How I tipped and reset Binnie skips remotely

 

 I wanted a simple but effective way of tipping 32mm gauge Binnie skip wagons without the intervention of "The Hand of God". After scratching my head, I came up with this simple solution - a couple of pieces of bent 00 rail.

 Here's how I did it.

Bucket-tipping actuator

After some trial and improvement, I ended up with a tipping actuator arm with these dimensions.

These dimensions aren't critical but they seemed to work with my set-up.

The position of the arm was again discovered with a small amount of trial and improvement - just below the height of the rim of the skip bucket and protruding so that the leading edge makes contact as the wagon approaches.

As the skip wagon is propelled forward, the arm tilts the bucket, .....

..... until it over-balances and tips the rest of its way due to gravity.

I find that filling the bucket so there are more contents towards the tipping side helps.

 

Bucket-resetting actuator

 The dimensions given, match the spacing of Peco SM32 sleepers.

 I found that a 2.5mm hole drilled in the sleepers was enough to hold the actuator arm in place, though a dab or two of superglue stopped it from slipping out of alignment.

Once more, I positioned it by eye, making sure the front edge of the actuator ....

.... aligned with the tipped ridge of the bucket.

..... so that, as the skip wagon was drawn over the actuator, it forced the bucket upwards until its centre of gravity was restored to its normal, travelling position.

And here they are in action