Scale speedometer

[DianneB]

Has anybody done a speedometer for their loco/engine? How did you do it?

[NP317]

Many engines I've seen use bicycle speedometers with sensing magnets attached to a wheel, including tender wheels on steamers. Make sure the unit you get can be programmed for the diameter of which ever wheel you put the sensor on.

More recently available setups have sensors that communicate wirelessly to the speedo unit. Very convenient, as long as you make sure the sender battery is accessible for required periodic replacements.

With a little math thinking, the speedometers can be programmed to read actual or scale speeds. They also give total miles travelled, and trip odometers. Potentially convenient, especially when enjoying a large railroad like Train Mt. You'll be amazed at how far you actually travel!
~RN

[aopagary]

.... They also give total miles traveled, and trip odometers. Potentially convenient, especially when enjoying a large railroad like Train Mt. You'll be amazed at how far you actually travel!
~RN

just as a reminder to what century we're in, a GPS receiver will do all this for you also.

[hammermill]

I may be wrong but doesn't a GPS figure point to point as a crow flies



If this would keep coffee warm it may be useful
http://m.ebay.com/itm/380956159117?cmd=VIDESC

[fresnojay]

GPS might but also know that there are Apps on phones that can do the same thing (provided you have signal I think.) I know a buddy used a GPS based speedo app while we were out on his boat to see how fast we could go.

Jason

[Jim_Nolan]

I have one on the IPhone called speedometer funnily enough. Good for fan trips when you want to how fast the loco is going. Only trouble is it’s on an Iphone so the battery life suites the design philosophy, fashion accessory not useful gadget.


Doubt you would get a circuit of Train Mountain on one charge, might find out next year though.

[NP317]

I have had difficulty with GPS reception in forests, which is mostly where I operate my trains. Life in the NorthWet.
Thus suggesting bicycle speedometers. For those of you out in the open: definitely GPS! Simple.
~RN

[DianneB]

I am hoping for something with an analog dial, something that looks like it might have been mounted in the cab of an engine (or streetcar). I guess I will go with modifying a bicycle speedometer.....

[hammermill]

The trouble with analog is cost and no reduced size

Then again
http://m.ebay.com/itm/251478708491?cmd=VIDESC

Bike analogs area reasonable around 25.00

[redneckalbertan]

I came across this: http://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/swift- ... 1312-p.asp it says that you can use it with a magnetic pickup. I have no clue if you could program it for different tire sizes but seeing as not all car and motorbike tires are the same size I would think that you could. Seeing as you don't need the 150 km/h range of the gage a person might be able to figure out the right tire size to put in in order for it to display scale speed or display your speed multiplied by ten. 150 km/h would be 15km/h 90km/h would be 9km/h etc. It's not a cheep option, there may be others that are less expensive, I just happened to stumble across this.

[redneckalbertan]

The trouble with analog is cost and no reduced size

Then again
http://m.ebay.com/itm/251478708491?cmd=VIDESC

Bike analogs area reasonable around 25.00

I believe the analog bike speedometers are ordered based on wheel size. A speedometer for a bike with 24" tires has different internal gearing than a bike with 26" tires so the correct speed is displayed finding an analog speedometer for a bike with 4" or 6" wheels for this allocation might be difficult. That being said you might be able to get one to display the scale speed, order a speedometer for a bike with 36" wheels or whatever the trolly came with.