My Model Railroad with Electronics

[xrunner]

Hello,

I finally joined after watching the video blog for a long time. I was planning on buying the Rigol DS1052 but after watching the recent video comparing it to the DS2072, I decided to wait and get the DS2072. I think it's got a 6 month backorder though.

My electronics project? My model railroad. If you didn't know it, it's all computerized now and the locomotives all can have small microcontrollers in them called DCC (digital command control). I'm also using the Arduino to make some electronics I need such as a signal controller and traffic light controller. I've been working on it for 1 1/2 years now and not even close to being done. I attached several pics.

Beauty!

Glad to be here.

[David_AVD]

I like the DCC system.  Much easier to run multiple engines.   

[xrunner]

I like the DCC system.  Much easier to run multiple engines.   

Hello David,

Yea it's pretty cool. I've even installed a small DCC decoder to run the motor in a turntable. I had N scale trains as a kid and recently got back into it after finding some of my old cars in a box. I had no idea the hobby had progressed this far.

I'm planning on doing some cool stuff with the Arduino on the layout, as I've said one is to simulate signals and traffic lights. Another is to set up some emitters and sensors to detect trains. Instead of the standard IR LEDs I got some IR laser LEDs from a Chinese supplier on Ebay to use as emitters. I could use red lasers but it looks like the Terminator is after my trains.

I also build my own N scale parking lot lights, I attached a pic of one that simulates sodium lights.

I recently retired and plan on upgrading my test equipment. Right now I have a 20 year old Hitachi scope. I'd like to get the Rigol DS 2072 and maybe a Rigol DM3058 too.

Glad to be here.

[Skimask]

I wanna play!

[dr.diesel]

Very nice!  Thanks for sharing.   

[David_AVD]

I like that mini sodium light.   

[xrunner]

I like that mini sodium light.   

Thanks. I used 1.6 mm LEDs for those. Currently (no pun intended) I run strings of LEDs on the layout in series using several Supertex CL2 constant current sources off a 24V PS.

I next need to make some traffic lights with of course R-Y-G LEDs, but it's going to be quite a little project.

Keep posting so I can answer a few more questions and get past the anti-spam verification captcha requirement. 

[David_AVD]

The stuff I have stored away is N gauge.  I don't have room to set it up at home at present due to my other hobby; pinball and arcade machines.  By the time I get back to it (retirement), there will be hover trains!   

[xrunner]

The stuff I have stored away is N gauge.  I don't have room to set it up at home at present due to my other hobby; pinball and arcade machines.  By the time I get back to it (retirement), there will be hover trains!   

I know.

I do plan on setting up JMRI for PC control of my layout (I have the USB interface already) but I do wish Digitrax would engineer a better handheld throttle. They need a bigger screen with color LCD.

Now, how did I stumble upon Dave's EEV Blog? I believe it was when I was investigating the Arduino and if I could use it on the layout. I remember his video of the Arduino Duemilinova (I think) and him making fun of the name. So he kinda got me hooked on his style of reviewing gadgets. No worries!

LOL. I have a small gadget I think I will mail to him for a teardown, if he isn't already overloaded with junque. 

P.S> I'm past the captcha thingy now.

[grego]

Don't forget to look into OpenLCB for layout control.  I'm part of the group working on it and we could always use more folks.  It's part of the 9.7 standard from the NMRA so it's all legit!

www.openlcb.org

It's all open source and we're doing some pretty wild stuff with it right now.

[Alana]

I'm into model railways too. At the moment there is no electronics in it - waiting for some $ to start building properly there but i have managed to make myself a turnout out of rails and pcb strips [pics attached]. Scale: H0, turnout is a miniature of polish state railways 1:9 R190 type turnout.

And this is how it works - this turnout is attempt to copy a pre-made one for model railways

[xrunner]

Don't forget to look into OpenLCB for layout control.  I'm part of the group working on it and we could always use more folks.  It's part of the 9.7 standard from the NMRA so it's all legit!

Interesting - I skimmed the documents but will look into it further later. I never heard of it until now.

I'm into model railways too. At the moment there is no electronics in it - waiting for some $ to start building properly there but i have managed to make myself a turnout out of rails and pcb strips [pics attached]. Scale: H0, turnout is a miniature of polish state railways 1:9 R190 type turnout.

Impressive! I don't think I'll be attempting that!

[Alana]

This was simple, making layout look pretty will be difficult

[xrunner]

This was simple, making layout look pretty will be difficult

Well, there certainly are tricks to it, but it's not that bad. I find that part of it very relaxing and fun. Remember, you don't ever want to "finish" the layout. That would be a catastrophe. 

Here's one more pic if anyone's interested.

[TheWelly888]

I am also interested in model railways, in fact it was model railways that helped me get interested in electronics in the first place when I wanted to work out how to operate colour light signals like the real thing! I don't have a layout yet but have you heard of MERG ( pronounced merge ) which promotes the use of electronics to enchance model railway operation?

http://www.merg.org.uk/

It's UK based but has members from all over the globe and has kits available too. I am a member of MERG and highly recommend it!

There are some members actively developing a new way of operating points, signals and train detection using the CAN protocol that was originally developed for cars!

http://www.merg.org.uk/merg_resources/cbus.php

There are also DCC stuff including kits! http://www.merg.org.uk/merg_resources/dcc.php

Naturally there is a forum: http://www.merg.org.uk/forum/ Members can post to that forum and also get a quarterly newsletter plus access to various useful resources concerning model railway electronics.

[Alana]

Yup, know MERG and may build their DCC controller but rest of the layout, all the lights and turnouts control will be of my own design from scratch. What i got on a breadboard showed me that eventually i may end up with my own version of DCC but my point is to learn electronics while having lots of fun with it.

Remember, you don't ever want to "finish" the layout. That would be a catastrophe. 

Now i "get it" why i loved that old station in Trainz and re-developed its layout over and over again.

[xrunner]

Here's some work I was doing to simulate traffic lights w/Arduino -

[xrunner]

Here's some work I'm doing with LEDs. The interior LED is a 5mm white diffused. The one over the door is a 1.6mm amber with most of it painted brown. There will also be another one for the rear delivery door. I'm just driving them with a Supertex CL2 LED driver.

[David_AVD]

I'd like to get back into a railway hobby at some stage, but it'll probably have to wait until I'm retired.  Maybe they'll have miniature "hover trains" by then!   

[Rerouter]

make your own? there are enough designs out there for metal levitation, i get the feeling it wouldn't be too much of a step up to modify it to lift and hold a model train car,

[EEVblog]

I just picked up this n sale layout.
No idea what to do with it yet, very dusty!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eevblog/8873964675/#

[David_AVD]

You might want to keep Sagan away from that for now.  Curious fingers kill model railways pretty quickly! (I speak from experience  )

[EEVblog]

You might want to keep Sagan away from that for now.  Curious fingers kill model railways pretty quickly! (I speak from experience  )

It'll be kept in the lab 

[carbon dude oxide]

Automate it ^.^

[EEVblog]

Automate it ^.^

I've got an idea for a novel thing to try. But maybe someones done it, need to google it...