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

Gutted!

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

The result is not good, men.  TC says that it's not a valid code.  I've emailed Jurgen with the result and asked for more help.  At least we're communicating, now.  :thumbs

You're handling this quite well Max.  I'd be on the plane to Germany by now.:twisted:

 

cheers

Neil

Thanks, Neil.  I got angry when I was not getting any replies, but there is no point at the moment.  If you trawl around in the forum, you can see that it happens from time to time.  If it's going to happen to anyone, it will be me.  :roll:

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=6653&forum_id=35

Could I suggest that those who are interested in this issue, follow it in the above thread, so as not to duplicate posts and not to clog up this thread; leaving it free for questions about RR&Co.

Cheers   Max

I just wondered regarding Railroad &co it seems quite popular and quite a few members here have invested in it .

From what i have read this friewald thing is one person this chap called Jurgens.

If he goes home tonight and trips over the cat and breaks his neck a lot of customers could well be in the cr"p.
Has anyone asked the question on the forum if he has contingency plans if sudden fatality befalls him?

Brian

He will have quite a few p****d off people at his funeral:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

[user=52]henryparrot[/user] wrote:

I just wondered regarding Railroad &co it seems quite popular and quite a few members here have invested in it .

From what i have read this friewald thing is one person this chap called Jurgens.

If he goes home tonight and trips over the cat and breaks his neck a lot of customers could well be in the cr"p.
Has anyone asked the question on the forum if he has contingency plans if sudden fatality befalls him?

Brian

The software is very robust and there are a whole bunch of beta testers who are very knowledgeable scattered around the world

The current version is 7……I think he has been around for over a decade and I suspect but dont know for certain that he designed the systems for that mega model railway in Germany that featured on the internet a few months back

Its an outstanding piece of software that is for sure, and i think once you have been given good guidance to get started its flexibility is endless.

How much further can it or indeed does it need to evolve any more. Surely railway practice in the real world would need to change significantly for TC to change.

Here to Jurgens good health:cheers

John i feel the need for speed….profiling just read the section in the manual about setting up the cv's in the loco so i must give it a go.

[user=52]henryparrot[/user] wrote:

I just wondered regarding Railroad &co it seems quite popular and quite a few members here have invested in it .

From what i have read this friewald thing is one person this chap called Jurgens.

If he goes home tonight and trips over the cat and breaks his neck a lot of customers could well be in the cr"p.
Has anyone asked the question on the forum if he has contingency plans if sudden fatality befalls him?

Brian

That's a very good point.

 

cheers

Neil

It took a comparitively long time for forum members to start replying to my post.  When they did, their suggestions were pretty basic - and clearly the FAQs have some bad advice in them.  Formatting the stick is not something I'd recommend.

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

It took a comparitively long time for forum members to start replying to my post.  When they did, their suggestions were pretty basic -

I guess I should have warned everyone about that :oops:……as I said earlier it is not like this forum at all and you do have to be patient and often restate the question a number of times to get a response…………once the beta testers imagination is captured they are generally very helpful……..Juergen is often enigmatic and tends to point in the direction of a solution rather than provide a clear cut answer…….one could never accuse him of spoon feeding:lol:  

John you are right that his Beta testers can help with a lot of the day to day software problems customers encounter

But they are not coders so problems with the actual software itself would never get solved unless somebody else was given the code and understood it and was able to do it

Beta testers are like car test drivers yes than can drive a car brilliantly but they have not got a clue how to actually build one or even repair it when it goes wrong

Brian

So where does one find these beta testers?  I've never seen hide nor hair of them.  :???:

[user=52]henryparrot[/user] wrote:

John you are right that his Beta testers can help with a lot of the day to day software problems customers encounter

But they are not coders so problems with the actual software itself would never get solved unless somebody else was given the code and understood it and was able to do it

Beta testers are like car test drivers yes than can drive a car brilliantly but they have not got a clue how to actually build one or even repair it when it goes wrong

Brian

Neat analogy Brian ………and you are of course correct

For all his faults Jurgen is very thorough and from what I can gather he doesnt release software until the bugs are removed……certainly that was the general experience with version 7 which was a massive upgrade on 5.8 (I guess 6 wasnt released) but you do make a valid point about the need to exercise caution when buying software from single operators………although one could say that about some of Mr Gates's efforts:lol:

The beta testers are labelled as such on their avatars Max. You will see them if you scan some of the longer threads…….there is a guy from Washington State and one from Sweden who are really knowledgeable   

This is probably best answered by John Dew: Apologies for bothering you yet again.

I'm following your tutorial on changing engines in a terminus. I've reached the part where you put in an operation "Separate leftmost/topmost Locomotive". I cannot find this option anywhere. My list of train operations shows "Join" and "Separate Locomotive" but no leftmost or rightmost etc. I'm using the demo of version 7.0E1 Gold. I know the preferred block options have disappeared between D and E versions: Could this be another function that has been deleted? Are you using E1?

Oops - Disregard that! I was too hasty - A careful read of the small print gives the answer, and once again your tutorial is the bees knees!

Just had a successful speed profiling session with my Fairburns and some nice block braking and stopping i am quite content they are as good as it gets.

Now i have just chipped two Hornby Fowlers and they don't want to know, they program up nicely. i must check them in DC first they are just awful locos, my Hornby Jinty runs lovely but a hair on the track can stop it and it shorts easy just like the Stanier did which is now condemned to the display cabinet.

Do i need to run these things in. John how do you get on with your GWR tanks?

It must be me

[user=449]brianpr1[/user] wrote:

Oops - Disregard that! I was too hasty - A careful read of the small print gives the answer, and once again your tutorial is the bees knees!

You guys just do this to make me feel good! Although I have to say it is very satisfying to see all the work I did in the winter paying such great dividends………..thanks again

[user=450]wogga[/user] wrote:

Just had a successful speed profiling session with my Fairburns and some nice block braking and stopping i am quite content they are as good as it gets.

Now i have just chipped two Hornby Fowlers and they don't want to know, they program up nicely. i must check them in DC first they are just awful locos, my Hornby Jinty runs lovely but a hair on the track can stop it and it shorts easy just like the Stanier did which is now condemned to the display cabinet.

Do i need to run these things in. John how do you get on with your GWR tanks?

It must be me

Hi Pete

I  think the video on your layout thread said it all about your Fairburn's performance……superb :doublethumb

(Sorry I havent commented there yet but I was away sailing for a few days…..looks good though)

Can you be a bit more specific about the problem with the Fowlers……………….do the problems arise when you try to profile them?

In my (limited) experience if they dont run well in DC it is difficult to get them to run well for automatic shunting with TC……I have found by increasing the starting voltage and having a higher ( 7-8 mph) start speed in TC you can get them to run satisfactorily on roundy roundys  (that may be the answer with the Stanier)……I dont run them in…. though I think I should……of course the better performers get more usage and so get better! It is interesting looking at odometers for each loco……mine sure indicate my favourites 

I have 3  45/55 xx 2-6-2T Small Prairies which are excellent……one is superb………….for the B Set Loco exchange and run around. There are a couple of 57xx 0-6-0 tanks which can also do the B Set routine and/or an Auto Train Routine……….these are all Bachman

Hornby locos like the Black 5 and Grange are superb but I cant run them because I am so slow finishing the main line  Hornby Tanks are less satisfactory I have binned a 61xx and the jury is out on my avatar (the 14xx) I have re-profiled it about 3 times and I just cant get it quite good enough to be totally reliable on the auto train shuttle

I have all manner of tales about my Collet goods and Dean goods but that is for another thread………….this reply is rambling enough already :twisted:

To summarise if they run ok in DC they should run better when chipped………..but you still need to spend a lot of time speed profiling…………you need to establish a realistic max speed and adjust CV 5 so you can use all 28 steps and you have to fiddle with CV 2 so that the loco will crawl…………..I am now in the habit of doing single speed tests with TC until I have adjusted the CVs to my satisfaction before starting the 30 minute full profile routine

ps What chips are you using? Are the Fowlers the same as the Fairburns?

Regards from a very sunny Vancouver

 

 

 

Hi John i had quick look last night brfore i went to bed, the Fowler has a TCS chip i have decent results with one in the Fairburns.

On the programming track with ECOS it programs fine it actually nudges along the track as it gets programmed or when you read the chip data. When i come to run it is dead no movement in either direction.

Anyway last night i pushed it along the track and it started very poorly but picked up momentum. Ah i thought they must need running in so i stopped it moving forward and let it run. Sure enough it got better and faster after a few minutes.

In the dim light i then noticed some sparking near te centre axle. On investigation the wheels have a bit of movement and wobble and what was happening is the centre wheel was shorting agnst a connecting rod so much so the ECOS screen was flickering. i bent the rod slightly and it has improved no end.

This a new loco! interestingly this is the same chassis as the Stanier.

So i have some further investigation to do here, unfortunately i am away most of the week so thats it til Friday.