Post any questions arising from "First Steps with RR&Co"

john i will be alomg for the ride, i will build a plan as you are doing it. i have not even looked at brake markers etc so this will be good for me. also the run around and the schedule moves, all i have managed to do is start stop and auto starting a schedule.

Enjoying each instalement of this John Thanks

cheers Brian

learnimg already john:thumbs didn't know about the speed restriction for the points.

matt

Thanks Matt

Incidentally there is a programme update on the RR&Co site you may want to download

Regards

Hi John,

  Isn't the Internet a wonderful thing! Having been out of the hobby for several years I have been back playing catch-up for the past six months. Money has been spent and I now own some up to date DCC equipment. I was heavily involved in three of the early multiple train control systems nearly 30 years ago now. (Hornby's zero 1, Airfix's MTC and TTC [Two Train Control - prototyped but never put into production] and ECM's 12V system that would run one out of twelve locos using Airfix modules).

I was looking at the RR&Co software a couple of weeks ago but thought I ought to walk before I start running so I put it on the back burner. Tonight sitting here, not ready for my bed, I started reading some posts and stumbled across your tutorial - well that did it I'm hooked. I have downloaded the software, I already have the DCC system and I will be reading and following your posts with enthusiasm. I have already managed to get a bit of experience with the software over the past couple of hours.

I am really looking forward to your next instalment. As time goes on I am sure I will have some questions to ask but for mow I am just taking it all in. Thanks for sharing! Better try and get some sleep now, I think there is some eating and drinking to do tomorrow, or is that today now!

Ralph.

Thanks Ralph

Glad I provided the catalyst. If my experience is anything to go by you wont regret it

Fire away with your questions whenever the mood takes you……what is your DCC system?

Its early evening so its a while before the Turkey

Have a great Christmas

Regards

Hi John,

I have the MRC Prodigy Advance 2 system (sold in the UK under the Gaugemaster branding) It is now coming up to 2am here and I am still 'playing' with the RR&Co software - you will get the blame if I get into trouble when my wife and the rest of the family get on my back about falling asleep in the armchair after dinner!

Happy Christmas to you and yours from a damp but not so cold London, England!

Ralph.

Hi John. Sorry I posted in your tutorial thread, but hopefully I have found the right place now. I have finally dived in after thinking about Railcom for over 3 years. I have the demo version downloaded and have started creating my layout in the switchboard window. I have created 5 switchboards to try to accommodate my layout without too much complication.

I have also found TTGs recent thread on RMWeb which I see you have been posting on as well. The two of you are very helpful and make it much easier for folk like myself to get going quickly.

I must try to find myself a PC interface for my ZTC511 to get me started, but eventually I will have to bite the bullet and move myself over to another digital control system to handle the block detection feedback as well as other functions the 511 can't handle.

Hi Geoff……no problem I should have put in a reminder. Glad you find the the thread useful.

5 switchboards…..WOW…..that must be a huge layout. You may want to think how you are going to operate because in addition to the switchboards you will want block diagrams up and I find it convenient to have train windows up as well. A number of people have 2 computor screens (TTG is moving to 3!) and I can see the advantages.

As you have gathered effective occupancy control is a pre-requisite of automatic operation on any part of the layout 

I am just creating all the screen shots for occupancy detection ready for my next post. I only have the one system, Lenz, but I believe RR&Co can handle a number of different systems performing discreet functions. In fact I think TTG is just sapping his occupancy control system 

Incidentally there is an earlier thread on RMWeb which TTG and I contribuited to from a guy called Alan in Athens which you may find helpful

Kind Regards

 

John, I'm not sure if you know, but you can access old websites through this site.  It appears they have archived a lot of material so may be useful for other bits of information….

http://web.archive.org/web/20080629075400/www.electricnose.co.uk/dcc/dcccomputer.html

 

Thanks Gordon……..I hadnt realised that…..its a really helpful site

Thanks again

Regards

 

 

[user=422]Geoff R[/user] wrote:

Hi John. Sorry I posted in your tutorial thread, but hopefully I have found the right place now. I have finally dived in after thinking about Railcom for over 3 years. I have the demo version downloaded and have started creating my layout in the switchboard window. I have created 5 switchboards to try to accommodate my layout without too much complication.

I have also found TTGs recent thread on RMWeb which I see you have been posting on as well. The two of you are very helpful and make it much easier for folk like myself to get going quickly.

I must try to find myself a PC interface for my ZTC511 to get me started, but eventually I will have to bite the bullet and move myself over to another digital control system to handle the block detection feedback as well as other functions the 511 can't handle.

So did I, oops. 

 

I have also downloaded the demo version and will be following your tutorial with a view to implementing this on my new layout.

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Much appreciated

Neil

John copied across so I will delete a couple of these later posts.

 

Thanks Ron…..I saw you were on line but I hadnt realised how powerful you were;-) so I pm'd the boss. I am sorry to cause you this trouble

Happy New Year (still Jan 1 here!)

No worries John ,all of us Mods can do copy, move, etc all over the place. If we put our minds to it, give the boss headaches as well

John, I think that the level you are aiming at with your tutorial is excellent. For any of us learning, following your progress is very helpful. You made me think that putting my layout onto several switchboards might make things too complex, so I have had a go at getting as much as I can on to just one. I have discovered the "bridge" element, which helps with the different levels. I will still have to have a second switchboard for my branch terminus which sits above everything else in the centre of the room.

I have used a bit of colour to help me quickly see what is what:-

Thanks Geoff

As I said earlier that is one big layout and you have clearly put a lot of time into building the switchboard. I like the way you have used colours to identify the different lines……I keep meaning to do that on my layout.  Its going to be fun getting the engines into the turntable with RR&Co.

 A few questions :

[1] What period are you modelling……steam or diesel?

[2] Are you using sensors or current detectors

[3] Have you identified the blocks you are going to use for Speed Profiling…..remembering you need three separate adjacent blocks (ie no points or undetected sections intervening)

[4] Does each contact indicator relate to a block?

Kind Regards

Hi John,

I am learning such a lot about the hobby since picking it up almost for the first time just 5 years ago. I find that I like to experiment with different elements as I come across them, so end up working on a number of things in parallel. This means that right now, my layout as shown on the switchboard is not complete. The terminus at the bottom (shown in yellow) is all in place, including the shed area (shown in light green) and turntable (which is a Heljan fully automated version) and is all wired and operational.

The lower return loop (shown in orange) along with the storage loops are all in place and operational. Of the main circuit, only the point work in the upper right hand corner is all laid and operational, together with the right hand end of the twin tracks which are shown in dark green because they go under a hillside which I have shown photos of in another thread recently. These tracks also connect to the terminus.

The rest of the main circuit, including the runs up from the storage area are temporarily layed with unsecured track to give me working lines and the ability to run most of the concept. So none of the pointwork on the left hand end is in place - (not even purchased yet) However, all baseboard construction is complete.

The other thing that is complete because it was a separate project is the branchline terminus which sits above everything else and connects to A on this switchboard.

So with this understanding, to your questions:-

1) My intention is to be late 50s early 60s. So I have mostly late crest steam, but entertain some early crest and even the odd LNER or LMS. The location is meant to be East Coast towards the midlands allowing some former LMS but mostly LNER (Mangarth is an anagram of Grantham). The early 60s means that I can wander into some of the diesel era as well. In fact I have just purchased three new Bachmann sound locos which I think are fantastic value for money.

2) I have no sensors yet, but from my learning so far, have every intention of just using occupancy current detectors and as I only have a ZTC controller just now, may go towards the s88 type which seem to be reasonable value and will interface with several systems including ESU which I rather fancy now - I had thought Lenz because many of you had gone that way, but as I have not invested yet - I know I need to change from the ZTC although it has done me well over the five years - I think ESU might be the better bet now.

3) I think that I will be able to set up blocks temporarily to start with around the bottom, left hand end, and top of my twin track circuit to speed profile my current stock of 18 locos - but for the future… I am not sure. I wonder if I can arrange to have the main line routes through the left hand pointwork included in one of the blocks each side somehow so that I would have effectively adjacent blocks around that circuit?

4) At the moment, yes. I have chosen to only show the blocks on the switchboard when in edit mode as it is quite busy. I am in the process of connecting each contact indicator to the adjacent block - usually to its left hand side. I have tried the operation link to a point demostrated in your last tutorial and it works fine, but I don't think that is going to be generally relevant on my layout - but I may still discover that it is.

The next stage I am ready to learn about is how to set up meaningful routes and then get trains to follow them. I can concentrate on getting a train out of one of the storage loops, up the inclines to the main level, around the circuit and back down to the reversing loop and into storage again. That would involve 9 blocks the way I have drawn it at the moment, and 14 point settings - although only 9 of those points are actually there just now.

Cheers

Here is the Despatcher window showing the routes and blocks. No route to A yet as I have not drawn the switchboard for the branchline the other side of A:-

This is the s88 module I am planning to purchase for the occupancy detection:-

http://www.southwestdigital.co.uk/PDF/EcoS/RMGB8%20SWD%20ECoS%20S88.pdf