Faller Car System

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The Faller Car System at Intermodellbau 2011

The car system is a driving system for model cars developed by the Faller company . It was presented at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1989 .

In this system, a wire is invisibly embedded in the middle of the roadway. It is used to guide small magnets that are glued to the steerable front axles of the specially equipped model cars. Stopping points, junctions and functioning traffic lights, which enable the simulation of real road traffic, provide additional functions. Level crossings, bus stations, petrol stations, even highways with overtaking lanes and functioning roundabouts can be implemented. A pure road traffic system with this system is in the Karlsruhe Transport Museum .

In the vehicles there is a 2.4 V - motor , the above worm gear drives two rubber wheels and a battery . To accommodate these elements in the small vehicles is one of the greatest challenges in the construction of car system vehicles, and initially only large truck and bus models were offered. In the meantime, miniaturization has progressed further, and the car system is also available for the sizes TT (scale 1: 120) and N (scale 1: 160). Vehicles from well-known large-scale manufacturers with adapted chassis are used as the basic models. Cars in H0 are also increasingly on offer. At the Faller company, individual parts are available for self-construction of vehicles, from which simple trucks up to heavy transporters can be built using series models, depending on the craftsmanship.

To build roads yourself (made of 5 mm thick plywood), a slot can be milled with a groove cutter to insert the spring steel contact wire 0.5 mm wide and deep. After the functional parts have been installed and the corresponding aftertreatment, a replica of the road traffic is created. The roads built using the plywood method can also be added to existing systems at a later date.

control

The vehicle models currently being delivered by Faller have a magnetic field sensor or magnetic switch ( reed switch ), which is opened by a magnet and thus interrupts the electrical circuit of the vehicle's drive, causing it to stop. A coil is let into the roadway at places where vehicles should stop if necessary. When it is switched on, it generates a magnetic field, whereupon the reed switch of the vehicle responds and it stops. So that vehicles can turn if necessary, a coil is installed at a junction which, when actuated, pushes a pin upwards, which deflects the steering slider of the vehicle in the direction of the guide wire of the branching lane (repulsive polarity). Turning at a junction is only ever possible in one direction (right or left). If the junction is not switched, the vehicle continues straight ahead. Since the vehicle is driverless for a brief moment when it branches off, until it finds the new wire, branches in bends are problematic.

Vehicles can also be stopped permanently without using electricity. To do this, a permanent magnet switches the reed contact of the vehicle so that it stops. By activating a coil for a short time, the magnetic effect of the permanent magnet can be canceled and the vehicle continues. This functional element is ideal for parking lots or at the loading station on Rollenden Landstrasse.

A bus stop is also possible. An additional magnet is attached to all buses for this purpose. In this way, the bus stop recognizes an arriving bus and automatically steers it into the bus bay. A timer allows the bus to continue driving after a preset time. To avoid collisions, every passing car restarts the timer; Other buses also drive past an occupied bus bay.

Car System Digital 3.0

A further development from 2013 is called Car System Digital 3.0 . It is a joint development by the Faller , GamesOnTrack and Uhlenbrock Electronics companies. So-called "satellites" are used, which can locate the vehicles on the system at any position in real time using ultrasound . This eliminates other forms of feedback, such as B. Reed contacts . Functions such as switching the dipped headlights, moving off slowly or playing sounds can be carried out at any location using a permanent radio link , which means that stopping points are no longer required. At the same time, the vehicles can also receive feedback on their current status, such as B. give the battery charge status. If necessary, a vehicle can be forwarded directly to a processor- controlled charging station .

Similar systems

  • In addition to the Faller system, there is also a system with magnetic lanes ( Mader Magnet-Truck ).
  • There are function modules from other providers (e.g. InfraCar or DC-Car) to control functions such as lights, indicators and speed. These systems are compatible with the Faller Car System and Mader Magnet Truck and enable these functions to be controlled via infrared .
  • The miniature wonderland in Hamburg has expanded the Faller Car System with its own developments.
  • Another possibility is the installation of a radio remote control in the model vehicles. This means that the engine and steering are completely remote-controlled. This is only possible with large models due to the greater space requirement.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Car System Digital 3.0 brochure

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