There are two ways to achieve semi-automatic uncoupling. The first, as discussed in Delayed Action Tension Lock Uncoupling, allows for the locomotive to uncouple by simply changing direction, having passed over a magnet.
However, converting to Kadee style couplings can be expensive, and is not without it's own issues - see Adding Symoba NEM Pockets & Kadee Couplings.
The alternative is based on a variation of the Brian Kirby magnetic uncoupling solution. This is a cheap, do-it-yourself addition to couplings that use a plastic tension locking hook (rather than the metallic Hornby ones) and allows for 'instant' uncoupling when positioned over a magnet.
Uncoupler Magnet Placement
In both cases, the placement of a magnet under the layout (or at least embedded in the base board) causes the decoupling to occur. The placement of the magnet tends to be fairly permanent, and as such needs careful thought.
For example, when delayed uncoupling is used, a rake can be spotted on any one of a number of sidings, even after passing over sets of points. But, when using immediate uncoupling, a magnet is needed for each individual siding.
This is explained more fully in the Kadee Inglenook Magnet Placement Advice article.
Another important consideration is for those who are planning an oval layout : every time the train runs over the magnet, the uncoupling action will take place. Depending on the rest of the track plan, this may, or may not, matter.
As a matter of course, though, it is usual not to place magnets underneath ovals, and reserve them for terminus operations (fiddle yard, terminus station, goods yard, etc.)
When Placement Doesn't Matter
In the Variations article, for those who haven't read it, there is at least one solution to the above - use an electromagnet. These can be switched on and off at will, and as such are widely used for selective immediate automatic semi-magnetic decoupling.
A final thought - there's often no need to put modified coupling in place on each piece of rolling stock. Commonly, though, they'll be fitted to locos and brake vans, as well as the start and end wagons in longer rakes.
However you choose to implement it on your layout, magnetic uncoupling can open a whole model rail experience!
Monday 5 December 2011
Friday 2 December 2011
Inglenook Kadee Magnet Placement Advice
Many of us, especially those of us with a shelf switching layout, have an Inglenook. Kadee magnet auto-coupling/decoupling makes operating an Inglenook much easier (when it works) but is a real pain when it doesn't, or if the magnets are put in the wrong place.
First off, what exactly is an Inglenook? Figure 1 shows the basic layout (adapted, with many thanks, from the Model Railways Shunting Puzzle Web Site) and can be adapted to any scale, with a couple of points (switches) and 7 or so bits of track.
The operating fun to be had with the Inglenook relies on being able to pull wagons off trains (rakes) which are parked on the ends of the Inglenook, and swapping them with others, in a kind of Towers of Hanoi style puzzle.
While decoupling using the paintbrush-with-a-loop-of-wire-on-the-end solution is all well and good, for the ultimate in operating action, many enthusiasts like to implement some kind of automatic decoupling solution. Kadee manufacture such a solution, using magnets and knuckle couplers to provide a reliable shunting experience.
Due to the way that they work, on an Inglebook, Kadee magnet based auto-decouplers are a great solution for one simple reason : delayed decoupling. For layouts using electromagnetic decoupling (in my opinion, the next best thing to Kadee's solution), magnets are needed at each place where a wagon (truck) can be uncoupled.
Wagons can be uncoupled from other wagons, or from the loco (shunter), and Figure 2 shows where the placements should be (or could be) for an Inglenook using only electromagnetic automatic decoupling.
There are other places that magnets might be appropriate or desirable, but Figure 2 serves to illustrate the point - 3 separate magnets, with three separate buttons, are required to be able to spot trucks (wagons) on each of the three sidings of the Inglenook.
Kadee magnet based uncoupling changes this, as seen in Figure 3.
The reason only a single magnet is required is that once decoupling has been activated the remaining rake (train, or wagon) can be shunted into place, and remains decoupled. When the loco pulls away, the decoupled wagon or rake is left in place - delayed decoupling.
There is a drawback, however. In order to decouple a relatively long rake, the track in front (to the left of) the magnet needs to be long enough to accommodate it. However, if this proves to be a problem, more magnets can be added on the sidings themselves, this allowing decoupling with some, or most, of the train over the points.
First off, what exactly is an Inglenook? Figure 1 shows the basic layout (adapted, with many thanks, from the Model Railways Shunting Puzzle Web Site) and can be adapted to any scale, with a couple of points (switches) and 7 or so bits of track.
 |
| Figure 1: Basic Inglenook |
The operating fun to be had with the Inglenook relies on being able to pull wagons off trains (rakes) which are parked on the ends of the Inglenook, and swapping them with others, in a kind of Towers of Hanoi style puzzle.
While decoupling using the paintbrush-with-a-loop-of-wire-on-the-end solution is all well and good, for the ultimate in operating action, many enthusiasts like to implement some kind of automatic decoupling solution. Kadee manufacture such a solution, using magnets and knuckle couplers to provide a reliable shunting experience.
Due to the way that they work, on an Inglebook, Kadee magnet based auto-decouplers are a great solution for one simple reason : delayed decoupling. For layouts using electromagnetic decoupling (in my opinion, the next best thing to Kadee's solution), magnets are needed at each place where a wagon (truck) can be uncoupled.
Wagons can be uncoupled from other wagons, or from the loco (shunter), and Figure 2 shows where the placements should be (or could be) for an Inglenook using only electromagnetic automatic decoupling.
 |
| Figure 2: Inglenook Magnet Placement |
There are other places that magnets might be appropriate or desirable, but Figure 2 serves to illustrate the point - 3 separate magnets, with three separate buttons, are required to be able to spot trucks (wagons) on each of the three sidings of the Inglenook.
Kadee magnet based uncoupling changes this, as seen in Figure 3.
 |
| Figure 3: Inglenook Kadee Magnet Placement |
The reason only a single magnet is required is that once decoupling has been activated the remaining rake (train, or wagon) can be shunted into place, and remains decoupled. When the loco pulls away, the decoupled wagon or rake is left in place - delayed decoupling.
There is a drawback, however. In order to decouple a relatively long rake, the track in front (to the left of) the magnet needs to be long enough to accommodate it. However, if this proves to be a problem, more magnets can be added on the sidings themselves, this allowing decoupling with some, or most, of the train over the points.
Friday 18 November 2011
Piko Digi Fern Blog Note
For first steps into DCC (digital command control for model trains) manufacturers like PIKO have produced relatively accessible solutions. The Piko Digi Fern controller, for example, is an IR device which can be used to wirelessely control trains, and looks rather like a standard TV controller.
Here's the catch - programming functions are limited to assigning addresses to loco, switch engine and other device decoders. So, a separate programming track will be required, despite the fact that there are about a hundred buttons on the PIKO Digi Fern, it is less capable than it might at first seem!
Here's the catch - programming functions are limited to assigning addresses to loco, switch engine and other device decoders. So, a separate programming track will be required, despite the fact that there are about a hundred buttons on the PIKO Digi Fern, it is less capable than it might at first seem!
Thursday 10 November 2011
Hornby NEM Pocket Couplers
Here's an interesting one. Regular readers will be aware that I have, in the past, converted old Hornby Railroad stock to NEM couplers, but it appears that some people want to go the other way and use the old Lima D-ring couplers in NEM pockets.
Before I show you how, let's just go over the basics. Pre-NEM, manufacturers simply chose a coupling type (Lima-D ring, Bachmann style tension lock couplers, Hornby tension lock couplers, etc.) and variously moulded or screwed it into the design.
Changing the coupling for a specific piece of kit would then be a case of unscrewing (or cutting off, in the case of the Railroad stock) and then attaching the new couplers instead.
With NEM pockets, things have changed.
A NEM pocket, without going into too much detail, allows us to swap between NEM-compliant couplers, and be pretty sure that they'll work. They just clip into (and out of) the pocket.
This was great for new stock, and for converting stock to use (for example) Kadee magnetic auto-couplers, and gave everyone a great deal of easy choice, but the question remained - what to do with the old stock?
Symoba came to the rescue with a number of solutions - the first is a simple arrangement to fit a NEM pocket to a non-NEM model, be it loco or rolling stock. That's the solution I used to fit Kadee automatic couplers to an old Railroad shunter.
However, in doing so, I cut off the existing D-ring, which has left me with an issue : rolling stock with D-ring couplers that I'd like to shunt, but no 'compatible' shunter!
Which brings me on a round trip to Hornby part number R8268, "Pack of 10 large width couplers". (If you want to see one, try the Hornby Spares Page at NewModellersShop - just scroll down a bit!)
These have *gasp* NEM connectors, and will plug into my newly-installed NEM couplers.
This means two things. Firstly, I'm flexible, and despite the fact that the shunter in question is a bit of a dog (owing to the cheap motor, no doubt), I've finally found a use for it towing slowly away from the shunting yard.
Secondly, just because something looks like a good idea, doesn't always mean it is. I should have left those D-rings on in the first place, since the shunter (despite a DCC conversion) has turned out to be useless at ... shunting!
Addendum : Amazon also stock the NEM D-Ring couplers, and if you buy from that link, you'll make me some pennies towards my own layout...
Before I show you how, let's just go over the basics. Pre-NEM, manufacturers simply chose a coupling type (Lima-D ring, Bachmann style tension lock couplers, Hornby tension lock couplers, etc.) and variously moulded or screwed it into the design.
Changing the coupling for a specific piece of kit would then be a case of unscrewing (or cutting off, in the case of the Railroad stock) and then attaching the new couplers instead.
With NEM pockets, things have changed.
A NEM pocket, without going into too much detail, allows us to swap between NEM-compliant couplers, and be pretty sure that they'll work. They just clip into (and out of) the pocket.
This was great for new stock, and for converting stock to use (for example) Kadee magnetic auto-couplers, and gave everyone a great deal of easy choice, but the question remained - what to do with the old stock?
Symoba came to the rescue with a number of solutions - the first is a simple arrangement to fit a NEM pocket to a non-NEM model, be it loco or rolling stock. That's the solution I used to fit Kadee automatic couplers to an old Railroad shunter.
However, in doing so, I cut off the existing D-ring, which has left me with an issue : rolling stock with D-ring couplers that I'd like to shunt, but no 'compatible' shunter!
Which brings me on a round trip to Hornby part number R8268, "Pack of 10 large width couplers". (If you want to see one, try the Hornby Spares Page at NewModellersShop - just scroll down a bit!)
These have *gasp* NEM connectors, and will plug into my newly-installed NEM couplers.
This means two things. Firstly, I'm flexible, and despite the fact that the shunter in question is a bit of a dog (owing to the cheap motor, no doubt), I've finally found a use for it towing slowly away from the shunting yard.
Secondly, just because something looks like a good idea, doesn't always mean it is. I should have left those D-rings on in the first place, since the shunter (despite a DCC conversion) has turned out to be useless at ... shunting!
Addendum : Amazon also stock the NEM D-Ring couplers, and if you buy from that link, you'll make me some pennies towards my own layout...
Friday 16 September 2011
Adding Symoba NEM Pockets & Kadee Couplings to Hornby Railroad Class 06
Following on from my experiment to convert the Hornby Railroad Class 06 to DCC, I'd been happily running it around an oval layout at a highly non-prototypical (or is that protoatypical?) speed when I realised that to actually do shunting with my Bachmann and Piko wagons in any kind of meaningful way, it would need further modification.
Since reading Model Rail's NEM coupler test report, I've gone a bit Kadee mad, fitting them to almost everything in sight. Okay, due to limited funds, I do generally just fit them to one example of each wagon, but that's an easy process, and easy to reverse.
Which brings me to the Railroad Class 06, which, unlike my more expensive HO Piko loco, doesn't have NEM pockets. For the uninitiated, NEM pockets are little boxes that hold the coupling, and which make it easy to interchange couplings as you wish.
The Class 06, however, has a Lima style D ring. Luckily, it's in plastic.
Clearly, if I was going to Kadee-ify the Class 06, I'd first have to get rid of the Lima D rings (oh, yes, front and back) and replace them with something capable of taking the Kadees.
(For those wondering, I use Kadee rather than the clever Brian Kirby 'BK' magnetic uncoupling solution on my inglenook-inspired shunting layout because I take advantage of the delayed uncoupling feature. More on that another time.)
It turns out that Symoba made the exact pieces that I needed : a NEM pocket and adapter to hold it. The NEM socket was cheap. The adapter, because of the little springs inside it to handle cornering, and the engineering of the whole thing was not quite so cheap!
At this point, a photo would be useful, but again, I didn't take any, so you'll have to take a look at the official Symoba web site. When I do another hatchet-job on a Railroad, I'll post up the photos. Promise.
Back to the conversion. Take a knife, and remove the D-rings. Prise out the little bobbing arm thingy, and take a deep breath.
At this point, I thought it would be an easy enough job : just cut enough of the chassis away to accommodate the mounting plate for the adapter, and glue it in place, plastic to plastic.
Wrong!
In fact, you have to cut the chassis right back to the metal underside, otherwise you can't get the NEM pocket high enough up the sprung mounting pole to meet the height of the other couplings on the rolling stock.
I tried every which way, swore, sweated, and then un-glued the mounting plate to give it another go. Cutting back to the metal does the job, on the Class 06, but I can't vouch for other locos. Either way, the sprung pole is long enough that it doesn't really matter how far into the chassis area the adapter is mounted.
And that's it. I got a piece of rail, put a NEM/Kadee-ified wagon on it, and used that to measure the height of the pocket, which slides onto the mounting pole. That's a tight fit, so be sure to only push it up the pole gradually, as going the other way might just tear the mounting plate away from the chassis of the loco.
Now, the running tally of the cost of the Class 06 is as follows:
The closest thing to that would be Bachmann's admittedly excellent Class 03 (or Class 08's) which are around £50-54, and would need a DCC chip fitting, for a total of, at most £65. They are better runners, allegedly, but I'll find that out when I get myself one at the Folkestone MRC2011 Exhibition in October.
Since reading Model Rail's NEM coupler test report, I've gone a bit Kadee mad, fitting them to almost everything in sight. Okay, due to limited funds, I do generally just fit them to one example of each wagon, but that's an easy process, and easy to reverse.
Which brings me to the Railroad Class 06, which, unlike my more expensive HO Piko loco, doesn't have NEM pockets. For the uninitiated, NEM pockets are little boxes that hold the coupling, and which make it easy to interchange couplings as you wish.
The Class 06, however, has a Lima style D ring. Luckily, it's in plastic.
Clearly, if I was going to Kadee-ify the Class 06, I'd first have to get rid of the Lima D rings (oh, yes, front and back) and replace them with something capable of taking the Kadees.
(For those wondering, I use Kadee rather than the clever Brian Kirby 'BK' magnetic uncoupling solution on my inglenook-inspired shunting layout because I take advantage of the delayed uncoupling feature. More on that another time.)
It turns out that Symoba made the exact pieces that I needed : a NEM pocket and adapter to hold it. The NEM socket was cheap. The adapter, because of the little springs inside it to handle cornering, and the engineering of the whole thing was not quite so cheap!
At this point, a photo would be useful, but again, I didn't take any, so you'll have to take a look at the official Symoba web site. When I do another hatchet-job on a Railroad, I'll post up the photos. Promise.
Back to the conversion. Take a knife, and remove the D-rings. Prise out the little bobbing arm thingy, and take a deep breath.
At this point, I thought it would be an easy enough job : just cut enough of the chassis away to accommodate the mounting plate for the adapter, and glue it in place, plastic to plastic.
Wrong!
In fact, you have to cut the chassis right back to the metal underside, otherwise you can't get the NEM pocket high enough up the sprung mounting pole to meet the height of the other couplings on the rolling stock.
I tried every which way, swore, sweated, and then un-glued the mounting plate to give it another go. Cutting back to the metal does the job, on the Class 06, but I can't vouch for other locos. Either way, the sprung pole is long enough that it doesn't really matter how far into the chassis area the adapter is mounted.
And that's it. I got a piece of rail, put a NEM/Kadee-ified wagon on it, and used that to measure the height of the pocket, which slides onto the mounting pole. That's a tight fit, so be sure to only push it up the pole gradually, as going the other way might just tear the mounting plate away from the chassis of the loco.
Now, the running tally of the cost of the Class 06 is as follows:
- Loco : £20
- DCC chip : £11
- NEM pockets : £1
- NEM adapters : £6
- Total : £38
The closest thing to that would be Bachmann's admittedly excellent Class 03 (or Class 08's) which are around £50-54, and would need a DCC chip fitting, for a total of, at most £65. They are better runners, allegedly, but I'll find that out when I get myself one at the Folkestone MRC2011 Exhibition in October.
Friday 2 September 2011
Routine Locomotive Maintenance
Running a model railroad is often just like the real thing. Many model railway enthusiasts will freely admit that getting the operations as close to reality as possible, with timetables, running orders, randomly occurring events, and so on, is all part of the attraction.
Just like real trains, model trains will eventually need some kind of maintenance, as will the tracks. Now, I'm not talking about major things here - such as switching to DCC, rerouting lines, or adding scenery - but about the little things.
Trains pick up dirt, often in places that are, at first, invisible. For example, a poster on the NewRailwayModellers forum pointed to an intermittent issue with a Bachmann Class08 not running smoothly, or indeed at all.
The suggestions (upheld) were that there was a build up of grime on the wiper pickups, which need to be cleaned routinely, by removing the wheels.
It's this kind of routine maintenance that can be made part of the operations by creating a works timetable to note when the last check was done of each loco, wagon and carriage, and what changes have been carried out. For those who already keep a logbook for each loco, this is just a natural extension of that.
For the rest of us, maybe it's about time we started to get real!
Thursday 1 September 2011
Top Tip for Corrugated Surfaces
I was reading September's Model Rail and was particularly interested in an article about making corrugated iron sheets. Now, Paul A. Lunn suggests using a Modelscene corrugated panel as a kind of template, pressing a piece of thick aluminium foil (such as from a takeaway tray) down onto the panel so that it picks up the corrugated form.
The advantages are clear - weathering and distressing a piece of foil is way easier than doing the same on a piece of plastic, which is far removed from the kind of surface that is being modelled. For complete instructions, Model Rail is probably still available on the news stands, if not they might have a back issue service, and this particular tip is in Issue 160, September 2011.
Now, the reason that this interested me was that I don't have any Modelscene corrugated panels. However, what I do have are:
- toothpicks
- matchsticks
- cardboard
The thought occurred to me that I could replicate the corrugated panels by gluing either toothpicks or matchsticks to the cardboard, and then pressing the foil between two of these makeshift panels. Other bits and pieces can also probably be used - toothpicks give a rounded edge, matchsticks a square one, but there are probably other possibilities to explore.
I look forward to seeing your efforts, and will be posting my own as I perfect the technique. A big thanks to Paul. A Lunn and the folks at Model Rail for the initial spark!
Tuesday 9 August 2011
Aha! DCC Conversion for the Hornby Railroad 06 Class Diesel
Recently, those fine folks at Hornby released a Railroad edition of the Class 06 Diesel Shunter for an extremely affordable £20. Now, even a newbie like myself understands that there's a certain disdain reserved, by some people, for the Railroad editions, but when you're just starting out, with limited funds, Metcalfe models, and Railroad stock are just sensible, value for money, options.
Being a Railroad, of course, it's missing DCC, and the DCC plug, has no lights, and being Hornby isn't compatible with my existing Kadee couplers. So, I've got three projects on the go, one of which is now complete - my non-DCC Class 06 Diesel now has a Hornby 4 function DCC chip installed.
For those keeping score - that's £31 spent so far, plus about 45 minutes of work (bracketed by an hours worth of head-scratching.) Before I explain the project, I'd also like to point out that I wouldn't have even bothered, were it not for the free DCC guide that came with August's Model Rail magazine. I'd have just bought an expensive, DCC shunter, and not bothered with the Engine Shed, Goods Shed, track, points, etc. etc. that I was able to buy with the difference...
I should also mention that I have two regrets : I didn't take photos, and I don't have a soldering iron. So, this is a solder-free, no photo project. If you're going to attempt it, I recommend both taking photos, and using solder!
Step 1 : dismantle the loco following the instructions that came with it. If you're reading this in 2015, and bought it second hand at a local fair, then look underneath, there are little clips that can be persuaded to release the body from the frame in two parts.
Step 2 : cut the wires that lead from somewhere udner the motor (from the rail pickups), to the motor itself. Now, I know that there are people out there who will strip it right back, take off the motor, de-solder the TV supression (two capacitors) etc.etc., but I just cut the black wires, folded them back, stripped about 5mm of insulation off,and twisted the ends.
Step 3 : cut the plug off the DCC chip. You don't need it, since there's no DCC socket. But, leave as much wire as you can, as it makes the next bit easier.
Step 4 : put the loco down in front of you, with the front facing. This is important, because, unless you want to reverse the function of forwards and backwards, you have to get the right wire on the right side of the motor.
Step 5 : identify the right and left motor wires from the DCC pin allocations given in the DCC instructions. In my case, it was grey (left) and orange (right).
Step 6 : do the same for the power connections (rails). In my case, these were red (left rail) and black (right rail).
Step 7 : solder the correct colored wires to the correct black wire ends created by the cutting process in step 2. In my case, I twisted them together, and insulated with tape. Following Hornby's own directions, I also taped the wires around the DCC chip, but you might like to leave that until after testing and programming the DCC decoder. So...
Step 8 : test and program the decoder on your programming rail, or on the main.
Step 9 : if it didn't work as planned, check the wiring. If it did, put everything back how you found it, with the addition of the DCC decoder sitting on top of the motor - there's space!
And that's about all there is to it. No doubt I made mistakes, and no doubt others can do it better, but for a newbie, I thought I'd done okay! Next time, photos, I promise...
The next Railroad Class 06 Diesel project is to get rid of those irritating toy-like couplers and put on nice, shiny, but somehow out of place Kadees instead. After all, they did win the Model Rail magazine August edition's Coupling Test (for best auto couplers.)
Other railway modeling magazines are available.
Being a Railroad, of course, it's missing DCC, and the DCC plug, has no lights, and being Hornby isn't compatible with my existing Kadee couplers. So, I've got three projects on the go, one of which is now complete - my non-DCC Class 06 Diesel now has a Hornby 4 function DCC chip installed.
For those keeping score - that's £31 spent so far, plus about 45 minutes of work (bracketed by an hours worth of head-scratching.) Before I explain the project, I'd also like to point out that I wouldn't have even bothered, were it not for the free DCC guide that came with August's Model Rail magazine. I'd have just bought an expensive, DCC shunter, and not bothered with the Engine Shed, Goods Shed, track, points, etc. etc. that I was able to buy with the difference...
I should also mention that I have two regrets : I didn't take photos, and I don't have a soldering iron. So, this is a solder-free, no photo project. If you're going to attempt it, I recommend both taking photos, and using solder!
Step 1 : dismantle the loco following the instructions that came with it. If you're reading this in 2015, and bought it second hand at a local fair, then look underneath, there are little clips that can be persuaded to release the body from the frame in two parts.
Step 2 : cut the wires that lead from somewhere udner the motor (from the rail pickups), to the motor itself. Now, I know that there are people out there who will strip it right back, take off the motor, de-solder the TV supression (two capacitors) etc.etc., but I just cut the black wires, folded them back, stripped about 5mm of insulation off,and twisted the ends.
Step 3 : cut the plug off the DCC chip. You don't need it, since there's no DCC socket. But, leave as much wire as you can, as it makes the next bit easier.
Step 4 : put the loco down in front of you, with the front facing. This is important, because, unless you want to reverse the function of forwards and backwards, you have to get the right wire on the right side of the motor.
Step 5 : identify the right and left motor wires from the DCC pin allocations given in the DCC instructions. In my case, it was grey (left) and orange (right).
Step 6 : do the same for the power connections (rails). In my case, these were red (left rail) and black (right rail).
Step 7 : solder the correct colored wires to the correct black wire ends created by the cutting process in step 2. In my case, I twisted them together, and insulated with tape. Following Hornby's own directions, I also taped the wires around the DCC chip, but you might like to leave that until after testing and programming the DCC decoder. So...
Step 8 : test and program the decoder on your programming rail, or on the main.
Step 9 : if it didn't work as planned, check the wiring. If it did, put everything back how you found it, with the addition of the DCC decoder sitting on top of the motor - there's space!
And that's about all there is to it. No doubt I made mistakes, and no doubt others can do it better, but for a newbie, I thought I'd done okay! Next time, photos, I promise...
The next Railroad Class 06 Diesel project is to get rid of those irritating toy-like couplers and put on nice, shiny, but somehow out of place Kadees instead. After all, they did win the Model Rail magazine August edition's Coupling Test (for best auto couplers.)
Other railway modeling magazines are available.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
Setting up IguanaWorks IR with the Piko Digi-Fern
One of the key components of my DCC shelf switching (and eventual continuous layout, I've decided!) show-ready, modular railway layout is the possibility to not only control it 'live' but also using a computer.
This means, in my case, being able to schedule IR signals from a computer. I realise that there are other ways to do this, but this appeals to my inner geek, so it is the approach I have chosen, at least for now.
There's a bunch of things that you'll need if you want to play along on this journey:
The key to using this specific piece of equipment is to remember to always start the daemon software, which communicates with the USB connected hardware.
Next up is to install WinLIRC - and that just requires unpacking the archive to the hard drive. There are several steps that could follow, but for now, the WinLIRC software can be roundly ignored, as the Piko Digi-Fern controller needs to be set up.
Luckily that's pretty easy :
So, where does this leave me? Well, I can now communicate with the railroad, in theory, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I need to either use the (Win)LIRC transmit application in a batch file, or write my own, fully functional, control center software package.
Watch this space - first I want to build the railway!
(I also have a LIRC file for fellow Piko Digi-Fern users to save you a bit of work!)
This means, in my case, being able to schedule IR signals from a computer. I realise that there are other ways to do this, but this appeals to my inner geek, so it is the approach I have chosen, at least for now.
There's a bunch of things that you'll need if you want to play along on this journey:
- an IR transceiver (I chose one from the IguanaWorks)
- the LIRC or WinLIRC software (I have both, instructions here are for WinLIRC)
- a DCC, IR controlled model railway (mine happens to be a Piko Digital)
The key to using this specific piece of equipment is to remember to always start the daemon software, which communicates with the USB connected hardware.
Next up is to install WinLIRC - and that just requires unpacking the archive to the hard drive. There are several steps that could follow, but for now, the WinLIRC software can be roundly ignored, as the Piko Digi-Fern controller needs to be set up.
Luckily that's pretty easy :
- start the IR daemon (found in the IguanaWorks install folder)
- in a 'cmd' window (Start->Run, enter cmd and hit enter) locate the WinLIRC folder
- type, without quotes, "IRRecord.exe -f -d IguanaPlugin.dll ..\piki-digi-fern.cfg"
So, where does this leave me? Well, I can now communicate with the railroad, in theory, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I need to either use the (Win)LIRC transmit application in a batch file, or write my own, fully functional, control center software package.
Watch this space - first I want to build the railway!
(I also have a LIRC file for fellow Piko Digi-Fern users to save you a bit of work!)
Newbie Reasons for Using DCC
The fundamental decision whether to run trains (points, signals, and so on) using DCC or analogue control is one best taken at the start of the model railway design process. In my case, I decided almost immediately that I wanted DCC for two reasons:
The Piko Digital system (H0, or HO, with Piko A tracks) is also controlled by an infra-red remote control, which I intend to use to prepare a computer-controlled DCC system. Now, I'm aware that there are manufacturers that can give me a box to do this, but I'm a bit of a geek and want to build my own from the ground up:
- I didn't want to create track 'segments' to run multiple trains
- I'm a geek and wanted, eventually, to move to computer control
The Piko Digital system (H0, or HO, with Piko A tracks) is also controlled by an infra-red remote control, which I intend to use to prepare a computer-controlled DCC system. Now, I'm aware that there are manufacturers that can give me a box to do this, but I'm a bit of a geek and want to build my own from the ground up:
- IguanaWorks IR transmitter/receiver
- Arduino Uno programmable sensor/activator unit
- PC-software design and control
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