2011 Video of my garden railway

[Cliff George]

I've uploaded a new video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAETYABbZco

Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it over the last two weekends.

 

[nicebutdim]

Wow, what a great video of an excellent railway. Very impressive, really like the control system.

 

[annieshalt]

once again cliff a pleasure to watch. allan.

 

[GlenF]

Superb video of a superb railway! Thanks for sharing it.

 

[ntpntpntp]

 

[MR SPOCK]

Smashing film Cliff and very clever train controller that ​

 

[Gizzy]

Like it!

Especially Percy....

 

[stockers]

Like it!

Especially Percy....

Is it just me. I dont like Thomas and Percy on garden lines. They look far too toy like.
OK, fine if you have little kids or want to give them a severe bashing but other than that - not my cuppa.
Great video though of a nice line in a very neat garden.

 

[garrymartin]

No its not just you. I dont care for either of them either & the James looks worse. In fact I would go as far as to say the James is so unrealistic as to be unbashable!
Great video, I enjoyed that alot.

 

[Tony]

Cliff
I dont know if you have in the past but any chance of a full run down on how the computor control works, eg wots needed, is it totally automatic ? etc etc
Many Thanks Tony

 

[Cliff George]

Thanks for all of the positive comments.

As to the Thomas/Percy issue I have to say I like em, as do my kids, and those next door. I think rule 8 says I can like them if I want to! I'm pretty sure that some of the people I've shared the video with, like those at work, wouldn't have given it the time of day had Percy not been in it. A few are going to share the video with their kids/grandkids and getting younger people interested can only be good for the hobby.

Tony, I will be glad to describe the computer control but I'll have to leave that until this evening when I've got a bit more spare time.

 

[Tony]

Thanks for all of the positive comments.

As to the Thomas/Percy issue I have to say I like em, as do my kids, and those next door. I think rule 8 says I can like them if I want to! I'm pretty sure that some of the people I've shared the video with, like those at work, wouldn't have givin it the time of day had Percy not been in it. A few are going to share the video with their kids/grandkids and getting younger people interested can only be good for the hobby.

Tony, I will be glad to decribe the computer control but I'll have to leave that until this eveniong when I've got a bit more spare time.

Thank you just thought it would be a good subject for a "how to" artical im wondering is it you that stops a train at a crossing to wait for another to pass or is it computer wizzardary, im guessing it knows what section of the track a certain train is on but can it tell how far along, I noticed your camera was in front of a train and guessing it was on a wagon being pushed but wondered why it didnt overhang the crossing when stopped if normally the front of the train would be the loco. anyway take your time will watch out for it
Tony

 

[Cliff George]

Hello Tony here are the short answers,

Thank you just thought it would be a good subject for a "how to"

OK will do, the long answer to follow sometime soon. It you are in a rush there is a description in the Winter 2010 G Scale Journal.

artical im wondering is it you that stops a train at a crossing to wait for another to pass or is it computer wizzardary,

Its computer wizardry.

im guessing it [the computer] knows what section of the track a certain train is on

Yes, the computer gets an indication that a train has entered a block. Each block is equipped with at least one bit of electronics called an occupancy detector, which detects a current being drawn. The computer doesn't get told which train, but by knowing what train is going where and other info it can work out which train it must be.

When I say block I mean a section of track where a train could stop.

but can it [the computer] tell how far along [the block the loco is to stop]

It can. The computer knows the characteristics of each loco and can slow the train down and stop it to within about 5cms of the designated spot. This requires that the computer profile each loco before it is used. The computer program has an automatic procedure to run the loco back and forth between two known spots at various speeds to work out the characteristics.

Where an exact stopping place is required the blocks are equipped with more than one occupancy detector, one for the majority of the block and a short section at the end of a block where a train can stop. The computer slows the train using the method above to a threshold speed just before the detected exit section. The train proceeds at this slow speed until it reaches the exit section and then stops.

I noticed your camera was in front of a train and guessing it was on a wagon being pushed

It was, see pic.

but wondered why it [the camera car] didnt overhang the crossing when stopped if normally the front of the train would be the loco.

Good question, if I had done nothing the camera car would indeed have gone past the end of the block but I fitted the camera car with ball bearing wheel sets and a resistor so that it would operate the occupancy detectors. The computer thought the camera car was the front of the loco. See pic.

More to follow later.

 

[jimmielx]

Fantastic video Cliff. What a great railway and the control works brilliantly.

 

[Elmtree Line]

I Enjoyed Percy

 

[Anorak]

Always a pleasure to watch the videos. My jealousy levels always manage to peek higher each time

I have to ask though, do you ever get to the point where the computer gets it's knickers in a twist and you end up with two trains facing each other on a section? I guess not from what you were saying from occupancy sensors but then again I work with some really really expensive computer controlled equipment and it sometimes amazes me how stupid it can be.

The other thing I have to ask is how do you set up for a day of running? You said the software guesses the profile of the train/loco but do you have to give it a hint at the start of the day.

Just curious, I could never hope to ever reach that level of the hobby but it interests me none the less.

Tim

 

[Cliff George]

Hello Tim,

I'm glad you likes the video, it really isn't that complicated.

I have to ask though, do you ever get to the point where the computer gets its knickers in a twist and you end up with two trains facing each other on a section?

I've had that a few times when the idiot that did the configuring/programming [me] got it wrong. Generally, once all the bugs are ironed out, it all just works fine. The program is quite conservative and if it thinks anything is wrong it just stops everything. It is probably saving up all its problems to embarrass me with at my next open day!

[/quote]

The other thing I have to ask is how do you set up for a day of running? You said the software guesses the profile of the train/loco but do you have to give it a hint at the start of the day.

The programme makes an educated guess where to stop a train in a block based on the profile of the engine it is trying to stop. There is a little procedure built into the program that runs an engine backwards and forwards between two known spots to work out an engine?s profile. This procedure has to be done only once per engine. Since the profiles are saved at the end of each session and reloaded at the beginning of the next there are no hints that have to be given at the beginning of a new session.

I could never hope to ever reach that level of the hobby but it interests me none the less.

If I can do it anyone can.

 

[shropshire lad]

Cracking video Cliff, I'm always impressed with your control system too

 

[ge_rik]

Cliff
Impressive stuff! I'm impressed by the realistic way the trains coast to a halt and build up speed. Is that down to the quality of the decoders or is the computer programmed to handle that bit?

Rik

 

[Dinas Bryn]

Cliff I enjoyed your vidoe, looking at your camcorder, I have just bought a JVC Everio and tried to use it like you have with out the lcd monitor open and I got nothing, any ideas Les