Project Overview:

The goal of this project is to design a decoupling system for the webtrain. This is a fourth generation webtrain project. The system will have two modes of operation, a manual decoupling mode and an automatic decoupling mode. The manual mode gives the user three commands to operate the train: move forward, move backward, and stop. The automatic mode will prompt the user to specify a train car to decouple. Once decided, the train will automatically move to the decoupling position and remove that car. This is the main task of the whole project.

What?

The train is on the N-gauge scale. It runs through a system called Digital Command Control (DCC). Instead of sending a constant voltage to the tracks, packetized data is sent through the tracks to the train. The locomotives have a special receiver circuit to decode this data and move the train accordingly.

How?

The decoupler is a thin magnet that lies in the track. Each car has a coupler with a thin metal segment used for decoupling. When two cars are coupled, these metal segments are close together. The decoupler spreads these two segments apart, which in turn decouples the car.