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Boulder Creek Engineering

NightScope™ Infrared Detectors sense approaching trains and activate this double track road crossing on John Parker's Fall River Division. The Infrared Detector Applications Guide shows how to use NightScope™ Infrared Detectors with a wide variety of model railroad electronics. (Photo courtesy of John Parker)

Boost Model Railroad Operating Realism

Bring prototype jobs to life
Heighten the railroad experience for your operating crews
Grow the enjoyment value of your Model Railroad investment

Simple to Install, Easy to Use

Plug and play
No soldering, no programming
Easily customized to your railroad

TrainBoss™ Defect Detectors

See our TrainBoss™ Defect Detectors in action.

The TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detector speaks and displays 6 types of defect alarms for passing trains with the probability you assign. The Talking Detector also reports axle count, train speed and length, and temperature — just like automated detectors on the prototype. Or if you prefer, listen to the rear trainmen report defects and speeding.

The TrainBoss™ Displaying Defect Detector alerts train crews or remote operators, and reports defects — without all the talk. With its Display mounted on the back of its circuit board, the Displaying Detector is ready for fascia mounting. And like the Talking Detector, it also ties into C/MRI, DigiTrax, JRMI, and more.

WeighStation™ Track Scales

See our WeighStation™ Track Scales in action.

WeighStation™ Digital Display Track Scales

The WeighStation™ Digital Display Track Scale emulates modern high-capacity track scales. WeighStation™ Track Scales realistically display weight when a railcar moves onto the scale track. Weight varies from car to car within a user-defined range.

WeighStation™ Meter Display Track Scales

The WeighStation™ Meter Display Track Scale emulates a vintage 100-ton track scale, with a smooth motion edgewise panel meter. The Meter Display is also available in an 80-ton model with 0 - 160,000 lbs. readout.

Infrared Detectors

NightScope™ Infrared Detectors sense trains in any (or no) light, driving LEDs, motors, and a wide variety of popular model railroad electronics.

Instant Response model (Black) turns off immediately on departure.

Delayed Response model (Red) holds detection for 2 seconds after train departs, ignoring gaps between railcars.

How to Buy

News

WeighStation™ Track Scale Featured in MR Project Layout

December 14, 2011

Model Railroader Magazine's January 2012 issue headlines their new 4x8 Virginian Ry. project layout. The Virginian coal marshalling yard at Rogers features the WeighStation™ Digital Display Track Scale for weighing newly loaded hoppers from the layout's mines.

MR demonstrates weighing coal in both the article and on their website video introducing the Virginian project. The article and website also include paperwork used to originate and weigh coal traffic.

Needless to say, we are very pleased that the editors of MR chose the WeighStation™ Track Scale for the Virginian!

Female Automated Voice for TrainBoss™ Defect Detector Now Available

September 15, 2011

Boulder Creek Engineering has just released the latest TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detector, and the big star is the new Female Automated Voice. Select either the Male or Female Automated Voice when ordering. You can order an additional Voice Chip of the opposite gender if you want to swap between the two.

Other new features include Radio Static Bursts before and after automated voice messages, a Greeting Message when a train is first detected, defect counting from the rear of the train, and more.

Upgrades for current TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detectors are available.

Browse on over to YouTube™ for a demonstration.

Rocky Mtn Region Convention: Operating with Track Scales, Day in the Life of the Rio Grande Southern RR

August 12, 2011

Jim Ferenc will be presenting at the NMRA Rocky Mountain Region Convention in Loveland CO on September 1 - 4.

"Operating with Track Scales" is the companion presentation to Jim's January 2010 Operations Special Interest Group Dispatcher's Office article. Jim describes modeling railroad track scales, scale houses, and scale test cars. Jim also explains how to integrate weighing into model railroad operations, including freight movements, scale certification, and car card/way bill systems.

In "A Day in the Life of the Rio Grande Southern", Jim shows how we can recreate November 27, 1900 from the Dispatcher's Train Sheet. Train movements, passenger traffic, freight consists, engine assignments, snow fighting, delays, and more are revealed step by step and presented with maps, photos, and graphs.

Handouts for both presentations are under "Articles" in the navigation menu above.

Greeley Freight Station Museum Installs TrainBoss™ Defect Detector

March 11, 2011

All mainline trains on the Greeley Freight Station Museum model railroad now pass a TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detector on the western slope of Quartz Summit.

Visitors at the GFSM hear train length, speed, and axle counts for passing trains between Dog Lake and Sycan Jct. Those "lucky" visitors that hear a defect report can then enjoy watching the GFSM engineer set out the bad order car at the next convenient spur.

This breathtaking 5500 sq. ft mountain layout was featured on the cover of the December 2008 Model Railroader magazine.

TrainBoss™ Defect Detector Now Available

September 15, 2010

Put the voice of an automated defect detector on your model railroad with the TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detector. The Talking Defect Detector speaks and displays Hotbox, Dragging Equipment, and 4 other types of defect reports for passing trains with the probability you assign, as well as axle count, train speed and length, and temperature. Or for a bygone era, listen as rear trainmen report defects and speeding engineers.

Now you can really give your road crews something to sweat about — and the experience of a rolling stock headache for the unlucky ones!

Browse on over to YouTube™ for a demonstration.

Meter Display Track Scale Available in Two Capacities

November 3, 2009

The previously-announced WeighStation™ Meter Display Track Scale is now available.

A technology match for model railroads set before 1970, the Meter Display Track Scale is compatible with any era. It is available in either an 80-ton or 100-ton weight capacity.

With a 0 - 160,000 lbs. readout, the 80-ton capacity scale is best for lighter applications and narrow gauge in particular. The larger 100-ton scale sports a 40,000 - 200,000 lbs. readout and is well suited for major yard installations and any Transition Era installation.

WeighStation™ Track Scale Now Available

September 25, 2009

Thanks to the ahead-of-schedule performance of our suppliers, the previously-announced WeighStation™ Track Scale is now available. (See our earlier news article.)

Now you can expand the prototype experience for your yard and road crews: put them to work weighing newly-loaded cars, checking the empty weight of your railroad's rolling stock, and certifying your track scales with your railroad's scale test car. All of which adds up to more play value for your model railroad investment.

Announcing NightScope™ Infrared Detectors in Two Flavors

September 15, 2009

To begin, we need a simple yet reliable-in-all-conditions method to detect moving trains. So our first product is the NightScope™ Infrared Detector, sensing trains with coded IR pulses to ensure accurate detection in any lighting conditions — even complete darkness!

The Infrared Detector's opposite-polarity outputs drive LEDs and switch motors directly, as well as a wide variety of popular model railroad electronics.

As for flavors: The Instant Response Detector responds immediately when trains come or go. The Delayed Response Detector responds immediately when a train is detected, but delays 2 seconds to report departure, effectively ignoring gaps between cars.

NightScope™ Infrared Detectors are available now.

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