Advance Link System Plarail Advance Terminal

Advance Link System Plarail Advance Terminal



Wonder if they will make one for the regular trains. I would buy a handful

[Super]

Thats pretty cool and would allow for running more than one train on a loop but how does it work? Just guessing but it seems like the car that has the motor is triggered by something within the built-in track (on right) in the station but what could it be? Then what is triggering it to start to move a train approaches from the rear? If they were to make it for the regular scale Plarail I would assume there would have to be a separate sensing track placed further away to accommodate the longer trains to to tell the one sitting in the station to move. And whats up with the strange looking curves. Has plarail re-engineered these specifically for the Advance line to alleviate the slow down that they are plagued with? Thanks AC for the heads up.

Ok, now that is truly cool - if you look really closely you will see it has a small plate that opens and closes under what is the 2nd carriage. Basically the red/green light probably has a sensor of some type to detect the incoming train and it toggles that plate so if there is a train in the station it can move out before the new one arrives.

One thing that would cause this station a problem though is if you have a train that is longer than the standard 4 cars and/or is a consolidated train (i.e. two trains joined together to make an 8 car train). Although I guess if the motorised car is the 6th one in an 8 car train it would probably work, although I'm not sure how well a single power car that far back would work pushing 6 other cars.

The other thing that is a bit annoying is that it only triggers on the platform side, it would have been truly cool if it had a platform on both sides and stopped in different directions. Which of course highlights the other drawback, if the train coming into the station is coming the wrong direction it won't trigger the plate at the right time

As for the track with the raised sides, isn't this just the normal elevated track pieces? These are often shipped with the new starter sets such as the advance linear liner train...

@Super, "How does this work?"
The first black box on the left of the station is the sensor. It senses the incoming train and lets the front one go.
The stopper track is just a modified version of the normal stopper track but is controlled by the system by battery.

"strange looking curves"
Yes, they are new Plarail Advance specific curves and new single length guide rails.

@Nigels, "length of train"
It will not work with longer trains. A single driving unit at the rear of a Plarail Advance train cannot push 6 cars reliably.
"direction of travel into station"
You are correct. It will only work one way.

-plarnold

Great clarifications there, unfortunately as I don't speak Japanese I can only go on observations, but its nice to know I'd nearly got it right, the sensor, stop track etc...

Great clarifications there, unfortunately as I don't speak Japanese I can only go on observations

You're not the only one

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Wish Tomy would sell these track connectors. I would buy a first 100 pieces.... ahem @plarnold

[Super]

LOL

What would you do with so many? I have an official Tomy one in blue, at least I think its official. You see them in the Japan Auctions. I managed to pick one up in a small set of adapter tracks. There is one seller that keeps listing them, one at a time, for about 800yen which when you add in all the fees and shipping comes to quite a lot for such a small thing. My plan was to duplicate it but in gray using a 3D printer but haven't got around to locate someone with a 3D Scanner and Printer. Do you know anyone?

LOL

What would you do with so many? I have an official Tomy one in blue, at least I think its official. You see them in the Japan Auctions. I managed to pick one up in a small set of adapter tracks. There is one seller that keeps listing them, one at a time, for about 800yen which when you add in all the fees and shipping comes to quite a lot for such a small thing. My plan was to duplicate it but in gray using a 3D printer but haven't got around to locate someone with a 3D Scanner and Printer. Do you know anyone?

ohh i did not know they did sell them?
Sorry I do not know anyone with a 3D printer yet...

@Super,
800 Yen for a little part like that? That's insane.

@ActionChugger,

I would really like to help but it really depends on several factors that are not under my control. My friend has limited access to the printer as it isn't exactly his day job. To be able to produce these things requires testing (which creates waste) and lots of free time (something I am sure everybody wants more of but can't get easily). The other factor which is also equally important is the 3D model. For this adapter/part that ActionChugger is talking about, it does fortunately exist as I have got a few of them that I use but the price I got for them was in conjunction with other stuff I bought.

Now, there are lots of printing services out there and lots of them (at the moment) print low quality products or low consistency products. My friend could do that but he refuses because he doesn't think it is responsible. (I am sure those who have the caps know what I am talking about).

Ultimately, whether something gets made depends on if he can manage it within his spare time and that he doesn't go broke because of it...as he isn't a charity and needs food and shelter like everybody else.

Now, if there is something that really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, needs to be made and you want it so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, badly, I can still enquire about it.

It is best that you provide the quantity and price you are ready to pay because he didn't really like it when I just threw ideas of what to make at him without any indication of how much I could pay.
(I also don't want to push the friendship ... otherwise ... it's not good...)

Sorry for the long post, I just hope you all understand. Otherwise, it's all fine.

-plarnold

[Super]

I know the quality of your friends work as those caps he made are top notch. However making these tiny adapter pieces wouldn't be profitable at all and if someone were to think they could make a lot selling them on Ebay I think not. For those who did want to buy they wouldn't need many as how many times to you come across, in building a layout that you would need one of these where you couldn't use the regular adapters, once, maybe twice? For myself, I was looking into a local printer that would just make a few for me and thus save on the shipping. And thanks for the offering Plarnold, I love the caps I have and would never had them if it weren't for you and your friend.