PROJECTS
I am currently working on the Arduino sketch's , and my layout room
Arduino.
I have developed a set of sketches to be used with Arduino range of cards that are cheaply available on ebay.
My sketchs are specifically designed to interact with Digitrax Loconet network.
I use Train controller gold, a computer based program that runs my layout, and subsiquently I needed a cheap method of interacting with the layout.
The programs are divided into three main categories
1. Input Cards - these basically take field based inputs and send this information to loconet.
2. Output Cards - these take loconet / DCC output switch commands and enable field devices
3. COmbination cards - a combination of both inputs and outputs on the one card.
Layout Room.
II have built my layout room in the roof space above my house. We recently built a new house and had the ceiling beams "Beefed" up to allow a Loft space for my layout. The linnig is almost complete, and the Ducted AC has been installed. I have my old "First" layout in there at the moment.
Train Controller
I have chosen to use train controller as my layout will end up very large....in a couple of years time!
TC allows me to have trains run fully automatically, you may think this takes away the fun. Howevere when you have a running session the computer can act as the other drivers, or run scheduled Passenger trains etc. I use it to for this purpose and aslo to run a couple of passenger trains and a "Tourist" train around my layout.
The schedule has them stopping at stations, sounding the whistle as it moves off and when it gets back to the start ing block, it automatically reverses into a siding on the staion, clearing the main line.