The D&J Railroad -- From Scratch

[Motley]

Oooh like that video of the intermodal, that thing is long too.

Is the BLI ATSF 4-8-4 the new release? I just ordered one yesterday, got a great deal on MB Klien for $240.

And what cars are you using with it?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Oooh like that video of the intermodal, that thing is long too.

Is the BLI ATSF 4-8-4 the new release? I just ordered one yesterday, got a great deal on MB Klien for $240.

And what cars are you using with it?

Yes, that's the new release of the Northern. You will love it, but don't leave the smoke unit turned on. It seems to burn itself out if ya leave it running without smoke oil in it. It can be very loud but you can tone it down by hitting the F8 a few times to notch the volume down.
The passenger cars are the BLI California Zephyr series.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

More action on the D&J Railroad.
This is a demonstration of the BLMA Cantilever signals with the Train Controller Silver software controlling things.
First into the picture is the AT&SF excursion, but he has to wait at the crossover for a west bound container train. Once the right hand running is clear, the excursion can proceed over to right hand running. He has to move fast though because a west bound auto rack will be coming through where he sat watching the containers.

[video=youtube;IwzcD1sSplM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzcD1sSplM&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzcD1sSplM&feature=player_detailpage

 

[jwb]

I discovered this thread a week or so ago, and I really like what you're doing with this layout. Are you planning to include all the little bits like signal bungalows, switch heaters, and so forth that go with a scene like this?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Those are little items that will be added much later. My major work right now is getting the signal system installed and operating.

 

[tootnkumin]

I like the way the wires have been strung between the poles in that pic, a nice touch of realism.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I had picked up a few spools of elastic thread that models telephone pole wire. It is a very flexible line that has the natural droop like power lines. I haven't used it yet but should find a place for it on the empire.

 

[otiscnj]

Got a question for you Ken.

It appears to me that as soon as the train is out of the block, or a few seconds thereafter, the signal turns green again. Was this your intent? I thought I could still see container train, as well as the auto-rack train, when the signal turns back to green.

Do you need a longer delay, or further spacing between the clear green aspect, and the back of the preceeding train? Not trying to overwhelm you, just asking, as I've been debating such things with a 4'x8' N layout, using the Atlas signal system(analog DC).

Thanks,
Carl

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I went back and looked at the video again. You're right. The signals turned yellow while the end of the train was still in the block that should have kept the signals red. I'll have to check that. I thought the end of train device would trigger the block detection.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

Installed the Digitrax PS2012 last night. Had to do a little tweeking so the transition between power districts was correct. The visible track is the staging yard so I'm not to concerned about how it looks. I will dress it up a bit later on.
The two leads off the right set of terminals go to the two DB150 boosters.

 

[jwb]

I looked up the Train Controller Silver software that you mentioned, which I'd never heard of -- it appears that this allows for some type of automatic operation. Can you tell us more about how you're using it?

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I'm using the TC Silver for interlocking control of the railroad. The software as I am using it does not start or stop the trains. It only provides signaling of what is going on in the blocks ahead of a train.
In order for the software to work properly, the layout had to be divided into electrical blocks. That means each individual section of track that I want the signals to observe, had to be isolated and wired into a Digitrax BDL168. There may be other block detection hareware out there, but I choose the Digitrax board. I also used the Digitrax SE8C board for signal head operations. The signal heads themselves are the BLMA signals with LEDs.

 

[jwb]

I see now -- I've been doing somewhat similar stuff, using Dallee Electronics detectors and mostly NJI signals, although I have one of those BLMA gantries in work.


I started this layout with analog in the mid-1980s, when there wasn't as much of a range available as now. I'm slowly converting to DCC and slowly continuing to add signals, more or less along the same lines you're working from.

 

[fcwilt]

The nice thing about using TC for signal control is that you have a lot of freedom to implement a signaling scheme as you see fit. The logic of what turns what color when is configured in TC not in hardware. TC can also centralize control of all of your hardware (turnouts, relays, etc) and again the logic of what does what is controlled in TC not in how things are wired (for the most part).

TC also allows total manual control, total automated control or just about anywhere in between.

 

[jwb]

I see what you mean, and if I were starting now, I'd certainly go that route. However, my layout is well along in relay-and-wire technology!

 

[D&J RailRoad]

It's not to hard to strip out what ya have established and start over. The signaling really adds a dimension of running trains that few really ever get to experience. This is something that I just haven't been able to initiate because I didn't know where to start. With the new layout, I was determined to just jump in make it happen no matter how much effort was required. fcwilt was very instumental in bringing the hardware and software puzzle together so now it's a technically simple but time consuming operation to set signals up. T

 

[jwb]

Well, I'm certainly going to follow what you're doing, and maybe you can point me to more of fcwilt's work! But signals are just part of the fun, there's lots to do on all kinds of areas!

 

[fcwilt]

Well, I'm certainly going to follow what you're doing, and maybe you can point me to more of fcwilt's work! But signals are just part of the fun, there's lots to do on all kinds of areas!

Ken is farther along in construction then I am but I was farther along in understanding TC. I was leaving signaling for last as I was concerned about damage to the signals during construction. But I'm always glad to help with questions about TC.

 

[D&J RailRoad]

I found this signal mast #1037 on NJ International and ordered 8 of them for the next section I am working on. They will be used for the block separation points. I had asked BLMA if they were going to market something like this. They responded that it might be in the future offering. I don't want to wait on them.

 

[jwb]

Yes, I'm using a couple of those, and I think they're great: