Since a short time, I do own a Märklin e-locomotive with digitally controlled pantographs.
Because I do own quiet some e-locomotives, I wanted to be able to control the pantographs of all these locomotives. This weekend I created a prototype of this function, on a rather old Märklin locomotive, a BR141. I’m now able to move both pantographs up and down, digitally 🙂
I used 2x 3.7G servos and a DCC servo decoder from https://www.dcc-decoders.com
Those decoders use the DCC protocol, and are able to control 2 regular servos, and also do have 2 extra outputs. (to control lighting etc …)
I changed to address of this decoder to the same address of the lokpilot I did insert into this locomotive, so it looks like there is just one decoder inserted. I did put the extra servo decoder onto 2 functions that are not in use on the lokpilot. (This should work with every other combination of decoders)
Every servo controls one pantograph, independently of each other.
001 -pantograph up – small wire on the bottom-left of the panto.. No tension on the wire.spring is pushing panto up.
002 – pantograph down – the tin wire is pulling the panto. down.
003 – inside of the locomotive – a lokpilot and servo-decoder. Notice there is no room on the left, due to the big motor.
004 – the 2 servos – both pantographs in up position. (no tension on wire, because locomotive-top is upside down, squishing the pantographs.
005 – same 2 servos, pulling the wires to put both pantographs down.