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Video's on working with Traincontroller


RudyB
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Hi Rudy,

I was looking at your video no 22 , stopping position in block.

I would like to have my shorter trains stop in the middle of the platform so was hoping to do as your video.

Problem is I only have TC silver and it doesn't have the 'trains' tab when editing the stop and ramp markers.

The Railroad&Co website does a comparison between different versions and it suggests this can be done in TC silver 'with a little more effort', but I can't fathom it out. Any suggestions?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Traincontroller 53 - Speed profiling an engine with an external measurement device

 

 

TC9 has this new option to use a third party speed measurement device to do the measurements during the engine speed calibration process.

 

This way the time it takes to profile an engine is dramatically reduced. And besides that ... it is also fun. 

 

If you do not own a speed measurement device, and if you do not intend to buy one ... it is rather easy to build your own. Instructions are included. Parts needed are just around € 6,-.

 

Follow this link to see the video and for a step by step instruction how you can build your own speed measurement device.

 

 

32259361vn.jpg

 

...

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Hi Rudy

 

Can't you interface the opto sensors directly to TC? (I haven't got TC 9 yet, I'm still on 8)

As in:

post-6208-0-94907900-1522620929.jpg

 

65-1 & 65-2 are the two opto units feeding into a RS-16, hence to TC

 

That way TC could do it automatically in the same way as when it does normal profiling.

 

Cheers

 

Keith

Edited by melmerby
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Of course you can ... but I don't trust the time measurement accuracy with the complete chain from sensor, Arduino, S88 or loconet, USB, Windows all the way to Traincontroller. This is why we usually use sensors that are 1 or 2 meters apart, then the timimg error becomes neglectible. It's also why we need 'brake compensation' ... to compensate for the delays that are in the chain.

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Of course you can ... but I don't trust the time measurement accuracy with the complete chain from sensor, Arduino, S88 or loconet, USB, Windows all the way to Traincontroller. This is why we usually use sensors that are 1 or 2 meters apart, then the timimg error becomes neglectible. It's also why we need 'brake compensation' ... to compensate for the delays that are in the chain.

Thanks for the explanation Rudy.

 

Cheers

 

Keith

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  • 3 weeks later...

Traincontroller 54: Stations.

 

Traincontroller 9 has the option to work with Stations. A Station is a collection of blocks that we allocate to it. Once Stations are defined several new options are available. The video shows three:

  • A local Spontaneous-Run: the train will never run further away than one block from the station.
  • Autotrain-by-Drag-and-Drop now has Station Icons: a random train will leave from the Departure Station and will drive to a random lane in the Destination Station.
  • The number of trains in the Station is available for use in a Variable.

 

There is more that can be done, please refer to the chapter about Stations in the Traincontroller 9 User Manual.

 

 

Link to the video.

 

 

32492078uk.jpg

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Traincontroller 54: Stations.

 

Traincontroller 9 has the option to work with Stations. A Station is a collection of blocks that we allocate to it. Once Stations are defined several new options are available. The video shows three:

  • A local Spontaneous-Run: the train will never run further away than one block from the station.
  • Autotrain-by-Drag-and-Drop now has Station Icons: a random train will leave from the Departure Station and will drive to a random lane in the Destination Station.
  • The number of trains in the Station is available for use in a Variable.

 

There is more that can be done, please refer to the chapter about Stations in the Traincontroller 9 User Manual.

 

 

Link to the video.

 

 

32492078uk.jpg

Rudy have you got any bdl168s working with the digikiejes system please

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  • 1 month later...

I am fascinated by the wonderful video that Rudy has created - THANK YOU - and I am now considering moving to TC9 Silver from iTrain but I have some fundamental questions that hopefully can be easily answered.

 

In iTrain I create locomotives, carriages and wagons and I document many aspects one of which is length. I can then add one (or more) locomotives into a collection of wagons and/or carriages to form a train which will have known length by adding all the components into the train. 

 

I also enter the block length into all the blocks as I create them, together with turnout lengths which means that iTrain then knows all the parameters of the layout - essential for automatic control.

 

In TC9 Silver I am not asked to enter the block lengths, only where I want trains to start slowing down and stop and I am not asked for any lengths of anything that isn't a block either.

 

My initial questions are;

  • how do I create a train comprising an engine plus waggons or carriages in TC9 Silver?
  • how does TC9 Silver know a train will fit into a block - especially if that block is a siding?
  • how does TC9 Silver know that when a train stops in a block the tail isn't hanging over into the previous block, or even hanging over a set of points?
  • how do I prevent a train from entering a block such as a siding?
  • how do I create stations to have trains automatically drive into, pause and resume when being 'driven by TC9 and not via pre-set routes?

I see these as fairly fundamental to the operation of the software and what I don't want to do is spend even more money on TC9 Silver to find that it won't work and even worse, spend many, many hours learning about the software to make it work and then suffer the same frustrations of software limitations that I am presently encountering.

 

Hopefully simple questions to answer - there may even be answers in Rudy's excellent videos but after 4 hours watching them I need a break :)

 

Fingers crossed you know the answers.

Edited by WIMorrison
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I am afraid the answer to your questions is .....not withTC Silver but yes ( in a variety of ways) with the more expensive TC Gold.

 

If you havent already done so I would suggest that you download the user manual, its free and covers both silver and gold. The exclusive gold options are clearly identified in the text.

 

I have been using TC for over 10 years and am very happy with it. I suspect, having read and enjoyed your posts elsewhere, that you will not find TC Silver a significant improvement over Itrain. TC Gold is an entirely different matter....albeit at a much higher cost.

 

Good luck with your decision making.......happy to try and answer any other questions you may have

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I am afraid the answer to your questions is .....not withTC Silver but yes ( in a variety of ways) with the more expensive TC Gold.

 

If you havent already done so I would suggest that you download the user manual, its free and covers both silver and gold. The exclusive gold options are clearly identified in the text.

 

I have been using TC for over 10 years and am very happy with it. I suspect, having read and enjoyed your posts elsewhere, that you will not find TC Silver a significant improvement over Itrain. TC Gold is an entirely different matter....albeit at a much higher cost.

 

Good luck with your decision making.......happy to try and answer any other questions you may have

Likewise I have been using TC Gold for some years and recently updated from Ver 8 to Ver 9.

 

I have always felt that TC Silver version is a bit of a curates egg.

I can understand th idea of a Bronze (entry level version) but feel that when/if you need more functions Silver can leave you a bit frustrated.

Most things can be done in Silver but require more thought and ingenuity to attain, whereas they are at your fingertips with Gold.

 

It's worth downloading each version and trying them out. They are fully functioning but time limited.

 

Keith

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I fera that you chaps may be correct and that TC9 Gold is the route I would have to take as more explorinmg over the weekend has shown several aspects that are in Gold but not Silver - I find that every time I look at the manual there is a gold bar down the side of what I am looking at which start toi answer teh question of which version.

 

What is holding me back is the time I have invested in iTrain which I know quite well now, that also unfortuinately means I also know the limittaions quite well (and the faults) hence the consideration of TC9, but at £500+ and then the new learning curve that is quite a lot to chew off, however the series of vids from Rudy will significantly flatten that learning curve. I am still not sure that the financial investment is warranted for a relatively small H0e layout - small compared to some HO layouts around, but large for narrow gauge and it is that narrow gauage challenge I have where sidings, passing loops and blocks are often close to the same size as the actual train traversing the track section.

 

This hobby is excellent at sucking up my money - do I get a couple of new locos or do I get TC9 Gold, or do I stick with the limitations of iTrain - not an easy question.

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I fera that you chaps may be correct and that TC9 Gold is the route I would have to take as more explorinmg over the weekend has shown several aspects that are in Gold but not Silver - I find that every time I look at the manual there is a gold bar down the side of what I am looking at which start toi answer teh question of which version.

 

What is holding me back is the time I have invested in iTrain which I know quite well now, that also unfortuinately means I also know the limittaions quite well (and the faults) hence the consideration of TC9, but at £500+ and then the new learning curve that is quite a lot to chew off, however the series of vids from Rudy will significantly flatten that learning curve. I am still not sure that the financial investment is warranted for a relatively small H0e layout - small compared to some HO layouts around, but large for narrow gauge and it is that narrow gauage challenge I have where sidings, passing loops and blocks are often close to the same size as the actual train traversing the track section.

 

This hobby is excellent at sucking up my money - do I get a couple of new locos or do I get TC9 Gold, or do I stick with the limitations of iTrain - not an easy question.

i have tried itrain and its not a patch on TC i did the wrong thing and bought the bronze version to save money but soon up graded to gold and never looked back 

you can do somme wonderful things in gold with variables etc take a look at my you tube channel overdene station i am just starting to use icar with the dynamo car system but i even find icar very useless as theres no english manual any just my thoughts 

do the right thing and go for gold

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I fera that you chaps may be correct and that TC9 Gold is the route I would have to take as more explorinmg over the weekend has shown several aspects that are in Gold but not Silver - I find that every time I look at the manual there is a gold bar down the side of what I am looking at which start toi answer teh question of which version.

 

What is holding me back is the time I have invested in iTrain which I know quite well now, that also unfortuinately means I also know the limittaions quite well (and the faults) hence the consideration of TC9, but at £500+ and then the new learning curve that is quite a lot to chew off, however the series of vids from Rudy will significantly flatten that learning curve. I am still not sure that the financial investment is warranted for a relatively small H0e layout - small compared to some HO layouts around, but large for narrow gauge and it is that narrow gauage challenge I have where sidings, passing loops and blocks are often close to the same size as the actual train traversing the track section.

 

This hobby is excellent at sucking up my money - do I get a couple of new locos or do I get TC9 Gold, or do I stick with the limitations of iTrain - not an easy question.

 

I'd say go for Gold - a big investment but so many advantages over other programmes and in my view earns its position as the best there is.  Also if there's a choice between going for Silver or Gold, then the extra on Gold is worth it.

 

I've been using it for about 12 years now and have never looked back or regretted the cost as it adds another dimension to our great hobby.

 

Cheers .. Alan

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