Author Topic: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?  (Read 2332 times)

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jpwisc

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Re: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?
« Reply #15 on: October 28, 2014, 09:42:48 AM »
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I like the RFID system, I wonder how the information holders would look under an N Scale Tank car. They seemed to hide under a Horribly Oversized truck, so I wonder if that would work for us too. It would be nice to have a reader at the interchange point on my layout, so you would have a readout of the incoming and departing cars. I think this could work well.

I'm also in the camp that doesn't want the visual distraction. But that is my personal decision for my layout.
Karl
CEO of the WC White Pine Sub, an Upper Peninsula Branch Line.

sirenwerks

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Re: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2014, 12:03:38 PM »
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Two questions about the tags:  Can they be painted and do they have to be physically situated in a specific way in regards to their antenna?  They situate well behind the truck side in HO but will be more obtrusive in N scale and painting might help to minimize that.  And I ask the latter because I'm wondering if it might be easier to drill a hole in the floor or bottom of a freight car and situate the tag flush with the bottom of the car and vertical to the track, with only one end of the tag with direct line of sight to the reader.
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peteski

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Re: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?
« Reply #17 on: October 28, 2014, 03:26:43 PM »
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Aren't RFID tags available down to a size of a grain of rice?  Or even smaller? That could easily be hidden almost anywhere in an N scale car.
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sirenwerks

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Re: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?
« Reply #18 on: October 28, 2014, 04:27:56 PM »
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All the photos I've seen have the smallest tags, the ones used in veterinary ID services, are compared to a grain of rice, but the grain of rice is always smaller.  About 1/2 the length from what I have seen.  So this makes it in the range of being close to the length of a truck sideframe and maybe larger.
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soo

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Re: Black light and invisible ink for car identification?
« Reply #19 on: October 29, 2014, 01:40:25 PM »
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I was firmly entrenched in the camp that pins/tabs attached to rolling stock was just simply fugly!!!!

  But after operating on the same property that Denver Road Doug op'd on,,, you really do not notice them.

  They are on the rolling stock!!! ( who cares!!) I thought it made the blocking of cars SUPER EASY!!!. Just a quick glance and you know where to put the piece of stock.

Car cards,,,hmm,, kind of indifferent on those,, I hate holding the little rascals!!!

Switchlist,,, mucho better!!!! Just like the 1:1,, I remember using a list organizing cars at Proviso Yard.

RFID,,, how is that going to help blocking of cars? I will have to read up more on that.

UV,,, hmmm,,, no opinion as of yet,, but trust me,, I will form one,,lol

Adios , Wyatt