DCC - GPS positioning Gamesontrack

[KathrynTaylorUK]

Hi all,

 

(decided to duplicate my post in this sub-forum as well)

 

I'm in that wonderful 'design stage' of my O gauge layout. You know, the one that lasts about 2 years, starts with many cups of tea and slowly evolves into substance abuse - chocolate, in my case....

Having flown drones and developed software commercially, I thought of a great idea - local GPS for my locos + computer control. Ah-ha! Already done - great! 

 

So, I looked into the Gamesontrack solution and called DCCSupplies for more info. 

 

Q) Has anyone here used it? I'm initially looking for photos of how the sender unit looks on the roof of the loco - all mine are diesel. The thought of cutting a 9mm hole in the roof is not thrilling me, but I obvioulsy understand why it needs to be done. 

I'm in York - anyone near (or far!) that can help out greatly appreciated

 

Ultimately, I'm hoping for several locos to be under auto control while I guide the rest. I can also play signal man/woman/person (!) by having the trains react to the signals I set and have following trains remain in their own blocks.

 

Thanks in advance *reaches for the Lindt caramel and sea salt 70% dark chocolate - again*

Kathryn

[Nigelcliffe]

Comments/thoughts:

 

GoT - single supplier of a niche system used by hardly anyone.  Probably works if setup correctly. 

 

O-gauge diesels:  lots of space inside them, so additional hardware isn't a fundamental issue. 

 

So, for your layout, have you evaluated the alternatives to provide tracking information, including:

 

a - fully block sectioning the layout, telling software the starting positions of all locos, and letting the software track every movement (manually driven, or automated) so the software knows the positions at all points in the future ?   (this is what a lot of large, and complicated automated model railways do, with the trains correctly responding to signals, the signals changing due to the occupied blocks ahead, etc...  ).

  

b - adding a train identification method, which would include RailCom, Lissy, RFID ?   Any of those will provide a system with identification of a train being at a particular sensor (or with RailCom "in a particular block").   The system can then use that to initiate tracking via block occupancy, or other sensors from that point onwards. 

 

 

Combined automatic and manual running should be possible in several of the model railway control packages.  

 

 

 

 

 

[KathrynTaylorUK]

Hi Nigel,

 

thanks for the reply. I'd investigated the RFID route, but not RailCom or Lissy. Time to get reading!

 

Thanks again

K