I think the near future holds some exciting advances in DCC train control and operations in general. I hope some manufacturer or group could make these a reality.
Think about programs for creating ship lists and waybills like Ship-It. Currently, if a car is removed or added to the layout, the information about car location must be updated manually. Heaven forbid that you “play” between operating sessions and move many cars around. Well, if present trends continue, the cost of electronics will continue to fall and soon it will be affordable to put transponders or 2-way communicating decoders in each car. With the detection systems that already exist, it would be possible to electronically keep track of the location of cars on your layout. Tie that information to a program like Ship-It and layout setup for realistic operating sessions just got immensly quicker, especially if you have a larger home layout or club layout. [yeah]
Current DCC throttles are just that, throttles. Imagine having a realistic controller. Kam Industries already produces Loco CE that allows a person with a DCC computer interface, a WiFi router, and WiFi equipped PDAs with Windows CE (hey Kam Ind., why not use Java so any WiFi PDA can be used, not just Micro [censored] ) to use those PDAs as throttles. You could make the PDA controller look like the inside of a real cab. Then all of the real controls and guages will be present. Imagine on a steam controller being able to adjust the cut-off for maximum power at start-up and maximum efficiency at speed. You could see the effect on boiler pressure and fuel and water consumption. [8D] Work that fireman!
With the new NMRA decoder transmission standard, it would be possible to send a singal back from a locomotive to the command station that tells the load that the locomotive is pulling. This is possible with back EMF technology that already exists in most decoders today. Currently, this technology has two benefits. First, it smoothes out the op
I agree real trains do not have “cruise control” but I like the cruise feature especially on down grades. I don’t like to be constantly adjusting the throttle on a grade. I just pretend the engineer inside the locomotive is doing just that. I believe on real RRs very important speed limits are posted on down grades.
I like your other ideas about DCC. Another good thing about decoders on rolling stock is it will trigger a block detector for signals.
While you are at it, how about “wishing” for regenerative dynamic braking, eh? Yah, I think the future of DCC is bright, meaning "Better, smaller, cheaper, and more inclusive of features.
I often thought it would be possible, at least in O scale and larger, to equip a caboose with a free-rolling gear drive with something like an open-core motor that wasn’t powerful enough to actually move the train, but to provide some resistance to the movement - thus, a brake. The locomotive would have spur gear drive, or a double worm, so that if pushed the motor would turn, not slide the wheels. Again a coreless type motor would be used, and power applied in the reverse direction would act as a brake. Thus to actually stop a train, or hold it back on a grade, would take some work on the part of the engineer to apply the brakes enough to maintain speed. Could be interesting - and entirely possible electronics-wise with DCC.
The company I am working for is starting to use BlueTooth technology for wireless control and interface with some ambulatory medical devices. Class 1 BT devices have 100 meter range, so would be great for model RR use. Off the shelf OEM bluetooth circuits are very compact and inexpensive and can support high data rates. It would be neat to see bluetooth enabled wireless technology for throttles.
I hope they come up with a better way to uncouple cars. I am builting a large classification yard and want to be able to built trains in a more realistic way. I am hoping to do this with dcc and not have to do know so much with my hand.
I think someday the computer will overtake all forms of train control, with sofware tech. being what it is, only a manf. willingness to spend the money on development of such things will limit the scope of how far it goes.As for me I just hope it doesn’t happen to fast.I like having my hand on the throttle,I like the cruise.I don’t want to become a computer programmer just to be able to enjoy all the features that i might buy a perticular engine for,or build a layout based on the computer i have avail. I do not mean to say that for the computer savy this would not be a great thing. Just my three cents worth.
Whoo hoo, someone thinking forward. About a two years ago on rec.railroad I got involved in a rather heated discussion with some people who thought DCC was the ultimate that could never be inproved upon. They of course were still twittered just because they could run multiple locos on a single track. I pointed out that that technology wasn’t new just standardized now, and how primative the current system was. When the flames started and they challenged me to describe ANY way DCC could be improved upon I posted an 80 point response. I wish I would have saved that list somewhere because I had some really neat ideas in it. Many of them were enhancements along the same thoughts as you included in the original message on this thread. A decoder on every piece of rolling stock, perhaps even on every axle. Feedback from all sorts of things about the locomotive, on not only engine load, but drawbar tension, rpm, temperature, scale speed, simulated fuel load & consumption, sand, water, air pressure in the brakes. Then add digital video from all sides of the locomomtive so a remote throttle booth could enable the engineer to “see out” of the cab.
I imagine throttles that look more like a real loco cab rather than just something to increase the voltage.
On the other hand I disagree greatly with MR editor on what constitutes an ideal “digital” locomotive (editorial Aug 2003).
I think the things you discussed are dead on. Since the amount of data the decoder is able to send back is somewhat limited, several of the things you mentioned either could or should be simulated at the command center and throttle. I agree with you that so much more can be done. The technology is there. I’m not talking about far out things here. It is just time for a manufacturer to step up. Shoot, if I was a computer programmer, I could do most all of this now.
Hmmm, well I’ve stated my preferences before, andthey are somewhat similar to what you guys posted above…
1.) Wireless individual locomotive control (you know it’s coming)
2.) Throttles which allow you the degree of control over the loco you want, from the equivalent of a Lionel throttle to complete reaction to grades, loads, braking levels, sounds, etc.
3.) These throttles of course will have LCD (or future equivalent) screens displaying the scene from the locomotive’s ‘Engineer’s’ point of view. (and yes, it swivels when the locomotive is reversing)
4.) Battery/Flywheel stored energy hybrids - probably a rechargable battery which absorbs power from live powered track segments set a few metres apart - powered track need not be continuous, as the battery recharges from these segments, and it solves the problems of dirty track (well, it alleviates that problem a bit) and reversing loop shorts. I like the idea of self-recharging batteries from those live power segments, as it is a pain if you loco dies from a depleted battery (kinda like why hybrid vehicle technology is taking off while pure-eletric vehicles are languishing). OK, maybe microturbine generators will do, but I’m still not convinced
5.) Control those accessories! I know you can do this now in a fashion, but small, dirt cheap drop-in DCC (or, again, future equivalent) allow you to do it for lots of cool things - imagine the throttle LCD screen showing you the various moments of freedom for a crane so you can tap and direct the boom/hook/ movement and elevation.
6.) Remember SPUDS - now, micro-spuds - self contained motor/gearing/controllers/power source in, what?, Thumbnail size? - Hook it in - bam, finally we get self-powered controllable trackmobiles (yes, with rubber tired steering and the ability to go off track for a period of time). People who like RDCs, Brill Doodlebugs, EMUs, DMUs etc, will also have a field day.
7.) And, whether you want it or not (and many many not), the ability to be c
i cant wait to see a decoder with synchronised sound and smoke. seuthe smoke machines are very realistic and with a fan added can simulate diesel plumes and steam exhaust. that would be fantastic.
i like thi idea of having moving vehicles on my model roads. perhaps this isnt dcc and deserves its own heading but i have already seen layouts with trollybusses and busses going round following wires under the street but apart from th trollybusses (with their pickups controllable from the overhead wires in exactly the same way as railroad locomotives) control is very basic and requires full time operators. i would like to see trams trollybusses cars and busses all automated and interlocked to allow us to have realistic road traffic whilst allowing us to gt on with the real task of running our trains. because they would be automated and have to run from batteries they coud automatically go to a recharging station hidden somewhere where small strips on roadway make contact with small bits of copperclad on the bottom and it would wait there untill it had recharged and go off on its travels.
i would also like to have a decent mechanism for raising and lowering pantographs on demand and uncoupling (kadee/sommerfeld)
I think he means TRULY wireless. As in, no power in the track, no wired cab controllers, completely self contained. They have it for G scale, saves having to try and keep track clean when it’s outdoors, there’s an RC receiver in the loco and a battery to run it.
With advanced capacitor technology like in those min RC cars, it’s getting near possible in HO scale now - yeah, those mini cars you charge up on the controller and then drive around for a while, do NOT have a rechargeable battery in the car, it’s a large (value) capacitor! Amazing…
Yes, you are pretty much correct.
Wireless, switchable throttles (like cell phones or something), and self-powered locos (either periodic recharging like my powered segment ideas, or microturbine generators, or whatever). OK, so perhaps I’m a bit behind the curve there, sorry.
Now let’s look at the other side of the coin…Shall we?
I suspect DCC like all of the other great controllers of the past will fade into the sunset only to be replace with a better control system that will not require decoders and perhaps not even wire to the track…There is no doubt this will happen within the next 5-7 years as the DCC market begins to stabilize and drop in sales except for decoders…
Of course I have no idea what this system will be…But…Know this…DCC will be replace as technology demands it just like the old VCR and older and bulkier camcorders.