Boulder Creek Engineering News
Recent 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!
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NightScope™ Infrared Detector Drives Tortoise SMs
October 6, 2011
Boulder Creek Engineering demonstrates how to drive Tortoise Switch Machines in the latest update of their NightScope™ Infrared Detector Application Guide.
One or more Infrared Detectors can drive up to 4 Switch Machines. NightScope™ Infrared Detectors make animating your layout easier than ever!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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News Archive
Now Available in Australia and New Zealand
December 17, 2010
Boulder Creek Engineering products are now available in Australia and New Zealand, in addition to the US and Canada. This includes TrainBoss™ Talking Defect Detectors, WeighStation™ Track Scales and NightScope™ Infrared Detectors.
International orders ship via International First Class Mail. See our ordering instructions for details.
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BCE Holiday Closing November 22 - 28, 2010
November 19, 2010
Boulder Creek Engineering will be closed the week of November 22 to enjoy time with our families and the opening of ski season. Orders placed that week will ship beginning Monday November 29. Happy Thanksgiving!
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NightScope™ Infrared Detectors Available in Bulk
April 26, 2010
NightScope™ Infrared Detectors are now available in 10-unit bulk packs at a discount price. 10-Packs of both Instant and Delayed Response Detectors are ready to ship.
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New Video: WeighStation™ Track Scale Demo
April 3, 2010
Boulder Creek Engineering has just released a video demonstration of our WeighStation™ Track Scales. Covering both Digital and Meter Display models, the video shows how to use weight ranges for load and empty rail car weighing, and how to program new range settings.
See the YouTube™ video screens on our Home Page and WeighStation™ Track Scale Product Page for a quick view. Or browse on over to YouTube™.
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Now Available in Canada
December 8, 2009
Boulder Creek Engineering products are now available in Canada. This includes WeighStation™ Track Scales and NightScope™ Infrared Detectors.
Canadian orders ship via International First Class Mail. See our ordering instructions for details.
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Coming in November: Meter Display Track Scales
October 14, 2009
For model railroads set before 1970, we are announcing a WeighStation™ Track Scale with a meter display. With the capabilities of the Digital Display model, the Meter Display features a smooth edgewise meter movement reminiscent of station scales of a by-gone era.
WeighStation™ Meter Display Track Scales will be available in November.
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Coming in October: WeighStation™ Track Scales
September 15, 2009
Railroads are paid for moving tons across miles. Now you can model the miles and the tons.
The WeighStation™ Track Scale is a prototypical track scale for model railroad operations. The Track Scale brings yard and industry scale tracks to life by generating weights for railcars within a range specified by the user. While the Track Scale does not actually weigh the cars, the realistic display action as cars move on and off the scale emulates high capacity scales of the prototype.
The Track Scale has three selectable ranges for variety. Optional LEDs and bell alert crews when weighing is complete, and can be configured as a red/green “traffic light” to guide train crews. The Track Scale supports both weigh-in-motion and static weighing, single or gantlet track arrangements, and with a NightScope™ Infrared Detector (included), both day and night operation.
WeighStation™ Track Scales will be available in October.
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BCE Opens for Business
September 15, 2009
What a great time to start a business. No, really! Lead times are short, suppliers have capacity, and a lot of talented folks have time on their hands. And what better time than now for model railroaders to take a "stay-cation" and work on their railroads?
That said, we are proud to announce the opening of our new business: Boulder Creek Engineering. Our mission is to create a new level of operating fidelity for model railroads. With advanced yet simple-to-use technology, we will deliver products that drive realism into your operating sessions. And no soldering or computer programming required!
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