DCC Projects

The switcher for the Irwin yard has a little idiosyncrasy that has been bugging me. The front light comes on when the engine is running backwards. I have tried reprogramming it but nothing seemed to work - not even using JMRI. I posted my problem on the Digitrax board and I received two quick replies. One person suggested a couple of software changes but the other suggested that I had plugged the 8-pin connector backwards.

I opened the shell on my SW-1 PRR 9238 and examined the tiny wiring very carefully. Yup, it was backwards. I carefully pulled it off, flipped it 180 degrees and plugged it back together. Placed it on the track and it ran the direction I wanted it ... but no light, no matter what I did. I reprogrammed the decoder, reset it to the factory defaults, checked all the wiring, nada. Spent about 2 hours and no headlight. Must have burned out the bulb.

Next time, try the software suggestion first, even if it's a hardware problem!

On the plus side, since I was fixing DCC issues, I took my old Athearn SW1500 that I have had for about 30 years, off the shelf. I am pretty sure this ran on my 3'x6' under bed layout when I lived at my parents house and survived the shelf layout in the apartment (definitely have a photo of that) and the 4' x 8' in the basement of the first house Lisa and I bought. I had started to convert this to DCC but could never get it to work. I fixed some of the wiring based on what I found on the S-1, cleaned it up and put it on the track. I set just a couple CV parameters using JMRI (this program is really cool!), cranked the throttle - bam! It took off and was whizzing down the track. It ran surprisingly well but sounds like a 55 gal barrel rolling down a hill with steel ball bearings inside. I may have to keep this on in reserve on the engine track.

Next I need to paint those white mile posts to help Eric with the switch aligned. A few adjustments and maybe I can get Eric and Jack back over here for another operating session.

JMRI arrives at PRR Irwin District

One of the things that fascinated about Digital Command Control (DCC), besides running multiple trains simultaneously, simplied no-electrical-blocks wiring, stationary decoders that could be used for building lighting ... OK, so there are a lot of reasons why I like DCC! Anyway, I have been enthusiastic but slowly embraced it. It took me a couple of years to finish the layout wiring beyond 2 alligator clips on the track. My locomotive roster has 2 engines with connectors for plug-in decoders, so I was quickly up to 2 DCC locomotives but I am still only halfway through converting my first Athearn SW-1200 (I have two!) and I have built up my roster with 3 Bachmann ready-to-run DCC locomotives.

Last fall, I decided to move to the next step in DCC - computer control. I purchased the RR-CirKits LocoBuffer-USB from Alex of DCCTrain at the Cincinatti NMRA Div 7 train show. The LocoBuffer-USB allows me to connect a computer to the Digitrax LocoNet - the wiring that connects all the throttle panels and the command station/booster which is the DB-150. I brought it home, read the simple 6 page manual and put it in a drawer. I was not quite ready to tackle this.

In the meantime, I downloaded JMRI: Java Model Railroad Interface open source software which has DecoderPro and PanelPro. The first application allows you to program the DCC decoders in the locomotives (as well as other decoders if I had them) and PanelPro enables you to create a simulated Dispatcher's panel which is really cool if you have blobk occupany detectors and motorized switches - I don't!

Anyway, I read through some of the documentation and experimented with it but it was not clicking how exactly it worked.

This week, I was able to take Lisa's old laptop computer and connect it to the LocoNet with the LocoBuffer-USB. I installed JMRI and tried programming one of the locomotives. One disappointment is that I can't read the current configuration from the decoder but that is a limitation of the DB-150 and not the software or connection. I would need to upgrade to the DCS-100 Command Station and that is not cheap! But, I can program the decoders a whole lot easier with the computer interface than through the UT-402 throttles. I was expecting some sort of ... boom ... moment but nothing.

Curious, I opened the DecoderPro throttle panel. Hmmnm. Looks like a software version of the handheld throttle. I increased the throttle from 0 to 10%. Is that the motor I hear? The locomotive was not moving. I moved it to 15%. Still not moving. I know I can hear the motor. Ok let's try ... oops! Engine 7046 definitely moved when I slipped and pegged the throttle at 100%. As it pushed the train through the switch that was thrown against it, derailing the cabin car and all 5 freight cars, I discovered that controlling the soft throttle with a mouse is a whole lot harder than the UT-402.

But this is going to be fun!!!

Engine 7046 throttle panel from JMRI - notice the LocoBuffer-USB on the shelf to the right

Operating Session Countdown

Well, the house is on the market and we have had some folks walk through but no offers yet. I have stopped working on the layout since I will likely end up cutting it up to take it out of the house and our next home won't have the same sized space, so only pieces will be reassembled. I have a list of ideas I want to do different, such as incorporating a loop of some kind for continuous running, but that is a topic for another blog entry.
Eric D. was over one night last week to run trains. I am starting to count down the number of operating sessions we can have before we turn the lights off for the last time. I managed to spend a little time setting up the sequence of trains and I focused on specific local trains with only 1 or 2 stops for Eric to alternative between while I again focused on working the Irwin Yard and some local extras that originated from Irwin like the mine shifter.
Overall, it went extremely well!

TR-49 Westbound (Engine 8805) through to Pittsburgh, single stop in E. McKeesport to pick up cars on the P&LE Interchange

• Irwin trick set out cars for Greensburg for TR-60
• Run light to Herminie to pick up hoppers, HMR-1

TR-60 Eastbound (Engine 8604) local dropped cars in Irwin, pick up cars bound for Greensburg

• Irwin trick sort cars from Herminie mine run
• Irwin trick sort new cars from Pittsburgh TR-60

P&LE run leave cars for PRR (both from Erie and local pick ups) and take back to Erie any cars bound

• HMR-2 mine run to drop off cars
• IR-1 exchange cars at Heinz and LAS Fabrics, drop offs and pick-ups as necessary
• Sort new cars from IR-1
• Set out cars bound for Pittsburgh

TR-61 Westbound (Engine 8604) pick up & drop off at Irwin yard, continue to Pittsburgh

•     Irwin trick sort cars dropped off by TR-61
•     Run light to E. McKeesport and get P&LE Interchange cars

TR-62 Westbound (Engine 7046) local from Pittsburgh, pick up Irwin Industrials, drop off cars in Irwin yard, continue to Greensburg

• Irwin trick set out Greensburg bound cars
• Irwin trick run out and drop off Irwin Industrials, and E. McKeesport exchange cars - West Penn Power, P&LE Interchange

TR-47 Westbound (Engine 7046) Thru to Pittsburgh

TR-52 Eastbound (Engine 8805) Thru to Greensburg

Eric was having some problems correctly aligning the switches, even though I have the handles painted white for straight and red for curved. I think I will add mock white milepost signs on the straight track as a visual clue for the operators.

I hope we can get another operating session next week!