Model Train Delivers Coffee On-Demand

YouTuber James Whomsley, tired of having to walk upstairs, built a model train railway that delivers coffee to his desk.

Cameron Coward
1 year agoFood & Drinks / Sensors

We all know that coffee fuels productivity, but that is something of a catch-22. You need energy to go get a cup of coffee, but you don't have that energy until you drink the coffee. I estimate that the productivity loss from this problem cost my household alone at least $16 million a year. Such losses were unacceptable to James Whomsley of the YouTuber channel ProjectAir, so he turned a model train set into a coffee delivery system.

If you never had the pleasure of playing with model trains, you might be surprised to learn that their operation is quite simple. A model train locomotive contains a small electric motor that spins the wheels whenever it receives electric current. The higher the voltage, the faster the motor rotates and the faster the locomotive moves. The power comes from the rails, with one rail acting as positive and the other as negative. The rails form a complete circuit, with a power supply connected somewhere along the way. Generally, that power supply lets the conductor adjust the voltage in order to control the train speed.

Whomsley wanted his model train to run back and forth from the coffee machine to his desk. But those two train stations are separated by a set of stairs, which dramatically increased the complexity of the railway. The train, pulling a car with a coffee mug, needed to go to the coffee machine, start the brewing process, wait until brewing and dispensing completes, move down the stairs, and then stop at the desk to allow for coffee retrieval. Models trains cannot ascend steep grades, so this required a lift system for the staircase.

Both the "stations" and the lift system utilize Arduino Uno boards with sensors to detect the presence of the train. They can also disconnect and then reconnect power to the rails as necessary in order to control the movement of the train. The lift mechanism, made with LEGO parts, contains a motor to raise or lower the "elevator" to move the train up and down the stairs. Contacts on the elevator platform only allow power to flow through the rails when the platform is in position.

The coffee machine's "start brewing" button connects to the nearby Arduino, which can activate the machine when the train is in position. When it senses the train, it disconnects power, starts the brewing process, waits until brewing completes, then reconnects power (in reverse) to send the train back to the desk.

While not many people want a train running through their home, this is a fun solution for the caffeine addicts who don't want to break their productivity stride to get their fix.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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