By dead rail I mean Radio controlled engines and by FPV I mean First Person Video. If this is already happening in the model train world disregard this post. FPV is where you wear a set of glasses tuned to an onboard video camera and operate your train strictly by their use.A recent aticle in MAKE: magazine got me wondering about this. A drone club got together and set up an outdoor obstacle course tob navigated soley by FPV. They called their course The Game Of Drones and they have a really good time. Anyways you experimental types out there should play with this if you haven’t already.
I was FPV flying before the FAA got cranky about it but I did get a small camera and small video transmitter and put it on a flat car for an FPV vue. It is neat seeing the world from a trains eye but I never did any operations with it. I think you would want multiple channels so you can switch to different views/ locations.
Doing FPV will require multiple cameras, as you will need forward/backwards views, as well as some way to ‘turn your head’ for the cab view. Most video is just shot straight ahead, and does not look into a curve, so the view is of the outside of the curve(wall/what-ever) in all of the model train ‘camera car’ video I have seen.
Also, I think I like the ‘railfan’ view when operating a train. I like to ‘see’ the train move through the layout, not a plastic hood with a grab iron for a view!
Jim Bernier
Your use of the term “dead rail” is a bit misleading, as it usually refers to non-powered track on which battery-powered locomotives are operated, a method gaining some popularity in Europe and the UK. Control is, I think, usually via radio (somewhat like the Aristo throttles Sheldon uses on his DC-powered layout), but I think that DCC can also be used where only the signals are rail-supplied, with power still from a train-carried battery. I suppose the video component could be an option on these, too. [swg]
Wayne
You can do FPV and run the train looking at the screen instead of the layout with any control system, really. In O and certainly in large scale, you could put the camera on a servo, and use something like the Occulus Rift VR headset so that when you turn your head, the camera turns, and really operate like you were the engineer. There was a story about doing this in MR way back when anything even approaching this was pure fantasy, but today it is possible. Build a mockup boiler backhead witht he throttle and Johnson bar and brake stand linked to whatever control system you like and actually sit on a seat box and run the train like an engineer. Need some CGI overlay - when you need to throw a switch, you see the head brakie walk up alongside the loco, unlock the switch stand, and flip it, then motion you ahead. This is 100% possible with current technology. I large scale there is plenty of room in the cab for a second camera for fireman’s side view even. A cell phone size camera might be small enough to mount in an HO loco and link to a servo for rotation.
–Randy
Thanks for the replies guys. I thought some more about this and realized the whole railfanning thing would be lost. There are all sorts of ways of enjoying this hobby and there might eventually be a few officianados. My posting of this topic was purely coincidence in its timing as I received my copy of MR the day after I posted. I was thinking of true dead rail as all the signals would be sent by radio. I saw a man on a video place his loco on ply wood and run the vehicle across the table. Obviously without steering ya can’t go far.
The computer operating games might provide the same experience. But at 70 years old this technology was only seen on the Disney cartoons. BILL
Take a look at Bruce Klein’s video on the ultimate DCC throttle under the User Videos section at the top. This is exactly what he’s working towards - a full replica mock up of an F unit cab, witht he controls running the trains - he even has the radio work, he can call the dispatcher and make requests via voice recognition! Besides showing off his skills in building the throttle and brake stand and all the rest, it also shows off the versatility of Loksound decoders, which is what he has generating all the sounds.
–Randy
I saw a “Dead Rail” demonstration at an NMRA division meet a year ago…I was not impressed at all with it.
I figured somebody had “done it” already. If I can think of it (whatever) then probably its history by the time I get around to posting. Personally I don’t think I’d care for a system like that. I’m more of a railfan where trains are concerned and more of a builder than a runner where models are concerned.It was the same when I was in R/C planes for many years, I’d build, get the plane tested out then on to the next. I always preferred scale planes though. Bill