My Railroad Empire HolzValley (Still Under Construction... Forever)

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@ctclibby and @insomniville thank you very much for the response!

Unfortunately I don't have a scope at the moment, but maybe I'll look into it in the future. A good option you gave @ctclibby!

Okay, I threw out the pca9685s and added an extra arduino Mega (I still had it lying around). This will be a slave of the original arduino Mega so that the master can tell which track block should be activated (if the master is not connected to the correct track block).
These two arduinos will communicate with each other so that I have enough ports left for the blocks.Because I want to be able to control the speed and the direction, I need a connection for each piece of rail in a block (2x). This will now work because of the 2 MEGAs that I now have in my possession.

So the problem is actually solved now. First tackle all this and then on to the next story
 
@ctclibby:
I would also like to have a scope, but unfortunately I don't have the money to buy something like that.Also, I really have to get used to working with a scope. But maybe sometime in the future...
 
dreezy73 said:
@ctclibby:
I would also like to have a scope, but unfortunately I don't have the money to buy something like that.Also, I really have to get used to working with a scope. But maybe sometime in the future...
Click to expand...
Dreezy: For most Arduino work, this will do you just fine. Maybe the future is now?
Scope.jpg

That is at Amazon. There also is a single channel one for ~$39.

L8r
 


dreezy73 said:
and this one


View attachment 224304

Is this enough for my needs for my model railroad?
Click to expand...
Dreezy: Ya, should be. 10Mhz bandwidth, 48M samples second. It does not look like it has an external trigger. If you can stretch it, get a 2 channel one as you can trigger on one signal to see what is happening with the other signal at a specific point in time. If I remember correctly, Arduino still uses ATMel Mega324's @ 10Mhz which are pretty much 1 instruction per clock cycle; in other words, 10M instructions per second. To write to a port it does take some processing time. For a tight loop, 6 cycles to twiddle a bit. Port writes are about 166Khz with that. If timer is used, I think System Clock can be divided by 2 ( or more ) for Timer Clock with a count match of 1, so 5M port writes a second. Note that both of the above are pretty much useless other than testing. You have to do something somewhere in the code. I do not know the Arduino overhead and that could slow things down a bit. The DSO510 will be fine although you may not see rising/falling edge ringing or spikes. Probably overkill for a relatively slow MRR.

L8r
 
Last edited:
ctclibby said:
Dreezy: Ya, should be. 10Mhz bandwidth, 48M samples second. It does not look like it has an external trigger. If you can stretch it, get a 2 channel one as you can trigger on one signal to see what is happening with the other signal at a specific point in time. If I remember correctly, Arduino still uses ATMel Mega324's @ 10Mhz which are pretty much 1 instruction per clock cycle; in other words, 10M instructions per second. To write to a port it does take some processing time. For a tight loop, 6 cycles to twiddle a bit. Port writes are about 166Khz with that. If timer is used, I think System Clock can be divided by 2 ( or more ) for Timer Clock with a count match of 1, so 5M port writes a second. Note that both of the above are pretty much useless other than testing. You have to do something somewhere in the code. I do not know the Arduino overhead and that could slow things down a bit. The DSO510 will be fine although you may not see rising/falling edge ringing or spikes. Probably overkill for a relatively slow MRR.

L8r
Click to expand...
Thanx L8r for the info, i want to look at this in the future....
 
Building a Turntable for N-Scale – My Exciting Adventure with an Old CD and a Stepper Motor!

Ever wondered how to turn your tiny train around without picking it up and making the engineer dizzy?
Well, me too! That’s why I got to work with an old CD, a 28BYJ-48 stepper motor, and an Arduino Mega.
Sometimes it was sweaty work, sometimes it was laughs over wobbly parts, but the result is worth it.

Want to know exactly how I did it, including 3D printing and Tinkercad tinkering?
Check out my full story packed with excitement, humor, and tech wizardry here:
Building a Turntable for N-Scale

Curious about more model building adventures? Visit my website:
modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl

Good luck building, and remember: if it doesn’t spin right away, just try again (and laugh)!

GreetX
DreeZy
 
🎢 Turntable Trouble & the Victory of Gravity – My N Scale Build Continues! ⚙️


So, remember that N scale turntable I built a while back? It spun like a dream… but balanced like a drunk flamingo. 😅
Time to fix that.


What followed was a journey involving a failed 3D print (RIP filament), a stubborn motor, and a heroic comeback with laser-cut rings, 3D-printed supports, and Action glue (yes, the cheap stuff that actually works). I even used a 697g battery block as a clamp. Because why not.


The result? A rock-solid, wobble-free, good-looking turntable that actually behaves itself.


Curious how I did it? With photos, a full breakdown, and plenty of humble mistakes along the way?
👉 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl/draaischijf-voor-n-spoor-stevig-stabiel-en-zelfgemaakt/


Want to see more crazy DIY model train projects from my workshop?
🔗 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl/


Let me know what you think — or what you would’ve done differently (besides not gluing your fingers together... again). 😄
 
Model railway scenery building... or: the great cardboard & turntable disaster


Hi everyone,


Today was supposed to be the big day: I was finally going to start building scenery for my model railway. Some hills, a nice base layer, a bit of atmosphere... but of course, things don’t always go as planned.


My homemade ground cover didn’t work the way I wanted. I also forgot to build the frame for the scenery first. No big deal — fixed that. But halfway through stacking cardboard hills I suddenly thought:
“Wait... where's the turntable supposed to go again?”


Exactly. I forgot to account for it entirely. So...


  • Cut all the cardboard loose again (thankfully it was thin stuff).
  • Tried to fit the turntable.
  • Adjusted the turntable because of course it didn’t fit.
  • Rewired everything.

And in the end?
I GAVE UP. I WAS DONE.


If you want to see the full disaster story with pictures and all my frustrations, I wrote a blog about it:
👉 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl/🚂-modelspoor-landschap-bouwen-een-dag-vol-frustratie-karton-en-opgeven/


Anyone else recognise this? Those days where your model railway is just one big mental derailment? 😅


Cheers,
Dreezy
 


HolzValley-Courant Edition 3 Now Available!


Dear forum members,


With a slight delay of one day, it's finally here: HolzValley-Courant Edition 3 has been published! As always, it’s packed with stories, news, gossip, and of course, the latest rumors from the mysterious DonnerWald.


In this edition:


  • A wonderful interview with Greta Müller about the power of herbs
  • The official opening of the inn Die Friedliche Ruhe
  • Marriages, births, and a romantic proposal during the village festival
  • And… who or what was spotted this week in the forest?

📄 You can download Edition 3 directly via this link:
👉 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl...is-uit-bomvol-dorpsnieuws-verhalen-en-roddel/


Feel free to share which story you enjoyed most!


Happy reading!
— The HolzValley-Courant editorial team


DreeZy
 
Edition 4 of the HolzValley-Courant is out – don’t miss it!


The latest edition of the HolzValley-Courant is here!


In this fourth edition, you’ll find stories about daily life in BachFeld and HolzStadt, new building projects like the recently completed water tower, summer activities in the valley, and a sneak peek at what’s coming next.


Curious? Read it here:
👉 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl/de-holzvalley-courant-editie-4-is-uit-mis-m-niet/


All past editions of the paper can be found here.


Enjoy reading – and feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, or feedback for future editions!


Best regards,
DreeZy
 
dreezy73 said:
The latest edition of the HolzValley-Courant is here!
Click to expand...
That's my kind of deal; it looks like very cool, even if I don't read German. Or at least, I assume it's German. While I can't comment on the content since I can't understand it, I can say that I love the visual style!

:)

I have plans for when I get my layout started that also include an in-character news blog, so this resonates. I hadn't considered an actual "newspaper", though.

Hmmmm. Ideas! :)
 
dreezy73 said:
@insomniville Thanx for the compliments...Love it....
But the language is Dutch, you know.. The Netherlands!.
If you want the layout as a docx file, pm me for it....

Thanks to insomniville's suggestion, an English version of the HolzValley-Courant is now available!


You can read Edition 4 here:
👉 https://modelbouw.kloppenburgweb.nl/edition-4-of-the-holzvalley-courant-is-out-dont-miss-it/


Enjoy the latest stories and village news in English!
Click to expand...
I'm apparently not a linguist if I can't Dutch from German. :)

Very fun, thanks for the translation!
 
Survived the chaos on my hobby desk… thanks to cardboard drawers! 😎

Hi everyone,


I just got back from vacation and thought I could relax… until I stepped into my hobby room. BAM! Complete disaster! Parts, wires, and bits scattered everywhere. 😱


Luckily, I summoned my inner DIY hero and launched a rescue mission: cardboard drawers! With a laser, some sturdy cardboard, and Action’s tacky glue, I finally brought order to the chaos. 🌞


Want to see what a cardboard army of drawers looks like and how I bring it all to life with LaserGRBL and Inkscape? It’s funny, practical, and a bit thrilling (you should see my laser in action 😅).


Check it out here: 👉 Getting my hobby room in order with cardboard drawers


Cheers,
DreeZy
 
Subject: Update: cardboard drawers expanded into a whole army! 🔥😎


Hi everyone,


A quick follow-up to my previous adventure with the first drawers. I now have a full army of 21 cardboard drawers on my hobby desk! 💪 19 of 15x15x7.5 cm and 2 of 15x21x7.5 cm. Not every slot could be filled because of a power outlet behind the desk, but that doesn’t ruin the fun.


Building the housing for the drawers was an adventure in itself. Every now and then, everything collapsed and I could barely hide my frustration 😅. But now it’s a sturdy mini-warehouse where all my craft supplies finally have their place.


During the laser cutting, things almost went wrong: the cardboard caught fire (forgot the air-assist 😱) and I even cut my fingers. Blood, smoke, and glue make the story complete — but hey, order out of chaos! 🩸🔥


For the full story, including all the details about glue, laser work, and grumbling moments:
Making cardboard drawers with LaserGRBL – chaos turned into order

Has anyone else ever had a DIY project that almost ended in smoke or blood? 😅 Share your stories!

Cheers DreeZy
 


That's the problem I always have, but in this case I persevered. I WANTED to finish this to clean up the mess in my hobby room. So sometimes you just have to persevere, right?
 
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