# Automating the Bushkill and Northern...a blog...of sorts



## NedsTJ (Apr 4, 2008)

I guess I should start this with one of those "WARNING! The content contained within this thread is definitly NOT necessary for the enjoyment of running trains!" ( I guess that's really a matter of perspective, however.) In fact, following this thread will most likely lead to more frustration, setpacks, white hair, no hair, singed hair, long lists of expletives, and maybe, just maybe the occasional woot!

I am intending this post to be a semi-regular update on the status of my attempts to automate the Bushkill and Northern. Why am I posting it here instead of another part of the myLargescale community? Well, glad you asked. I am planning on using a simple laptop, Digitrax DCC and Loconet as the backbone of the system. Posting my triumphs here I know it will get purused by other like minded enthusiasts...who can chime in whenever the spirt moves them!

The status of the pike so far: Two loops with some interconnecting track. Overall size (pics to follow) is a L shape about 70' x 70', with each leg about 20-25'. Autocad is acting up on me right now, otherwise a diagram would follow...stay tuned! The interconnections will allow me to run a train on each loop without worrying about them running into each other at all. The interconnecting track will allow a third train to follow the complete trackage of the Bushkill and Northern. All trackwork is done except (of course) the 20' connection. All switches are in place (just waiting on the Prodrives to arrive). When pics are posted, please don't expect beautiful scenes and awe inspiring vignettes....that'll come later in life, LOL. In fact the second leg is simple 2x6 construction to support the track with a meadow-like re-creation growing in the middle...

Control system: I have a Digitrax Superchief as the command module. I plan on using a Locobuffer II to communicate with the Digitrax Loconet. All the decoders are Digitrax compatible with the Transponding. I'm usign a BDL168 for occupancy detection and for sensing the transponding. The system is completely wired into 16 separate blocks (double gapped), all fed back to the BLD168. (edit: will be double gapped...the insulators just arrived today, LOL). After reviiewing the options, I chose to go with Train-Li Prodrive DCC switch machines, (4 of which are due in at the end of the month.). 

Rolling Stock: Ok, so I'm falling a little short on this topic...I've got an Aristo Pacific with 6 Pennsylvania Heavyweights, and a Reading RD3, with about 8-10 freight cars. Not sure what the 3rd will be, but since I like the passenger trains, that's where I'm leading. Both engines have Transponding compatible chips installed, as will the observation car and caboose eventually (more on that later).

I intend to update this on a day-to-day...week-to-week basis....hopefully knowing that others are reading will prompt me to update when stuff happens!

Thanks...and appolgies in advance for any gramatical errors that probably chaff at a number of you out there!

Ned

(as learned from other building logs and other forum trip reports...I plan on keeping the next 2-3 posts blank...for future use!)


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## NedsTJ (Apr 4, 2008)

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## NedsTJ (Apr 4, 2008)

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## NedsTJ (Apr 4, 2008)

Yay! It connects!
Yesterday I received my new laptop, a nice nifty little thing runnign Vista.  Since it was delivered to my work, I immediatly stopped what I was doing...to make sure it worked, of course.  Since it was just going to sit there for a day...I put it to work loading Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 Express.  My background in programming goes back to GW basic days.  Actually before that I imagine...was programing basic on a TRS-80 Model 3 writing simple text-adventure games.  But don't let this fool you...I never got much more into it than that.  In college I chose the Mechanical Engineering route, learning just enough programming to sound like I know what I'm tlaking about to the EE's and CompE's.  Nowadays I know VB, some VB.Net, very little C, and some of the html scripting stuff (Jscript, PHP, mysql, etc).  So don't let anything I might be saying be used to scare anyone off...if I can figure out how to do it, I think anyone can...no foolin.  


Anyway, VB2008 Express loaded...then decided it need to load some more stuff...and a little bit more after that.  Be prepared, it took it about 2-3 hours to download and install itself.  I think it also loaded the Microsoft SQL stuff, not that I think I need that yet, but it was offered so I accepted, LOL.  Next step was to find some of the programming I did in the past with VB and an HO christmas display.  Did I not mention I played around with this before? About 2-3 years ago with a simple loop of track, 2 station sidings, and some magnetic sensors.   Maybe more on that later...but the cruxt was that I forgot my Old laptops HD crashed (or was crashing) about 6 months ago and while I saved a lot of the photos, I neglected some of the applications....that being one of them.  Oh well...I'll be better this time anyway, but I just regret the loss of the code and examples.  It mean's I'll just have to forge my way thru it again, LOL.
Next step was to download a nifty little program called RRAuto from www.Perecli.com.  I recalled I used this before with the HO display. Sure enough he's still there, and just issued an update in April. Hot dang. If I remember right,  I liked the program he has, but he also has a library of functions specifically designed for making interfacing with Loconet a lot easier for us "N00bs".  Downloaded, and installed in about 10 minutes (I think I had some "real work" to take care of in the middle there...).
 
The following morning (today), I dragged out the controls to the bench, found the Locobuffer II, the USB/Serial interface (er, the second one...not the Radio Shack version that wanted a disk to load), even the Locobuffer power supply (surprised it was in the box as well, knowing me).  Hooked it all up.  The Locobuffer simply connects thru the USB/Serial interface right the laptop.  It then connected to the Digitrax system usign a 5 wire RJ45 connector. (I think that's what it's called).   Placed the pacific on the rollers, fired up the Digitrax Superchief, and started it rolling.  So far, so good (anytime the system actually starts up and enginer responds to the commands from the controller is a good day!).  Turned on the laptop.  Changed the USB/Serial com port to 1 (it defaults to 3 on initial install).  And started RRAuto....nothin...it encountered some weird startup error and kicked me right back to the desktop.  OK, try again...success,  the program started but it couldn't connect.  Think...hmmm, turns out the baud rates where off...(doh!) and walla...I'm getting good data, it's reporting, packets are good etc.  Opened up the screen, added a throttle, set the address to 21 (the pacific #)...and Eureka! It's speeding up and slowing down in response to the throttle action.  Ok, Ok...some of you might be "Ho hum...that's nothing new..." but to me that's a nice step forward. It tells me that despite the age of the Locobuffer and the Supercheif...everything's working as it should.  Didn't even need drivers becuase of "Vista"...it's just working, LOL. Sweet.  I even triggered the whistle a few times and sat back and let it run...on the bench of course.  Tomorrow I'll drag the setup out to the backyard and see what happens....
 
I think I'm going to start with the RRAuto program.  He's got it pretty well down.  You can "draw up" you system on the screen, adding switches, sidings, etc. It also allows for scripting, which I think (know) I'll need for the automation of the switches.  A word on the ultimate goal: 3 trains running.  2 follow separate loops while a 3rd follows the complete path.  This requires 1) Knowing where each train is, 2) reporting of which train is where, 3) reliable switching, 4) controlling speeds, 5) Block "Rules", etc.  It should get interesting.
 
I've also downloaded the JMRI stuff as well, but I havn't played with that yet.  I might give it a try later, after I verify that the system works with the BDL168, and I can start focusing on the programming...after some mandatory weed pulling time.


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