will see the scale speed displayed on the
unit.
2. 30
This shows that sensor #2 was activated and the train (or
finger) was doing 30 Mph. The speed will remain in the
display until either this sensor or another sensor is triggered.
If this test works you are ready to start running trains!
The unit is capable of reading only one sensor pair at a time.
So, if you are running a multi-track layout and two trains hit
the sensors at almost the same time then the first train to trip
the sensors will be the one has its speed measured. The other
train will be ignored. It should also be noted that a 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.

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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
You will see the Er.S message if you have inadvertently
tripped one of 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, 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 a missing 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

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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 4
power source, you may get missing sensor errors. 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
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 the other jumpers as shown in this table
Option Jumper
1
2
OP.x
Sensor 1 displayed
Out
Out
0
Sensor 2 displayed
In
Out
1
Sensor 3 displayed
Out
In
2
Sensor 4 displayed
In
In
3
Wrong!
Correct

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Apply power to the unit. You should see the jumper option
message ‘oP.x’. Then you will see one of the following
displays:
L.y.L => both sensors are working correctly
H.y.H => both sensors are either disconnected or ‘in the dark’
H.y.L or L.y.H => one sensor is ‘dark’ while the other is not.
Where y is the sensor selected by the jumper settings. For
example, if sensor 2 is selected and it is working properly you
will see:
L2L
If sensor 3 was selected and one of the sensors was ‘dark’
(indicated by ‘H’) the display would look like this:
L3H
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!).

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If the lighting appears to be OK but a sensor is still ‘in the
dark’, try swapping cables with a working set of sensors
(power down the unit before swapping cables). If the other set
of sensors work, then the problem lies with the sensor cable,
not the TrainSpeed 4 display unit. 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 or the swapping of sensors did not work,
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 for the sensor in question as
outlined above, and cover the 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. First, try a different (previously working) sensor cable on

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the problem input. If that assembly works then inspect the
problem 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 4’s power terminals. If this voltage reads OK then
try disconnecting all sensor cables and powering the unit up.
If you get a display (you should see the ‘oP.x’ followed by
‘Sn.E’) then one of the sensor cables has been damaged. Plug
them in one at a time until you isolate the problem cable.
Inspect this cable for damage and contact TCS Inc. for a
replacement if necessary.
Appendix
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

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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