The Faller Car System and how it works

Since 1987 Faller has been working literally and figuratively on the (model) road with the current Faller Car System, which has now been more than 20 years. In this system, the vehicles are equipped with an engine, battery and a steering mechanism with magnet. This magnet follows an iron-containing wire placed in the road surface. In this way a virtually invisible guidance of the vehicle takes place. A brilliant solution, and visually a big improvement compared to the predecessor of the Faller Car System, the FALLER A.M.S.

This A.M.S. The system was based on road surfaces fitted with a conductor slot and two current-carrying strips for the energy supply of the vehicles, also known as the slotcar. Read more about A.M.S.

Actually, the scale was much too large for HO 1:87, as you can see in the photo on the right. But before then it was a very nice system. I was introduced to this system when I was about 15 years old. It was even possible to drive 2 cars independently of each other with a piece of electronics per lane. The working level crossing also provided an unprecedented piece of fun for the time.

But now back to the current Faller Car System called FCS for short. This system consists of the following components:

1. Different cars
2. A contact wire
3. Stop flushing
4. Parking coils
5. Splits

At the FCS the cars drive independently, the guidance is done by processing an iron-containing wire in the road surface. A magnet on the tug of the steering ensures that the car follows the track of the wire.

The guidance is therefore virtually invisible, visually a great improvement compared to the A.M.S. system. Another big difference is the power supply. Every FCS car is equipped with a battery that must be charged from time to time. In order to influence the cars from the outside, a so-called reed contact is also provided. A reed contact is a contact that is operated by a magnetic field. This contact is built into the car. Using An electromagnetic coil makes it possible to stop the cars at the place where this so-called stop coil is installed. In addition, the FCS vehicles are of course also equipped with an on / off switch.

All in all a not too complicated but still very nice system to get moving cars on the track that, unlike the A.M.S., are to scale. It will be clear that due to the simple design, there are only limited options that show not too realistic handling (think of stopping abruptly and accelerating with a stop coil). Depending on the available space, the FCS vehicles are equipped with 1 or 2 batteries and therefore run on 1.2V or 2.4V voltage. This is a very low voltage. It goes without saying that the electric motors used are also very small and must work on this low voltage. The driving time therefore depends on the size of the model. The more space there is for the batteries, the greater the battery capacity can be and thus the driving time is longer.

The fact that more, and even more, are possible today than Faller's standard "Stop and Go" system can be read in the DCCAR section of this website. You can read more about improvements in the guidance system in the chapters "Magnetic tape" and "Construction demo job".

The different cars:

The drive generally takes place with a worm / gear combination that is directly connected to the rear axle. The front axle is similar to that of a tractor, a swing axle, so that the cars have and maintain maximum contact with the road surface. On the pendulum axle are the wheels that can steer by means of a steering knuckle and a steering rod. A copper tug with a small magnet is attached to the handlebar. This magnet will want to follow the contact wire and thereby steer the car.

Depending on the type of car, one or more batteries are provided as power supply. These batteries can be charged via a three-pole connector at the bottom. The middle pole is the plus, the other two poles are the minus. In this way, one can never be charged with the wrong polarity. Usually the batteries are of the NiMH type which deliver a voltage of 1.2Volt each. It will be clear that at such low voltages a smooth run will positively influence the driving time. Just as in reality, engine type, transmission, type of tires, road surface, axle bearings, etc. are all important for optimal car performance.

Switching on / off is done by means of a small switch. In addition, a so-called reed contact is provided. This is a glass tube, whether or not in plastic, with a switching contact that responds to magnetic fields. This makes it possible to stop / drive the cars from the outside.

There are roughly two types of cars:

Bigger cars like trailer

Larger cars such as trailers with trailer, buses, trucks, etc. have 2 batteries. And so drive at a voltage of 2 x 1.2V = 2.4Volt and are usually equipped with a reed contact that short-circuits the engine in stop mode, the so-called engine brake. Because these models have more weight and a slightly longer run-out, this motor brake is necessary, otherwise they will continue to drive where they should stop.

Smaller cars such as passenger cars, vans etc. have only 1 battery and usually a single reed contact. The braking distance is naturally short, so a motor brake is not necessary. so these models only run on 1.2 Volt voltage !!

De Rijdraad:

The Faller standard contact wire has a coating that prevents rust from forming. This contact wire is concealed in the surface of the base plate. For this purpose, a small slot is milled, Faller has marketed a special device for this. The wire is then put away so that a good flat road surface is created. The Faller street paint is then applied as a finish.

The Stop Coils:

These Stop coils are concealed in the road surface. If there is voltage, the reed contact in a passing vehicle is energized and will stop. If the power is switched off, the car will drive on again. Stop coils are intended for short stops.

The Parking Spools:

If you want to leave a car stationary for a longer period, there are Parking Spools. These coils have a permanent magnetic field which is lifted by applying a voltage to it. This causes the reed contact to come to rest and the car will start driving.

The Splits:

The electrical split has a coil with a small permanent magnet on it. If voltage is applied, the coil will push the permanent magnet upwards, so that the slider on the front axle is sent in the deflecting direction so that the car stalls.