Joe Daddy

Original Configuration
Qty	Manuf.	Descriptoin
1	Lenz	Set SI
2	Lenz	LR101 Digital Feedback module
8	Lenz	LB101 Block Occupancy Detector
2	Lenz	LS150 Turnout Decoder for DCC
1	DCC Specialties	RRamp Meter V2 (Portable)
1	AT&T	48 Port RJ45 Patch Panel

My experience with the LR101/LB101 shows they work reliably with wire lengths of 30-50 feet. I have the LR101 and the LB101 within 3 feet of the LZV100.

Since this is an area of great interest, let me elaborate on what I have done. There are a number of significant differences with using feedback vs. regular DCC. Some that I have discovered include:

The wiring for DCC with feedback is perhaps even more complicated that DC with elaborate block control.
Using a standard two wire buss (JK) for distribution all DCC is possible ONLY you:
1. distribute your feedback hardware (LR101/LB101) around the layout
2. provide distributed RS wiring around the layout as well. RS is used to digitally control the LR101
3. a series of wires are then required to be connected between the LR101 and the LB101 and the DCC wiring buss (JK)
Distributing the Feedback Hardware around the layout caused me a lot of problems troubleshooting and getting it to work correctly.
Moving or relocating a layout with distributed feedback hardware would be a real challenge.

I speak only from personal experience, as I have not yet seen or visited anyone who is using feedback except one very large layout using Bruce Chubb's stuff, and it is complicated certainly as much or more than what I am talking about here.

My first attempt at block detection was with the distributed hardware mounted close to the block. It kept bothering me that almost all of us use 18-24 gauge wire from the DCC Buss to the track. While the wire lengths are typically short, small wire-size is still small wire size. The numbers of wires for each block detector quickly becomes a bird's next, something I try to avoid. All of this and not even started signaling!

To overcome these issues, I wondered if Cat 3/5 24 gauge wire was sufficient to run my railroad so after a few tests with the wire and my RRamp meter I decided that it was worth a shot. What I did was to put all my DCC electronics in a drawer on slides with a 48 port patch panel out the back. This means I only have the cat 3/5 wires which plug into my panel plus a couple of AC wires to power supplies and my equipment bay is portable. This fact was reinforces when I abandoned my first railroad shortly after finishing the rewiring. Actually the fact that I could leverage that work on the new layout helped me make the decision to start over with an around the wall layout instead of a middle of the room configuration.

Concern over the current carrying capability of Cat 3/5 (.5 amps for 24 gauge) bothered me so I decided to use 4 sets of parallel wires to drive each segment of track. I solder most of my track as the temperature control of my layout is quite good, 70 +/- 3 degrees so I am not concerned much about expansion.

In testing current requirements, I ran 8 DCC sound equipped locomotives at the same time, with two pulling 20+ cars and found the current load to stay under 1 amp. With 16 or more blocks in my railroad, overloading the circuits does not seem to be an issue for me. Using O or G might well be a problem but not for my type of railroad.

Current Configuration
Qty	Manufacturer	Description
1	NCE	ProCab R
2	CTI Electronics	TB014 Sentry feedback modules
2	CTI Electronics	SM001-CC/CA Signalman signal light module
1	DCC Specialties	PSX-2 PowerShield X™ intelligent circuit breaker
2	DCC Specialties	RRamp Meter V1 (Panel Mount)
1	AT&T	48 Port RJ45 Patch Panel
4	Amphenol	110 distribution block (12 port)
8	DCC Specialties	Wabbit™ Dual DCC Stationary Decoder
14	DCC Specialties	Hare™ DCC Stationary Decoder

Computer Control - Train Tracking

2009-08-06T19:34:00.006-06:00

Under construction

Key to long term, legitimate computer control is some method of Train Tracking. By train tracking I mean being able to sense for a certainty exactly which locomotive is at a given point at a given time. There are at least three general approaches floating around that could be a solution for this problem. They are:

Ultrasonic sound, as represented by a product called RPS.
Bar codes affixed to the bottom of the locomotive.
RFID - small radio frequency id chips

My chosen automation software (CTI Electronics) uses a 'register' called a Beacon. There is a beacon for each location (block) on the railroad. The software 'passes' the number of the Locomotive from beacon to beacon as it moves around the layout. One knows where a particular train is by the contents of these registers.

And yes, loading or initializing beacons is a PITA. I've asked Tim the maestro behind CTI for an RFID capability and am willing to invest and test as required to make it work. Stay tuned, Tim is a great listener!

You all might find the current status of the RPS system long touted as the Model Railroad GPS system. So I don't misquote, you can read about it at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPS-mrr/

Personally I think the RFID system has a much better chance of success, especially if we limit our expectations.

At the very minimum, we need the ability to read a spot on the mainline, know for a certainty what locomotive is at that point, then check the contents of our beacons either loading or validating the contents.

Understanding beacon programming and management is key to the successful use of CTI in multi-train operations. (Least that is the way I see it.)

So far as CTI goes, I don't care if Tim wants to resell the stuff and support only what he can sell with enhancements to TrainBrain, or specify one or two suppliers. Mox nix to me! I just want RFID, the chips are small, inexpensive, have a reliable radius of 3-5 inches, work on standard USB what more could we want? Keep the chips under $5-10 bucks a locomotive with CTI support and my visa # is standing by! A 100 bucks for a station reader works too!

My vision of exactly how it could work:
The RFID reader need only do one thing, "Report the contents of the last RFID
chip read when polled." (RFIDreaderA)

I would have a sensor (IR/Photo SensorRFIDa) placed at the same spot as the RFID
reader so that I know when a loco arrives at the sensor.

I see the code something like this:

When SensorRFIDa = true do
If Beacon[1] <> RFIDreaderA then
Beacon[1] = RFIDreaderA
endif

That simple code, with an operating RFID system would ensure my beacons self load when a loco comes by, or verifies the correct loco is known to my layout. Two critical pieces from my way of thinking.

More As I learn it

One Second After

2009-08-06T19:03:00.007-06:00

Read One Second After. It is a well written, fast book on what happens to America after our enemies strike with an EMP strike. http://onesecondafter.com/

Don't know what EMP stands for? You ought to find out.

My wife found it to be a good book as well.

Santa Fe April 1, 2009

2009-04-03T21:26:00.001-06:00

2009-04-03T20:54:00.001-06:00

It has been a while since I have updated my blog. Chief among reasons is the time I am spending serving my club, the Boulder Model Railroad Club. I volunteered to take an officer position this year and the impact on my free time has been significant. I also too a new job last fall and wow, that has really taken its toll. And finally, I've been spending what free time I have in the train room which is where a model railroader is suppose to be.

Writing and reporting about being the treasurer of the club or about my new job would be no fun, but I think we can all agree that writing about model railroading is more fun.

So I thought it would be fun to take a specific scene and and show what it looks like now then step back and see the different looks that same view has had over the past two years of on the Colorado & Santa Fe.

SANTA FE

This area is supposed to be Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here is the current view:

Progress is seeing the differences

2009-04-01T20:37:00.000-06:00

LL Scratchbuilding auto overpasses

2009-03-31T20:46:00.008-06:00

This is where we are going, but it took me a few tries to get there.

Rix Products makes a great overpass. Many layouts have them, they are truly ubiquitous. The more I saw them, the more I became sure I wanted one. I purchased one of their 50's style overpass kits and put it in my project box. I needed one about 3 feet long which meant that I'd need several kits. As I continued to evolve my city scenes, more overpasses went on my todo list. All told, I needed about 12 feet of them. at about 20 bucks a foot, the price kinda started to worry me and I put the project off.

I had an open house last August and had a place where I really wanted an overpass. One of the pre-open house tasks was to install new valences. Among the scrap masonite (hard board to you youngsters) was a piece about 4 inches wide and about 3 feet long, just precisely the size and shape of what I expected for my overpass needs. I whacked off a couple of 1x4X4 blocks and presto, there was my overpass conceptual model.

Yep, with a little imagination, and it was the look the scene needed. I grabbed a ruler and measured the width of the Rix road bed, adjusted the fence on my band saw and had a 3.5 inch x 3 foot overpass. A shot of shake and shoot gray and it looked pretty good. A quick look in the junk box and I found a couple of 1 foot pieces of broom stick. A few feet of 1 x 1 and some yellow glue and I had a set of piers that looked ok. I took 4 of the old style Rix railings, grabbed my silicone caulk and the thing started to look like something.

So for the next couple of months, I had an overpass. I was pretty proud of it, but I knew it was a far cry from what I wanted. Then I started looking at other peoples overpasses, taking pictures of them, really examining what people do. Everyone except Howard Zane seemed to be content with the Rix product. At Christmas, my daughter's boy friend (a fellow model railroader, it does not get better than that) said I should put an overpass across my yard on my peninsula. A quick measure and that bridge would be 5 feet long. I always kept coming back to the Rix product, and finally decided that the Rix would not only be expensive, but would also take some work to get it straight.

Back to the scrap masonite pile and I found a 6 ft piece about the right size. Set the bandsaw, and I'm in business again. But this one was so long it was really floppy and hard to keep straight, so I set the band saw fence to 3/8 " and ripped some long ribs (girders). A little glue and I had a straight overpass that looked much better than the version 1 but since I used the smooth on only one side kind of masonite, the ends looked ragged and I made a few other little mistakes. And I learned that cutting masonite with my 10" band saw was murder on the blade. Talk about crooked! How can you get crooked with a fence? Chew the set off the teeth on the blade and watch it wander is how. I decided to make this one a modern bridge and glued a piece of simple molding on each side of the bridge. This was the right set of concepts, but the look, well you can see for your self in the picture that it is ugly, only a mother could love it.

And the broomstick piers did not look right at all. The Rix design is adjustable to deal with the inevitable uneven surface. I looked around the materials drawer and found a piece of 1/2" dowel, grabbed some of the 1x1 I had cut up when I had the table saw out and headed for the drill press. I grabbed my new 1/2" forestner bit and went to work on the 1x1. Soon I had some better looking and fully adjustable piers.

A little gray paint and victory. Boy this sucker is looking good. No, sorry, the piers just don't look good. Version 2 was a real disappointment, neither the railings nor the piers looked right and the masonite was a crooked disaster.

Back to the scrap pile an there it was, a nice piece of smooth on both sides hardboard (masonite for us old guys). This time I went into the garage to dig out the table saw. What a difference! Smooth, straight and clean. I cut enough parts to build about 15' of bridges all straight and smooth. A little yellow glue and some clamps and now it is starting to look right.

For the piers, I decided a 1x2 would look better on the base than the 1x1. By now, I had found my dowel jig and headed for the drill press. I replaced the forestner bit for a regular 1/2 twist and whacked out the holes in a few minutes. The forestner bit would clog and have to be cleaned 3 or 4 times for each hole, a real pain in the neck, and the holes were, well holes.

DCC Equipment Drawer

2009-03-02T16:41:00.007-07:00

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DCC equipment drawer components

Original Configuration
Qty	Manuf.	Descriptoin
1	Lenz	Set SI
2	Lenz	LR101 Digital Feedback module
8	Lenz	LB101 Block Occupancy Detector
2	Lenz	LS150 Turnout Decoder for DCC
1	DCC Specialties	RRamp Meter V2 (Portable)
1	AT&T	48 Port RJ45 Patch Panel

My experience with the LR101/LB101 shows they work reliably with wire lengths of 30-50 feet. I have the LR101 and the LB101 within 3 feet of the LZV100.

Since this is an area of great interest, let me elaborate on what I have done. There are a number of significant differences with using feedback vs. regular DCC. Some that I have discovered include:

The wiring for DCC with feedback is perhaps even more complicated that DC with elaborate block control.
Using a standard two wire buss (JK) for distribution all DCC is possible ONLY you:
1. distribute your feedback hardware (LR101/LB101) around the layout
2. provide distributed RS wiring around the layout as well. RS is used to digitally control the LR101
3. a series of wires are then required to be connected between the LR101 and the LB101 and the DCC wiring buss (JK)
Distributing the Feedback Hardware around the layout caused me a lot of problems troubleshooting and getting it to work correctly.
Moving or relocating a layout with distributed feedback hardware would be a real challenge.

Current Configuration
Qty	Manufacturer	Description
1	NCE	ProCab R
2	CTI Electronics	TB014 Sentry feedback modules
2	CTI Electronics	SM001-CC/CA Signalman signal light module
1	DCC Specialties	PSX-2 PowerShield X™ intelligent circuit breaker
2	DCC Specialties	RRamp Meter V1 (Panel Mount)
1	AT&T	48 Port RJ45 Patch Panel
4	Amphenol	110 distribution block (12 port)


8	DCC Specialties	Wabbit™ Dual DCC Stationary Decoder
14	DCC Specialties	Hare™ DCC Stationary Decoder

Your feedback is appreciate.

Blog Visitors Map

2008-12-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Click here to see where visitors to Joe-Daddy's blog come from.

DCC - Managing Power off Lenz vs NCE

2008-11-11T07:48:00.003-07:00

Power management
The following is a post I recently made to the CTI & NCE yahoo forums.

Two years ago, I would have told you that CTI's unwillingness to power off my Lenz system in favor of dropping into emergency stop (ES) mode was a mistake. Today, I see it as genius.

Here is why. When one is operating the layout via automated software such as CTI, and especially when using current detection, keeping the sensors energized while sorting out irregularities such as a derailment is a wise thing to do. If the sensors loose power, the logic will time out and effectively do a power on reset, which, if you have followed the consequences of power cycling and layout synchronization, you'd quickly know how difficult that scenario can be.

Let us examine differences between ES for Lenz & NCE.

With Lenz, Press the red button on the Lenz controller and the system defaults to emergency stop. Press the button again and the layout resumes its last set of operations; or one can manually press F0 on a throttle and the layout powers down.

For NCE, pressing emergency stop once and it stops only the operating locomotive controlled by that throttle, press two more times and the layout powers down. Pressing the enter key restores layout power. Unfortunately all locos remains stopped until you restart them individually. All of these situations are problematic for automatic operation.

Lenz & NCE have programmable options regarding power. Lenz allows for one to go directly to power off with the red button pushed. (Interestingly, changing this option does NOT affect how CTI treats the system, which is a wonderfully good thing.)

NCE allows one to do away with powering off the layout entirely, an option for which a logical reason completely escapes me.

Summary
CTI power control works well with Lenz and NCE and at first blush, one would prefer the NCE, however, upon deeper analysis of the problem my conclusions are:

The Lenz solution is a far better scenario for computer controlled layouts. Using the Lenz system, one can easily and reliably suspend the layout for indefinite amounts of time by pressing emergency stop.

With the NCE, using the emergency power (off) can produce unpredictable results, hardly a reliable situation.

The Lenz system continues to sound like the better solution for CTI automatic operation. With JMRI, the impact of these circumstances is not clear to me.

The Lenz system responds to the ES (Red) button by freezing or suspending the entire layout and resuming operation with another depression of the ES button. Further, the Lenz will allow one to reconfigure the ES button to 'power off' the layout, if so desired. I'd like to see NCE make that change to their product so the two worked identically. It certainly would benefit those of us who want to run from the computer.

Joe Daddy 11-2008

Layout Facias and Valences Lessons learned

2008-11-05T20:06:00.009-07:00

My newest addition to my train library is Tony Koester's new book Designing & Building Multi-Deck Model Railroads. This book is excellent and has some of the most enjoyable pictures of model railroading I've ever seen in one place. So why have I started a blog entry about layout valence and fascia additions to a model railroad with a book endorsement. Simply because Tony does a pretty nice job of covering the topic. But I've learned a few lessons that Tony didn't mention. Now some of these lessons I read about, saw on an other's layout or simply figured them out myself. So here goes:

Valences
The location of lights used with valences is very important. Locate the lights as close to the front edge of the layout as possible. This makes it harder to 'see' the bulbs either while looking at the layout or taking pictures.

I had spent a LOT of money installing modular track lighting for my layout and that was money poorly spent. I've found that cheap 48" shop lights with 1 t-8 bright or daylight florescent (never soft or cool lamps) have turned out to be a better choice. Without a valence, the track lighting certainly looked better than a bunch of shop lights would. But of course, the fascia hides the lights from view, and more importantly, it keeps the lights from glaring right into your eyes or the camera lens. If the lights are at the back of the facia cavity, it is all to easy to see and look directly into the lights. Another problem with the track lights is the shadows they create and the difficulty in obtaining even lighting over the layout.

Backdrop height
I wish I had made my backdrops go from the layout all the way to the ceiling. Instead, my 24" back drops sitting on top of a 52" layout shelf leaves about a foot of white wall showing. This spoils the look. See what I mean in the picture at the right?

When I visited a friend's layout recently, he had just finished installing his valences. He avoided the light issues by using translucent panels suspended in drop ceiling frames. I chose to do this on my peninsula where it is very easy to see the lights from the end, no matter where you put them. The big drawback with this method is the price. All of the parts are pretty cheap,but you wind up using a lot more of them than you think. Just doing the Peninsula which is about 1/4th of my layout cost more than $150.

Fascia
Originally, my facia was 6" wide and was 'smooth and straight" along the edges of my layout tables. All along, I had planned to have an uneven, sort of undulating edge with the scenery raising up to the top edge. Why I' did not do it that way to start is anyone's guess, but I ripped out the current fascia and replaced it with 12" high masonite pieces. At the bottom on the rough inside surface, I used liquid nails to attach clothes pins about every foot or so. These pins hang down below the table edge and are to be used to hold landscaping black 'fine mesh' as a curtain. his tip courtesy of NMRA Scale Rails and a friend's layout.

My new NCE Radio System Observations

2008-10-31T20:23:00.022-06:00

Well, I made the decision today, I'm having some interoperability problems with my Lenz system talking to my CTI system. The North Coast System has had my attention for a long time so I thought I'd give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. Right out of the box, I've started seeing little things that catch my attention so I thought I'd keep track of them here for all to see.

I've no intent to bash the product, but I will be sharing those things that bug me.

1 - The documentation is not as crisp as I'd expected. For example, page 82/83 shows the system connections, however it does not show the connections to the antenna. Reading the book, I'm at a loss to know where it connects.

2 - Purchased the USB adapter and went to the NCE website to get the driver. What a mess that was, Go to a different site, then the instructions do not match the directions on the website. Why not post the driver or the correct link? I did eventually find the right driver on the NCE website, but it was quite by accident, and there are two drivers there. The other one is for a Serial/USB adapter, not the NCE USB adapter. U think they were labeled so you would no that, naa, had to down load them and see what was inside them to figure it out.

3 - The LEDs on the USB adapter only light up with traffic, which is important to know as the Lenz USB adapter LEDs light up all the time the appropriate end is connected and powered.

4 - The USB adapter would not work in Decoder Pro when set to 19,200 baud, even though the adapter jumper and the driver setting were set to 19,200 baud. I found a note on the JMRI site that suggests the adapter only works at 9600 baud. I spent about an hour figuring this out.

5 - Decoder Pro works differently using the COM port (Serial) vs the USB. Using the USB, the power control buttons would not toggle the power on and off, yet those two buttons work as expected using the Serial Port.

6 - If they would have used a 5 pin connector for the track and transformer connections (added GND) the connections between the Lenz and the Pro Cab would have been a plug and play swap. I plugged the antenna into my former Lenz cabling and everything seems to be working. We'll see if that holds true.

7 - This is such a simple question, but I really need to ask. And I assure you that I have been diligent in RTFM, even to searching the files section and reading Mark Gurries Radio Hackers Guide.

Pressing the red Emergency Stop (ES) button 3 times turns my command
station off. SO, how do I turn it back on? Press the Enter key from the cab that powered down. (a big thanks to Marcus for his help on this)

I have been doing it in these ways:

and it never works the same way twice in a row.
1. Unplug the command station and plug it back in.
2. Press the ES button a number of 1 second or longer presses.
3. Press Prog/Esc + ES
4. Press Shift + ES
5. Using Decoder Pro or CTI (serial only) connections and it works
perfectly and predictably.

Mark Gurrie says something about Power On difficulties and offers a few
tips, all things I'm pretty sure would void my warranty. Quoting from
his guide (2003) version:
Hard to Power On (even when pressing 3:00 position)
– Problem: Insufficient power up interlock drive.
– Fix#3: One resistor change on Radio Board.
– Problem: LCD Backlight draws to much power.
– Fix#4: One resistor change on Cab Board.
– Fix#5: Check back of LCD Board for Resistors. If exist,

8 - None of my Hare/Wrabit turnout decoders are addressing properly. No idea what that problem will be. From the throttles, turnout decoders work the same, but from a computer interface, NCE chose to be different from the Lenz addressing scheme. Lenz addresses the first decoder (with 8 outputs) with a zero, while NCE addresses same with a 1. The wreaks havoc when using a computer interface.

Things I like so far:

Having the LH100 buttons AND the thumb wheel is nice. Best of both worlds.
I like the automatic cab power off feature and I like the fact that the wait time is adjustable.
Selecting turnouts is simpler and more straight forward, and it returns to the locomotive after you select the action. Maybe, it turns out to be a little more cerebral on the NCE that at first blush. On the NCE you have to know which direction to throw the turnout, and if you choose wrong, you must go through a new keyboard sequence, with the Lenz, you select the turnout, then use the + & - keys until it points the way you want.

Things I don't like so far:

Having to press Emergency Stop three times to shut down the layout.
The Escape key is not convenient, I am use to it being at the top, not the bottom.
Loosing Emergency Power Off by shorting two pins on the command station is a real loss of functionality.
The USB adapter is not yet supported by the applications I use.
Lack of a protective cover for the USB adapter.
Lenz has an emergency stop mode that does NOT remove power from the tracks, but stops all the trains. NCE removes power from the tracks. Current detectors like to have constant power on the tracks so this is another liability for the NCE.
I'm liking the Lenz turnout controls better all the time.

Power management
The following is a post I just made to the CTI forum.

Two years ago, I would have told you that CTI's unwillingness to power off my Lenz system in favor of dropping into emergency stop (ES) mode was a mistake. Today, I see it as genius.

Here is why. When one is operating the layout via automated software such as CTI, and especially when using current detection, keeping the sensors energized while sorting out irregularities such as a derailment is a wise thing to do. If the sensors loose power, the logic will time out and effectively do a power on reset, which, if you have followed the consequences of power cycling and layout synchronization, you'd quickly know how difficult that scenario can be.

Let us examine differences between ES for Lenz & NCE.

With Lenz, Press the red button on the Lenz controller and the system defaults to emergency stop. Press the button again and the layout resumes its last set of operations; or one can manually press F0 on a throttle and the layout powers down.

For NCE, pressing emergency stop once and it stops only the operating locomotive controlled by that throttle, press two more times and the layout powers down. Pressing the enter key restores layout power. Unfortunately all locos remains stopped until you restart them individually. All of these situations are problematic for automatic operation.

Lenz & NCE have programmable options regarding power. Lenz allows for one to go directly to power off with the red button pushed. (Interestingly, changing this option does NOT affect how CTI treats the system, which is a wonderfully good thing.)

NCE allows one to do away with powering off the layout entirely, an option for which a logical reason completely escapes me.

Summary
CTI power control works well with Lenz and NCE and at first blush, one would prefer the NCE, however, upon deeper analysis of the problem, the Lenz solution is a far better scenario for computer controlled layouts. Using the Lenz system, one can easily and reliably suspend the layout for indefinite amounts of time by pressing emergency stop.

I see no ill effects from that. However, with the NCE, using the emergency power can produce unpredictable results, hardly a reliable situation.

The Lenz system continues to sound like the better solution for CTI automatic operation. With JMRI, the impact of these circumstances is not clear to me.

Check back in a few days as I continue to add to my list of experiences. And thanks for stopping by my Blog.

Lenz Throttle experiences

2008-10-30T14:50:00.008-06:00

Some asked for recommendations on which PDA to use for his new Lenz Set LI. Here is my response.

Like you I opted for the Set LI initially using the KAM software suite.
I'll share my experiences with throttles.

I've used Four different computer interface throttles:

1. Desktop PC
2. Tablet PC (Motion M1300)
3. HP IPAQ 2055
4. Samsung I730

A thumbnail of results with these devices:

I use the Desktop throttle today when running my automated layout with CTI and JMRI software. I loved the KAM network concept but the rest of the suite left me wanting. My KAM experience is dated by 3 years.
The Tablet works well with KAM throttles because of the network concept and the larger screen on the tablet allows multiple throttles. It is analogous to a large PDA. Does not work with CTI or JMRI unless you tether it with USB or Serial cables.
The IPAQ was really pretty nice and worked well, but at $400, I felt I could use that money for real throttles and sent it back.
The Samsung was just too slow (I suppose memory & / or CPU constrained) and was just too slow.

To do a PDA throttle you must have software that will allow you to run over wireless TCPIP and KAM is the only one that I ma sure will do it. (RR & CO leads me to believe it too will work but the software option is pretty expensive.) The PDA must have built in Wireless.

I also have 3 hardware throttles:

1. 3 LH100's
2. 1 LH90
3. 1 T9000E
A thumbnail of my hardware throttle experiences.

The LH100 is hands down best. After using it for a few hours, I've grown to dislike the knobs a lot.
The LH90 is just too clunky and I find it hard to use, if you need to do anything more than go slow and fast and forward/reverse and limit myself to 4 function keys. Others will rant about how wonderful it is, but it was a waste of my money.
The t9000E is even more clunky than the LH90 AND the infernal reverse switch is mounted on the throttle knob (you push it in to reverse the locomotive). And the buttons and their sequence is, well I'll sell it one of these days.

If you would like to read more about my experiences with automation
software, see Software Automation, Painful.

HTH,

Joe Daddy

Ebay Pet Peeves

2008-08-03T05:10:00.003-06:00

Oh, how I wish we had the old eBay back. You remember, the one where the sellers were like you and me. We had too much stuff and wanted to lighten the load or empty the shelves under the bench. But that eBay is long gone, replaced by something that is so ugly.

Few are the eBay sellers like you and me, today we have the ebay entrepreneur which in too many ways can mean Shyster. Some of their tactics include:

Quantity on Hand is meaningless to the Shyster. He takes your order, then places an order from his or her supplier and fills your order when he gets his. Oh, burried in the two pages of BS is a statement that most orders are filled within 30 days. grrrrr

No PayPal - This jerk runs a cash only business, requiring only certain types and even colors of money orders! This of course means an expensive and time consuming trip to the post office to stand in line and purchase a money order! Naturally, I never seem to catch these Shysters until after I have won the auction. Yes, you can search for pay pal only, but then your buddy sends you a link for something you have been looking for and it is one of these clowns. GRRRRRR!

Shipping Scammers - Buy it now for $1 and I hope you did not notice that the Shyster's shipping cost is $90 bucks. Money back guaranteed, shipping costs excepted. Actually happened buddy. You are probably ok IF the product works (mine did not), and you noticed the shipping scam before you bid. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Retaliation Feedback - Just watch what happens when you give one of these Shysters negative feedback. They retaliate with the most outrageous crap. I have finally decided that is OK, and I now wear it as a badge of honor, I caught you you sniviling Shyster! Under the new rules, the seller can only give you good feedback, but they CAN and DO say nasty things about you. I wear those nasty comments as my eBay purple heart!

Just a few of the more nasty things I hate about Shysters. More to come!

Joe Daddy

The Athearn F7 A&B unit ATSF Freight

2008-06-17T23:18:00.005-06:00

The Athearn F7 A&B unit ATSF Freight

Description	F7 AB
Category	Locomotive
Manufacturer	Athearn
Website	Http://www Athearn. com
Purchased at	Mark Twain Hobby
MF List	$420
Street price	$225
Date of purchase	04/27/2007
Value		4
Quality		6
Instructions		5
Packaging		7
Availability		7
Compatibility		5
DCC / Electrical		3
Service		3
Serviceability		4
Overall Score		4.8

Pros:	Finely detailed, both A & B units powered and with sound
Cons:	Very poor slow speed operation, DCC and Sound system defects and short comings
	I was indeed excited to see Athearn release this product.
	My road name and freight colors are all the options I value in DCC and Sound and the huge benefit of both units powered with sound. The honeymoon was very short though.

	I must add that this is only the second Athearn locomotive I have purchased since returning to the hobby in 2005. 80% of my freight rolling stock is Athearn and I'm quite happy with it, however, Athearn still does not have it right when it comes to locomotives. They can blame it on their selection of MRC as a decoder provider.

	The units are closely matched and do not pull against each other, like my P1K F3's do even after a lot of Speed Curve work.
	Like QSI, the sound system can put out very loud and hgh quality sound.
	The unit includes a radio controlled remote to allow for control of sound on DC layouts. (I wonder if including this functionality included the downside loss of low speed operation.)
	The dual sounds are kinda neat, but frankly it is not something I'd require in my decision process going forward. They do have a Doppler effect that is quite genuine but it is not pronounced.
	Strong pulling power, pulled 25 40' & 50' box cars and caboose on my long 2% grades. Unit easily stopped and started on grade, lurching at the start though.
	The B unit was silent due to a defective speaker, yes they sent me a new speaker but I had to replace it. The service from Athearn was about the same I received from BLI, poor. I wanted a replacement which they refused. They would only send me parts. After the speaker was replaced, well more disappointment.
	Slow speed operation on this unit is 7-9 mph measured by my trusty Accutrack speed-o-meter. My BLI E6 & Proto 1000 F3's will run under 2 mph.
	These locomotives rather lurch at start!
	The MRC decoder has the fn keys mapped differently from QSI and Soundtrax, namely 0, 0 is sound off/sound on and turning the headlights on and off use fn 0. Figure that out!

Will I buy another one?	Yes, I conditionally recommend this unit due to the MRC decoder which is the root cause of all the issues I have with this locomotive.
Will I use this supplier again?	Yes, this is a great locomotive, just needs a better decoder.

Joe Daddy Product Evaluation

2008-06-17T21:57:00.003-06:00

The Athearn F7 A&B unit ATSF Freight

Description	F7 AB
Category	Locomotive
Manufacturer	Athearn
Website	Http://www Athearn. com
Purchased at	Mark Twain Hobby
MF List	420
Street price	225
Date of purchase	04/27/2007
Value		4
Quality		6
Instructions		5
Packaging		7
Availability		7
Compatibility		5
DCC / Electrical		4
Service		4
Serviceability		4
Overall Score		5.1

Pros:	Finely detailed, both A & B units powered and with sound
Cons:	Very poor slow speed operation, DCC and Sound system defects and short comings
	I was indeed excited to see Athearn release this product.
	My road name and freight colors are all the options I value in DCC and Sound and the huge benefit of both units powered with sound. The honeymoon was very short though.

	I must add that this is only the second Athearn locomotive I have purchased since returning to the hobby in 2005. 80% of my freight rolling stock is Athearn and I'm quite happy with it, however, Athearn still does not have it right when it comes to locomotives. They can blame it on their selection of MRC as a decoder provider.

	The units are closely matched and do not pull against each other, like my P1K F3's do even after a lot of Speed Curve work.
	Like QSI, the sound system can put out very loud and hgh quality sound.
	The unit includes a radio controlled remote to allow for control of sound on DC layouts. (I wonder if including this functionality included the downside loss of low speed operation.)
	The dual sounds are kinda neat, but frankly it is not something I'd require in my decision process going forward. They do have a Doppler effect that is quite genuine but it is not pronounced.
	Strong pulling power, pulled 25 40' & 50' box cars and caboose on my long 2% grades. Unit easily stopped and started on grade, lurching at the start though.
	The B unit was silent due to a defective speaker, yes they sent me a new speaker but I had to replace it. The service from Athearn was about the same I received from BLI, poor. I wanted a replacement which they refused. They would only send me parts. After the speaker was replaced, well more disappointment.
	Slow speed operation on this unit is 7-9 mph measured by my trusty Accutrack speed-o-meter. My BLI E6 & Proto 1000 F3's will run under 2 mph.
	These locomotives rather lurch at start!
	The MRC decoder has the fn keys mapped differently from QSI and Soundtrax, namely 0, 0 is sound off/sound on and turning the headlights on and off use fn 0. Figure that out!

Will I buy another one?	Yes, I conditionally recommend this unit due to the MRC decoder which is the root cause of all the issues I have with this locomotive.
Will I use this supplier again?	Yes, this is a great locomotive, just needs a better decoder.

Train Auto - Sensor Processing Logic

2008-06-08T21:03:00.017-06:00

I've been working with my train automation for some time. There have been a large number of successes in the process and I've learned a lot about not only what I want to do, but how to accomplish things within the software I have. As you may know, I'm using the CTI-Electronics equipment for about a year and a half or perhaps even a bit longer. Their TrainBrain software uses the Train Control Language, TCL to control trains. The language is much like programing in BASIC and while appearing to be deceptively simple, things can become very complex in a hurry.

One of the main reasons is that with train automation, things happen asynchronously meaning independently and in real, or very near real time. For example you must close or open a turnout before the train gets there and keep in in position while said train in passing through.

Layout designed for Automation
My layout is primarily designed for computer automation. To be ready for automated computer operations I incorporated these features:

The layout is made for continuous running.
Most of the sidings on the layout are passing sidings. A train can pull in and back out without backing up.
The trains only go in one direction.
The mainline has choke points meaning I cannot run two trains parallel and just let them go.
When trains meet, in certain parts of the layout, they are going different directions.
Trains can pass each other on the sidings.

My layout has 29 blocks, 5 are photocell and 24 are current detection blocks. Plans call for at least a dozen more. All of the current detection blocks have passive torrid style detectors and are mounted behind the facia in a wiring channel near the physical location of the block. I use #14 gauge wire for my DCC bus and #20 wire for feeders. Feeders are typically no more than 2.5 feet long. The layout is set up for two power districts with my DCC drawer located directly under the #11 signal indicator on the CTC panel. I use two DCC Specialties RRamp meters to independently monitor the current and voltage in each of the districts. Using a third RRamp meter with a lightbulb cliped to it, I have measured my current drops which in all cases are less than .75 volts with a 1/2 amp load.

I purchase most of my materials for my railroad locally at either Caboose Hobbies (Dave 502 is their Mr. DCC) or Mizel's Trains. When I need to purchase something over the internet, my favorite place for DCC is Bruce at Litchfield Station.

Sensor Logic
Programming sensor logic seems pretty straight forward. IN CTI's TCL, the syntax goes something like this:
When SensorA = True do
LocoA.Speed = 15
Wait 15
LocoA.F2 = pulse 2

or when Sensor A is true, set locomotive A to speed 15, wait 15 seconds and press f2 (Whistle/Horn) for 2 seconds. Certainly this is simple enough but there are lots of other things we need to do, like manage the locomotive assigned to which block using CTI's Beacon logic, and things get even more complicated when managing the CTC panel indications.

The sneaky snake in all this is that sensor logic typically becomes so involved that it can takes a lot of time for it to execute. The worst sitatuation with sensors is when you have a second locomotive enter a block whle the previous locomotive is still processing. In these situations the second and any subsequent sensor actions is lost which of course screws up the program logic. These sitations become common when you start adding 2, 3 or more locomotives.

To help overcome these type issues I have incorpoated the following logical scheme to deal with sensors.

I have a couple of rules for sensor programming.

Only one set of code for each sensor which does all logic for that sensor.
Use the same logical flow and style for all sensors. (Simplifies troubleshooting later)
Reduce and eliminate hard coding of locomotives as much as possible.
When hard coding of a locomotive address is required, use an alias with only one place where the Alias must be changes when the locomotive changes.
Always make sure there are two empty blocks between trains.
Use a sequencing scheme for sensor logic. Use a variable to clock through the steps of the sensor logic.
All CTC panel addressing is done by a reference variable that contains the address of the panel object; this is because many CTC panel objects can be used multiple times in the logic. This makes the program MUCH easier to maintain when things change.

The logical flow for sensors is:

CTC panel logic - update the coloring of signals and routes plus adding locomotive symbols as desired.
Beacon management - movement of the locomotive address through the route as required. Sensitivity to direction and route is required.
Clock the train - move and position the locomotive into the block as required, especially necessary when you are stopping in this block.
Hold the train - On sidings, an Icon of a lock allows one to hold a train in a passing siding indefinitely until released by the CTC panel operator. My three color passing sidings have this capability.
Block exit logic - keep the train stopped in the current block until you have a clear route ahead. I test for a minimum of two empty blocks.
Set Loco & TurnOut Controls - after the locomotive has been cleared for release, set locomotive speed, momentum, whistle/bell and set turnouts for correct path.
Update CTC & Cleanup - as the train leaves the CTC panel, set signals, colors and variables as necessary.

I use the following variables for each block. Yes, this means each block, all 29 of them, have these variables. You quickly fall in line with using indexing. ie. BlockNOKOCC[3] = the Occupancy variable for Block 3 of NOK (Norman Oklahoma)

Occ - Occupancy - Is this block occupied? Set and reset by the relative sensor for the block, this variable is also used as the block sequencer. As the logic moves from one setion to the next, this variable is changed.
Loc - Location used for two purposes. 1 - Mark the spot where the code colors a block, 2 - Location where the Train indicator Sprite will reside.
ID - Place where the Locomotive ID is written on the CTC panel.
Hold - Tells the logic the locomotive is to be held in the block until the variable is false.

Each of these section sis a separate When statement. This means that all when statements in my code have very small and controlled amounts of code to be executed. This has greatly reduced the problems I had with sensor timeouts. I also post the sequence number directly on the CTC panel so that I can see which logical step a block is in when the troubleshooting the layout. I keep all blocks to the same sequence so that I have a clear knowledge of what is happening. For example When a block is setting at 15, I know that block is on hold and the train should sit there indefinitely until released.

More to come, I hope this is helpful.

Joe

LL Passenger Cars

2008-05-12T07:18:00.000-06:00

I've 3 sets of passenger cars, Walthers Santa Fe streamliners (11.75",) Bachman Santa Fe Heavyweight set (11") and the Rivorossi Santa Fe set (8.75").

Subjective observations:

The Walthers look nice, but are by far the most PIA cars I own.

The Rivorossi's roll and ride the smoothest and have the best detailed look overall.

The Bachmanns are lighted, look pretty good, work well,

Trucks

Walthers - comes with metal wheels that squeak and the cars pull very hard, lub at your own risk. . . Hard to rail.

Bachmann - roll smooth, came with metal wheels. They just work.

Rivorossi - cannot remember if I changed the wheels from plastic to metal, just too long ago, but trucks and wheels are not a problem.

Couplers

Walthers - PIA - MUST replace with Kadees, and the cars overall are temperamental from a coupler standpoint.

Bachmann a #5/148 coupler is too long and makes the gap between the cars too wide.

Rivorossi works and look great with #5s

Lighting

Walthers lighting kit is expensive and tricky to install and the lights flicker and flash.

Bachmanns come with lights that are already installed but flicker and flash.

Rivorossi no light kit option I've found.

Consists

Walthers pulled with BLI E-6 A-B both are powered and it is required to go up my 2% grades.

Bachmans pulled with a BLI 4-8-4, nice train, but my 4-8-4 is my most nitpicky locomotive.

Rivorossi set pulled with a Bachmann 2-8-0 and love the 'local' effect, a very sweet little train. Sometimes I pull it with my MTH K-4 and while not as 'cute' a train, a very nice package too.

Regarding Athearn - I purchased an Athearn streamliner kit 30 years ago and was never able to make it look or work right so I have shunned that brand eversince. Probably not fair to them, but shows the impact of bad experiences on our outlook.

Joe Daddy

2008-05-09T17:26:00.002-06:00

I like mountains. I've about 25 linear feet of them most with tunnels and all open inside. Originally I started using aluminum screen wire with hydrocal, and it just took too many coats or the use of paper towels in the mix, which makes it messy. Now I use Woodland scenics cloth which is SO EASY to use. Now I must tell you that I DO USE FOAM as a profile board upon which I fasten the screen wire to. Originally I used drywall screws to hold the screen wire until the plaster dries, but now I actually cut the profile out of lightweight foam, then trace scraps of 3/4 plywood with the shape about 2 inches wide and glue and screw it to the fram so I have something to staple the foam to.

I've also used foam as a flat base for scenery only because it is lightweight.

Stacked foam typically looks like stacked foam unless they put plaster cloth or ALOT of sculptamold on top of it.

I do want to give credit to those very talented people who can and do make nice looking layouts with foam and little or no plaster, but for every one I see that is nice, there are 8-10 that look like stacked foam or worse.

One side of a set of my mountains

Other side of the first set of mountains using cardboard framework on foam profile

Plaster cloth

Finishing up the plaster cloth with plaster castings.

This entire set of mountains are built so they can be totally removed from the train table and without cardiac assistance.

Just my 2 cents, trying to learn to be a model railroader.

Course there is more of my views on scenery and foam on my blog.

Joe

Safety Inspection program

2008-05-01T09:12:00.002-06:00

There was a tremendously interesting thread on Trains.Com yesterday about whether foam on our railroads constituted a 'illegal' safety situation. Why it was locked so quickly baffles me.

But the larger topic of safety issues on our railroads is, I think a very important one. Something we should take seriously and make sure that we minimize any risks our layouts may pose to our family and of course ourselves.

What are some of the ares where we could or should be paying close attention, as we build and expand our hobby presence in our homes?

Street rodders have annual automobile inspection programs where their street rods are checked to make sure you are not driving a suicide ride.

Perhaps the NMRA or our local clubs cold implement a program where a team of railroaders visits a fellow's layout and gives things a good once over looking for safety and fire hazards.

Personally, I've been surprised when my Rod failed inspection only to find out that I had missed some critical item.

I'd welcome an objective look at my railroad and train room from a safety and fire perspective.

Thoughts?

Joe

Here is my response to someone minimalizing the need for layout inspection under the disguise that there really is no problem.

John Doe wrote:

SNIP

You'd have to have some sort of ignition source for the layout to catch fire, and unless you've done something really stupid like using 26 gauge phone wire as the feeder buss for your 10 amp DCC system, you'll not have a problem. SNIP

John,

I have been thinking about your comments for several days. Your words stimulated these thoughts. "Yesterday, my life changed forever because:"

the 35 watt pencil soldering iron, I left idling on the ash tray on my layout (homasote, not foam) while I finished the honey dew fell off the tray and burned through. The new smoke detector I bought for the layout room is still in the utility room. . .

the extension cord we used to connect the lighting valences was only 18 gauge. I only had a 'few' 60 watt bulbs in the valence. . .

my cigarette lighter I was using to shrink some heat-shrink caught the skirting on fire and the whole place went up like a bomb. I was lucky to escape alive. . .

the ballast I'd installed with liquid nails to the bottom of my foam staging yard caught fire. I never knew ballasts got hot. . .

the string of CFL lamps I mounted behind the valence had their bases touching the wood frame to keep the bulbs straight. I did not know that a CFL had a ballast and could get so hot that it would set wood on fire. . .

the new outlet I wired for my workbench had the polarity mixed up and I got an arm to arm shock when I turned the light on. Doctor says I am lucky to be alive, but I do have permanent heart damage now. . .

our beloved poodle was electrocuted when she stepped on the layout room carpet. Seems some water that had spilled on the extension cord that ran under the carpet. I did not know that wire insulation will break down if you step on it a bunch of times. My grandson will not keep his shoes on and he loves to play in the train room while I . . .

our home burned down because I had connected my layout and the under the shelf lighting to an extension cord that was too small for the load. In fact the insurance man tells me that they are probably going to deny my claims for the $32,000 for my layout because it caused the fire. He kinda laughed when I tried to show him the receipts that had survived in the filing cabinet. Unfortunately, our home was under-insured so we are only getting $99,000 for our new home and all its contents.

my layout caught on fire while I was sweating some copper on the hot water tank next to the layout. I was not worried because I had a fire extinguisher handy. I never knew that fire extinguishers have to be tested periodically. . .

my son's room caught on fire when he plugged in that old TV set. I did not realize that the little change I did to the wiring had put my layout and all its electronics on his bedroom circuit which had undersized wiring from when we remodeled. Interestingly, my buddy who did all that wiring was fired from his job last month because they said he lied about his electrician's license. Guess they were right, huh!

Each of these imagined situations can easily happen. I know, because several of them have happened to me, fortunately without serious consequences.

In today's world, catastrophic events are a regular part of our lives, not just someone else problem. The building which housed the branch office I worked in 1972 was also blown apart when Timothy McVeigh blew up the Murrah building. (Fact). The house that I lived in 1972 while working at the branch office was wiped off the face of the earth in a class 5 tornado about 5 years after McVeigh. (Fact) Many of us have been in the World Trade center and the Pentagon. I worked in New Orleans the summer before Katrina.

Some things we can prevent, some things we can't. Trouble is we don't know the difference until it is too late. Minimalizing real and potential dangers that may, or may not exist in a layout room, well that just doesn't make sense to me.

While having a buddy come look at your layout might help prevent a problem, having a friendly, voluntary inspection by another model railroader trained to look for specific criteria applicable to model railroading is, in my opinion, a far better and wiser solution. When I have my inspection on my layout, I hope the modeler is a 'rivit counter'!

Just my 2 cents

Joe Daddy

LL - Track weathering

2008-04-29T09:20:00.006-06:00

Some, including myself have noticed and lamented that Atlas code 83 flex track is
more flexible and tends to return kinda straight more easily than other brands, namely ME which seems to hold a bend pretty nicely.

I've found that if I weather my Atlas Flex using Krylon flat brown (camouflage), it has more pros than cons:

Pro
1. Now the Atlas Track holds a set(bend) like other track.
2. Track weathering is completed.
3. Over spray is easier to control
4. Cleaning rail tops is easer
5. I can use my paint booth to control fumes

Con
1. Removing the paint for installing rail joiners is a pain
2. Removing the paint to install a feeder can be a pain.

I've started using this technique, but not painting the ends and masking a spot on each side for feeder attachment. Touch up is easy after the track is laid in place.

PS,
No, I don't remember reading or seeing this anywhere, but if this is really your idea and I just never saw it, or I forgot you told me about it, well, thanks for pointing that out. JD

DCC Automation Error Detection

2008-03-10T08:23:00.002-06:00

updated 4-16-2008

This entry and language is based around the CTI-Electronics solution. It may apply to other product solutions as well.

For those unaware of a CTI beacon, it is a set of pointers that one 'loads' with a locomotive number that then follows the physical location of the loco. (we are required to write explicit code to move the loco.)

I'm focused on how to detect error conditions on my layout, stuff that makes trains go bump in the night. A few ideas I am pursuing:

Train looses its beacon - if a detector fires and there is no beacon value on either side of that block, out of sync, stop the railroad.
Collision possible - when a detector fires and the beacon for that block is not clear and the beacon on either or both sides is loaded with a locomotive value, either out of sync or a collision is forth coming. Stop the railroad.
Maintaining an accurate indicator of the direction the train is traveling is important. Two options, a test to see which side of the block contains the beacon will give direction. Place it in a variable and test to confirm at least once each lap.
After a train leaves a block, a new block signal must be received with so many seconds or a loss of sync condition exists, due to station stop which can be programmed around, however this would certainly catch a derailment, the bane of current automated operations.
Know how many trains are running and signal an error whenever the number of beacons with values is less, or more than the number of trains you have running. I do this by having a continuous loop that counts the beacons and checks against the total every 10 to 20 seconds. No need to do it continuously. Not yet sure of the optimum timing.
Essential to troubleshooting inevitable problems, I have implemented a relay operated by the CTI system that will force Emergency Power Off (EPO) of my DCC system. This 'drastic' action will freeze the layout at the time my code detects the anomaly. This is very useful in deciphering the clues of what is not working properly.

I am not saying these things are easy to do, but I'm convinced that to get the kind of smooth reliable running trains I want, these kinds of event management details must be worked out in my design.

Thoughts? Ideas? Solutions?

Joe Daddy his self

copyright Joe Daddy 2008

Colorado Midland O Scale railroad

2008-03-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Colorado Midland O Scale railroad Website

Click on the picture to examine further detail.

Colorado Modular Colorado - Raillink

2008-02-26T16:25:00.001-07:00

Colorado RailLink

Click on the picture to examine further detail.