Whilst working out the best values for the 'trip' resistors on the Booster I've been uploading photos I've taken around the place of trains.
So far this consists of Japan, Yass and Canberra... an odd mix.
Find the links here (also on the menu on the right):
Japan, December 2007 - February 2008
Well, Silver Circuits manufactured and delivered my PCB much much quicker than expected and I'm not complaining!
PCB Board (on angle)
Well, after a long fight of finding appropriate software and then design I've finally sent off the final (if not entirely messy) design to the manufacturers...
PCB Design
Ok, hot off the development 'floor':
Booster Prototype 2 (Short-circuit protection)
...is the Booster Prototype 2.
I'd bought both the Maple Red and Maple Orange versions of this EMU back in 2006 when I first went to Japan and have always loved the quality and performance.
Kirara 900
Since the latest trend has been to DCC all my gear, I had decided that what better candidate next than to do one of these up.
After a few more days of work the trainControl application has evolved further:
trainControl
After 3 days of coding/learning/coding-again I managed to whip together a fairly usable *nix console application to control the DCC System.
It is a client for the srcpd service mentioned previously and can control any number of trains.
There's still a fair bit of work to do on it... dynamically resizing windows, mouse input, etc... but I thought I'd post to show some progress.
After losing the source code to my DCC Throttle application I decided it was time to get the whole system controlled from Linux (or, in my case, Debian.)
I'd known that the DDW Server I'd been using was based off srcpd and that they were more-or-less compatible.
After a lot of tinkering (making sure libraries/compilers/etc... were installed) I finally for srcpd compiled and running.
Well, after a successful Decoder + Headlight install I thought I'd attempt to get the reverse marker lights going as well.
I'd been told on the JNS forums that these lights are used very rarely in Japan and that explained why the model manufacturers (in this case Tomix) didn't bother to put lights behind them.
Despite this there is a 'tube' of clear, but red, plastic behind the marker lights and this means that I would only have to get an LED lined up behind it to get them to work.
Well... This wasn't anywhere near as easy as I was hoping... The Japanese really know how to use every last bit of space in their models and although the full-metal chassis adds a nice amount of weight for smooth running, it is hell when trying to make room for a decoder.
Well... after a night of work (and using my breadboard version as basis) of soldering and drilling I have a prototype!
Rear and internal views
Enter the Odoriko Express Passenger train; This was always going to be a challenge...
Odoriko 185 Series in original colour
Ok, after a miriad of attempts to control my model railroads with computers (parallel port to relays, voltage controls, etc...) I decided it was time to go to DCC... I mean... why not use the rails as a data bus and have all the logic inside the locomotives themselves. I had decided that all the european command stations were too expensive and that I would do as some of the references below have done and just use my computer to push out the 1's and 0's. Anyway, after a lot of trial and error I have a working prototype... but stay tuned for something more production ready.
Ladies and Gents,
Welcome to the first post of my Blog which should entail all sorts of shit from TTD, Model Rail, DCC, etc...
I'll hopefully start with my story of creating the DCC <-> Computer Booster Board and getting it to run with free software sourced from the web... following will be my plight to install a Hornby DCC Decoder (R8215) into my 5-Car Odoriko Set.
After this I'll just try to attempt the site as much as I can with my tinkerings and keep people informed on how to DCC MRR on the cheap :)
