Dead Rail

Bruce,

As you know the weak link in all control systems is how does data (information) get passed from one part of the system to another part of the same system without loosing and/or corrupting the data. For model railroads dirty track, weak wiring, short battery life, and crowded air waves all have the same results. Right now it seems like we get to name our poison. 

It don't mean to imply that nothing can be done. Various individuals and manufacturers are working on these problems, and the current systems are light years better than the old rheostat throttles. Progress has been made, and as time goes by even more progress will be made. At this time it seems like modelers in the larger scales and that operate at home may be quite interested in the systems you describe.

For those of us who are in modular clubs and would love to obviate the need for all of the wiring. Dead rail would seem to be a good choice. But any system that must transmit critical data in the 916.48 MHz band will have the same problems that the existing "radio" throttles have: the band is over-crowded. There are so many point of sale units, DCC radio throttles, and even venue specific systems using this frequency that radio throttles of all flavors with their relatively week signal just get drowned out and control is lost. Not good.

It sounds as if CVP has found a way to "subdivide" the 916.48 band into 17 distinct signals. (Perhaps something similar to wireless microphones.) If they are "immune" to the other signals in this band then maybe there is hope for this solution. If not, this will be no improvement for modular layouts.

There are other problems, many of which you described, including the issue of needing a different transmitter for each locomotive/engine. I would expect that the added cost of all the throttles will constrain the market for a system like this. On the other hand those systems that can utilize an owners existing DCC system will have an edge in the market. I wish them success.

Dick

Nice Summary, Dick

The 902 MHz band has many channels. AirWire uses 16 channels in that portion of the spectrum plus the (as you point out) overcrowded 916.48 MHz channel.

I'd love an ergonomic handheld that would operate on 32 or more channels and cost about $50.

Yes, I'm a dreamer.

Also Look at non Radio Solutions-Blue Tooth communications

Bruce

MRH has run ads and reviews before for the Blue Rail Bluetooth wireless communications protocol solution. They have successfully integrated DCC plug and play decoders with their command receiver. Their boards include wiring for dead rail options.  I am waiting for their new developments in very tiny receivers that should be coming very soon. Batteries are a problem for smaller HO/OO locomotives (I model both US and UK prototypes) as there are no good small enough solutions.  Initially I will be using track power with capacitor type short duration storage to handle the intermittent dead rail power interruptions.

I believe something like bluetooth communications and new battery technology will be the new norm for model railroad powered unit control in less than 5 years. DCC does not go away. The receiver just connects to the DCC decoder.  We may need specialized bluetooth transmitters that combine the tactile throttle with the display capabilities found on smart phones.

Ken Adams

Good article

Looking forward to the rest.  I'm half-way through an 8' x 11' HO walk-in w/lift gate; this method might make it easier for me to get to a running layout.

....Jim

CVP T1300 transmitter

Bruce,

On page 6 of your article in the March issue, you stated the following:

The backlight depletes the batteries when used, but makes the
throttle usable at night. It also adds to the cab price. The venerable
economy version T1300 cab is still available.​

I want to point out that the T1300 transmitter is the latest transmitter offering from CVP and is referred to as the OPS transmitter; I believe that you meant to refer to the original CVP transmitter that was the RF1300. The new T1300 throttle is a stripped down version of the T5000 which will not allow the user to reprogram a locomotive receiver by mistake. 

The currently available CVP AireWire transmitters are the T5000, T5000 backlit and the T1300 OPS transmitter. The OPS transmitter can be purchased with or without a battery charger. The RF1300 and its successor, the T9000 are no longer  available. 

Bob Ferguson

Garden Railroad Supply Company (CVP dealer)

S-Cab

On the Western Pacific we have been using S-Cab since it's inception. My main operating system is the Chubb system (DC) that I went with in 1996 due to signaling and dispatching. S-Cab is my way of incorporating DCC into the system. I have currently 6 locomotives with S-Cab installed.  In HO, 3 GP35's a GP7, and a 1500 switcher. This required a calf as the components would not all fit in the cab. I also have a challenger that I installed the system in and included sound just for the experience. The move to battery powered DCC has be great..  I refer to in as DCC on steriods!

The WP is a large layout and battery power has worked quite well, I have assigned it to most trains that do local switching. My main line trains use two DC locomotives to provide adequate electrical pickup so they remain DC. I have a separate throttle for each locomotive. I put all the S-Cab locomotvives on charge the morning of the evening session. I also have charging sections ( fueling track ) at the locations the locomotives work so they get a boost during the evening. Not sure they need it but why not? One side affect is there is no buzz when a turnout is against you so derailments happen more often as some operators don't watch what they are doing. Had one train come to the end of the track and head out across the field. The operator complained that this was a flaw in the system as he was doing something and not watching his locomotive. Guess the locomotive should know it was at the end of the rails < G> .  Artificial intelligence ?

I can not express what a drimatic change the S-Cab  system has made to my layout. It is a simple system to install and operate, it does require additional work, charging the locomotives, turning them off at end of session, charging the throttles ( we operate every other Thursday, so I charge throttles every 3 months ).

As to wheels, the system does pickup from the rails when charging so wheels do need t be cleaned ever so often, or if lazy just slide the loco back and forth till the headlight is on during charging to provide pickup  < G>  

By far the best move I have taken as to model railroading. DCC is the Cadillac , DCC on battery power is the Royals Royce of systems! Battery power is not needed on DCC systems as they work just fine but there are situations where they are the very benificial, I feel battery power has a bright future. There is an S_Cab website where you can see typical installations.

Steve Hayes

A little deep, but Informative

Getting back into model railroading after a 25 year hiatus was sticker shock for me. Of course everyone says DCC is the only way to go, but my locomotives were purchased 25-30 years ago. I can't afford DCC now, so it's back to DC for now, with an eye toward an upgrade down the road. The article, and every article on DCC helps me understand how to get there, when I can afford it.

Keith

I covered Blue Rails products in a prior column ( https://forum.mrhmag.com/magazine-feedback-was-ezines-891776). Their current product does NOT transmit DCC packets over the air. That is the reason that they were not included in this column. They are working on a DCC solution, I'm told, so I'll review that when it is available.

Bob

Thanks for the input. I reached out to CVP for input on this column. Al gave me permission to use photos from their website but didn't contribute any data. I was working from memory and missed the RF1300 vs. T1300 nomenclature. 

Good summary but there's also RailPro

Another radio system is Ring Engineering's RailPro. Conversion to dead-rail operation requires only changing the wires used to pick-up the rail current from the wheels to the battery pack.

Steve Miller

Fredericksburg, VA

Great start in the reporting of this feature

This is the future of control for our model railroads. This is the DCC of our times. To have motive power that does not stall, track that does not need to be cleaned, feeder wires that do not need to be every three feet. I'm looking forward to all the advancements this will bring. The time and cost savings for those of us in FreeMo and other modular groups is enormous. Setting up for shows will be so much easier and quicker. 

I hope you have some videos or step by step photo journals of setting up a system in an HO diesel coming up. Will be interested in seeing how to consist multiple units and project sound. 

A little late to comment...

The flaw in the system is the operator not paying attention to his locomotive!

Seriously though this could be a problem with modular layouts, where the locomotive goes off the edge of the module, of course DCC keep alive could do the same thing. 

Battery power and keep alive

That's why with my Siskiyou Line 2 TOMA modules, I will be installing a temp bolt-on 2" lip above the end of the staging modules or on any other module where continuing on past the end takes the equipment down the steepest grade on the railroad -- straight to the concrete floor!

As we move more and more to keep alive and battery powered locos, we will need to plan accordingly where rails run past the edge of the layout.

Paying attention

It seems that a big difference between KA and battery power is that connection to the control. Wireless control and batteries allow control of the engine so without the connection to the rails where an engine equipped with a capacitor is intended to allow continued movement at the expense of control. 

Losing an engine off the end of the line is operator error, of course, with battery power but a more common problem is running a train on the ties. This especially disconcerting when en engine arrives from staging or a tunnel toward a switch or bridge!

On a side note, whoever pointed to old mouse and printer cables for sources of wires has my sincere thank you! What a resource that I normally toss.