Does anyone control their train set through a PC? For instance You have the PC hooked up to a controller and you set your own parameters however you like, for instance controlling the speed and direction of the train. Traffic lights througout the mock city, railroad crossing signs lighting up. Could also get really creative with it and whatever you can think of that could be automated on your train set/station/city you have set up. Is this kind of thing of interest? Does anyone do this? And if so… How? and what do you use?
If I remember correctly back in the early 90’s there were a few companies offering P.C. control for your trains but that was before TMCC and DCS came along. I don’t know or remember much about it but I think it actually was offered by some of these track software companies that are still around
I am new to the train control market and my small engineering company has a product that would be fantastic for controlling a very sopisticated train set. I am trying to learn more about this type of route because I think it would be a real cool and neat way for a train enthusiast to control his train set…
Well as a hole today we can run 2 or more engines on the same track and controll them seperatly or together and we also can controll our switches thru automatic controlls or we can operate them from out hand held remote or by there levers mounted on train controll board. What you really may want to to do is get some info on TMCC and DCs and learn what all we can do already and see what your copmpany can offer that we don’t already have thru our operations. aone website that is helpful is www.coilcouplers.com as it explains some of the above I just mentioned also to day engines with TMCC ( sorry I think DCS also but not sure as don’t own any those type engines) have what is know coil couplers and we can uncouple any where on the track just like a real train just not where the uncoupler piece is as it was in the past.
I will take a look at their website and see what we can come up with. Always good to find a cooler and more efficient way of doing things! Too bad you dont live closer, would be willing to hook it up to your set and figure out the perks, and see what we could accomplish… Do you know of anyone in the Indianapolis, Indiana area? Long shot but thought I would ask!
TMCC did offer a few computer based control solutions. Since Legacy and DCS have no published codes it will be hard to do this. There are several product available for DCC (aka HO/N/G scale). I will check some old historical links I have and see if any of the old TMCC programs are still avaialble.
This isn’t what I was thinking of, but it does show the core functionality.
I use a not-too-complicated circuit for uncoupling anywhere. It includes a capacitor that charges when the locomotive is in neutral and discharges into a relay coil when the motor starts. I can shove a train onto a siding, cycle the e-unit and leave the voltage up for a few seconds, then cycle it again and pull away from the train as the coupler opens.