Mike Friedman

maybee u should volunteer to write the manual 4 them

Andy, there is no problem. There is no commercially available bluetooth control system. If and when it arrives, if it offers no advantage to you, don't use it. There are some who still run clockwork layouts and have great fun doing so; no one is suggesting they should adopt any other form of control or traction. You use what you are happy with. End of.

As a user of Railroad & Co. I could use bluetooth and DCC; all it would require is RR&co to support bluetooth in the same way as it does diverse DCC systems (ExpressNet, LocoNet, etc) and is able to communicate with them concurrently in real time. I could then send control commands to locos using bluetooth and Lenz (my current system) as required. Bluetooth equipped locos could be tracked by my current blocks as any other power drawing vehicle is. The advantage of bluetooth is it would be a much simpler communication chain: Control software = bluetooth encoding = bluetooth transmission = bluetooth decoding = accessory/ loco control compared to the current communication chain: Control software = computer interface = ExpressNet bus = DCC encoding = DCC bus transmission = DCC decoder = accessory/loco control. However the big advantage of DCC is it is available NOW complete with loco, point, signal, detection and many other modules. And despite it's more cumbersome architecture it works. If I had a couple of pounds for every car shown at motor shows that subsequently never goes on sale I would be able to fund my model rail habit from that alone. However I look forward to bluetooth as it does have many promising features, but am not holding my breath as I fear I would be bluefaced rather than bluetoothed.

Andy, I think Nile is using that particularly British humour called sarcasm, hence the ".....Ha Ha!" at the end.

If you are using RR&co layout automation software and have a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound card (or spare system) you can interface it with the RR&co sound system. See: http://www.freiwald.com/pages/sound.htm

The problem Bachmann will have to overcome in the toy market is one of immediacy of gratification, by this I mean the ability of little Johnny to open his train set on Christmas morning set out the oval of track and PLAY. You can imagine the conversation on Christmas eve when Johnny's mum (Susan) is wrapping the train set: “Dave, did you notice the bit on the back of the box? It says it needs a smart device to operate.” “No I didn't. What kind of smart device?” replies Dave (Johnny's Dad and Susan's partner) who bought the set as an impulse yesterday at CrapToys R You. Susan: “Full details are in the box or on the BaccyTrain website. I don't want to open the box, so go on the web and find out what it needs.” Dave duly goes to the computer and after twenty minutes struggling with 26 required updates and two essential re-starts as well as anti virus warnings fires up the browser and reaches the BaccyTrain website. Calling to Susan: “It needs a device running the Gumboot operating system, Costa Rica beans version or later. It also runs on iPiddle devices running the Xii version or later.” Susan: “ Johnny's phone runs Gumboot but I think he's still on Arabica beans not Costa Rica”. Dave: “We could download the app to your i-ncontinance Pad and run the trains from that. Its' on Xii isn't it?” Susan (with a sharp edge to the tone, implying Dave has gone and made another of his ill thought out idiotic impulse purchases): “It's my i-ncontinance Pad.I don't want Johnny messing with my settings and Facefoot postings, some can be adult. You'll have to go up and get Johnnys' phone, upgrade it and download the app so he can use it to run the trains tomorrow when he opens the box.” Dave s' own phone was chosen to be compatible with his work documents and so runs the Patio Door operating system. The train control app is not available for Patio Door devices. This being Christmas eve it has taken the last two hours for Johnny to get to sleep. Now Dave will have to sneak into his room and take the 'phone from the boy's bedside table. With the 'phone safely retrieved Dave sets about upgrading it from Arabica to Costa Rica. This should have been easy but for the annoying tendency of the phone to drop its' connection to the router around the 98% complete stage. However at the third attempt the 'phone is successfully upgraded. Now Dave attempts to log into the Gumboot Music and Apps store. It askes for a user ID and password. Could it be that his young son had accessed the store in the past and already set up an ID and password? It would appear so. “Susan, did you know Johnny has been buying stuff from the Gumboot store?” an edge of exasperation in his voice. Susan: “Yes, he asked me if he could. He needed to use my credit card details to pay.” Dave: “Do you know what ID and password he used?” Susan: “Nope, he set them up on his own.” Dave: “Well I can't download the app from the store unless I know his password.” Susan: “Don't you dare wake him. It's taken over two hours for him to get to sleep.” Dave snaps and in the manner of John Cleese about to thrash his car marches to the pile of presents at the bottom of the tree; grabs the beautifully wrapped train set ripping the stupidly expensive Edwardian style Christmas paper from it. “ This is going back to the shop! And now it's going to move without electricity or control mechanism.” And indeed it does as he kicks it deftly out of the living room into the hall, another deft kick and it bounces off the front door. Dave calms as the somewhat battered large oblong box is dumped in the boot of his car. Slamming the door he mutters: “It was bad enough when batteries were not included.”

As I see it, DCC and bluetooth are simply means of communicating commands to and from locomotives and other devices (Block detection devices, points, signals, etc.). As a user of RR&co control software this is the brain of the system as it does most of the thinking, there is no reason why it should not send signals using whatever communications protocol wired or wireless it is able to and you choose to use. If bluetooth proved to be a reliable and much cheaper method of by-directional communication than DCC manufacturers such as Lenz or Digitrax could simply incorporate it into their throttles (for those that prefer a dedicated controller rather than using an existing smart phone/device). The important point is that for adoption by other manufacturers of locos, devices and control software it must be an open published standard. Do Bachmann promise it will have open APIs with published interface definitions? Are they prepared to work with the NMRA to standardise the system for all to adopt? If the answer to the above is NO, then the only way I can see the system becoming successful is if Bachmann become market dominant and it becomes a de-facto standard.

If you have not yet bought the Hornby decoder you could try the following: http://www.ldt-infocenter.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=en:ls-dec-br I use them with my Berko signals, powered from a Lenz transformer TR100 that powers my accessory bus, the decoder powers the LEDs directly (in-built resistors) and can be set for common anode or cathode and DC or AC output. Mike

As Two Tone says, it is actually easy, once you have wired one block and one point the rest are simply a repetition, some familiarisation of how to set up the signal logic is probably the only complex learning curve. Interestingly although the layout was DCC from the outset points and associated routes were controlled by stud and pencil and diode matrix for the first two or three years; there is a great deal of satisfaction in building one's own “real” control panel, it does also allow you to fully understand what is going on electrically on the layout. The concept of trying to remember the address of 90+ points and changing them using buttons on a DCC throttle is one of my definitions of hell, so I stayed stud and probe till the mimic diagram could be screen based using RR&co. Some of the examples illustrated in this thread are outstanding and should rightly be a source of pride, by contrast my early “real” panels were simply two sheets of hinged plywood with a mimic diagram on one side with brass screws as the studs with the diodes directly soldered to them on the back side where required, photos below, very crude compared to many illustrated in this thread but they worked and proved very reliable.

As with some others shown my panel is computer based, but because my storage sidings are hidden below one of the scenic sections it also has to show me where each train and loco is. The other reason to go to automation was that while I like to drive my train it is nice to have the computer do the signalling and running other trains automatically, so although it is a large layout I can run as if other operators are present while still on my own.

Hello Bluebird, if you are intending using Peco code 100 track, then the double slip only comes in the insulfrog variety, and with this no wiring is required, you can attach metal rail joiners on all rails and all works fine (I have four on my layout and have no problems). The Peco code 100 double slip (SL-90) has quite small non-conductive areas at the frogs and if wheels and track are clean do not pose much of a problem. If you are going for Code 75 you have a choice of insulfrog (SL-190) or electrofrog (SL-E190), insulfrog will need no extra wiring, the electrofrog will require the frogs insulating with insulated rail joiners and the polarity switching with changing routes. Electrofrog will always give better electrical continuity with smaller non conductive areas than insulfrog, in the case of Peco OO trackwork insulfrog has two sections of 5mm plastic rail that are non conductive compared to electrofrog. If you choose electrofrog how you power the points and change the polarity is up to you; as they say: “You pays your money and makes your choice.” Whatever method you choose it is always best to understand why you are wiring how you are, and I am sure that once you have understood the principles you will find the wiring not too difficult however you choose to solve the problem.

I told myself I wouldn't but too many factors bent my resolve; it's lines are so elegant for a freight loco (or any type of loco for that matter), I needed a loco in keeping with my rake of private coal wagons, later in time, with a different livery no doubt, it came to be stabled in Thornton slap bang in the middle of the Kingdom my layout is loosely modelled on. So why not?, it is my Kingdom after all..... And as the song goes: Baby, baby, you're out of time You can't come back and be the first in line.... I do need front lamps however, what are the best? And where are they available from? They do need to be movable as my locos change duties regularly, and the Great Central is an aberration, all my other locos are late BR steam as per the two pictures below so they would need to be suitable for them rather than the GC:

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Arty farty in the attic: