This month has seen things happening on Control System, Maintenance, Ops Sessions, Tasks completed & scheduled.

Control System Failure

I was in preparation mode for the session and fired up all systems a couple of hours before the session was due to start and JMRI reported no Com Port to communicate with!

The USB port was working when I plugged in an Arduino Nano as a test so I re-seated the plug on the Power Pro Box and still nothing.

I immediately went online to Model Railroad Craftsman and ordered a replacement and at the same time a spare booster.

Given this was a similar issue to when I first purchased the system I sent an email to their service technician asking if there was anything I could do to the existing box to try resurrect it. Later he rang me to discuss and basically nothing can be done as all spare boards for the Power Pro are exhausted and the only option was to obtain a new Command Station, a PH5, which is now being sold. He then pointed out I would not need another booster, as the Power Pro can be used as a standalone booster. He suggested I discuss with the shop owner which I did and was given a credit.

After comparing the manuals two major differences in connections Power input now DC, USB connection for the serial connection and a ground stud on the rear. After powering up. my existing throttles connected and I could operate a loco.

The USB connection finally came alive after a Windows reboot, as when I went to load the drivers from the NCE website prior to the reboot, the system said I had the most up to date drivers already. Connection came up on COM 6 so the JMRI Preferences were updated when JMRI was restarted the accessory decoders came to life as usual.

Paul came to give me a hand to renter the 18 consists, covering 40 odd locos, as the existing backup file could not be used. It was interesting when two consists started moving at once - one old & one new obviously the same address so had to kill them and only ended up with one "confused" loco that needed a decoder reset and re-programming as usual it was a QSI.

Maintenance

There a couple of loco issues addressed since my last update.

Locos

SP GP9 5634

Shunter 5634 had dislodged handrails following brushing some cars in Hornertown. These have been reinstated.

SP SD40-2 8393

Mainline Loco 8393 was part of the consist hauling Train #236 Express Goods West and the consist was not performing evenly. It was narrowed down to 8393 and on the workbench it operated intermittently.

I reset the decoder and re-programmed it, but the problem persisted. I took the loco lid off and continuity tested the pickup wires, but all seemed ok.

I asked our Guru Don to have a look, so he took it away and found that Athearn had changed how things were done in this new range. Upon complete disassemble the rear truck pickup wires had been poorly soldered under heat shrink and one wire has broken away from the solder tab and the other did likewise when checked. He resoldered and new heat shrink applied to the wires and all seems good now.

Thanks Don!

Ops Sessions

I held two sessions since my last update.

HCS 12th October- Cancelled

Following the Control System Failure I SMSed the operators with a cancellation advice then followed up those who did not answer with a phone call.

The rest of the story was above.

HCS 22ndOctober- Session #90

Barry, Denis, Paul & Peter S joined me for the session being a reduced crew we ran movements to keep car movements "in sync" and it turned out that all three operators got jobs they had not either done before or was a long time ago.

I spent my entire time mentoring Hornertown Yard movements and didn't take any photos.

Afterwards most of us enjoyed afternoon tea and a good chat.

L>R Denis, Peter S, Paul & Barry

HCS 28th October - Session #91

Alex, Denis, Graham, Hugh, John and Paul joined me.

L>R Alex, Paul, Denis, Hugh, Graham & John

We ran session 3 and I continued my education of operators working Hornertown Yard.

I discovered all the ProCab setting from the old system had disappeared, so we had some operators asking what has happened with my throttle? I need to restrict what is available to operators again.

One loco derailed a number of times so was removed from consist and put in the maintenance heap.

Afterwards we enjoyed afternoon tea and a good chat.

Tasks Completed since last update

Scheduled Tasks coming up

That's it for now so until next time.....

-ooOOOoo-

This month has seen things happening on Accessory Controls, Sounds, Operation Planning, Maintenance, Ops Sessions, Tasks completed & scheduled.

Accessory Controls

I decided to utilise Stationary decoders which can be controlled through PanelPro by the controller of the session.

I researched commercial products bought a new four function MRC one from Canada for around $80 in eBay then found it many constraints and was unable to program it despite following all the instructions in detail.

In the meantime I remembered that Darren from Model Railroad Techniques had a Video about making your own. It referenced

Dr Geoff Bunza's DCC interface article: https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/n...
Dcc monitor link https://github.com/Merdeka/DCC_Decode...

I reviewed them then purchased the bits (enough to build 5) from Jaycar to mount on a project board I had on hand.

I just breadboarded them

I cut some bases from 3mm MDF and decided to build 3 each for a different area of the layout.

LeMaistre Loco

Accessory Numbers added

Daveyston

Accessory Numbers added

Paul installing the Accessory Decoder and Sound Module

Mounted behind the backdrop at Daveyston

Hornertown

Having done he wiring on all of them I did the programming but they did not work. I corresponded with Darren and he pointed me to one of his videos as a result I located and download a DCC Monitor and a DCC Sniffer program. I duly loaded and ran the Monitor program and discovered there was no output from interface board. I thought I must have assembled them wrongly so I breadboarded one to test with - that did not work either....

Knowing I had put this together correctly and things were connected ok when checked with a meter. I started looking I had checked all the resistors and capacitors so I took a close look at the IC. When I searched the Jaycar website for my order I noticed I had 6N138 chips supplied and I had searched for 6N137, I did a component comparison and they function totally differently - hence the circuit was not doing what was expected.

I have ordered the correct IC's elsewhere as Jaycar don't have the 6N137 and I will need to rework all the boards.

I decided it was too hard to de-solder the IC's so I fitted an 8 pin socket and bridge the contacts underneath then I removed the old IC from the top but cutting the pins.

Well the first one failed so I mounted a new set of components alongside the IC socket.

It still did not work so I transferred the IC to the breadboard and it was not working. A close inspection afterwards revealed that I had connected the wire to Pin 2 before the resistor so the LED in the optocoupler IC got full DCC track voltage - hence the internal magic smoke! A check of the other boards showed they were ok.

I put a new IC in the socket of the other two and hey presto they worked!

Layout Sounds

Iron Hill

The ore loader module had been installed.

Paul came to help he installed the 12V power cable and the stationary accessory (112) switch connection cables.

The module was mounted behind the fascia.

We installed the ultrasonic detector albeit it had to be moved closer to the loader than I first imagined.

It will be concealed by a building I put together and Peter J has weathered for me.

After installation we tested the installation which worked ok so it has been put into operation.

It will be interesting what the next loader operator" thinks when they push the first hopper in to load!

Daveyston

Paul gave me a hand to install the accessory decoder and sound modules.

I still have to install the motion detection to effect operation.

Ops Planning Error

After session 5 whilst setting up for session 6 I noticed that the sunset limited was at Hornertown Passenger Station and one of the first movements was SP Commuter which stops at the currently occupied station. I had a vague memory of this happening a while back and just dismissed it as we missed a movement.

I checked the planning to discover I left Train 152 to move the Sunset Limited back to Sunset off completely so all the documentation will need to be updated accordingly.

I will update the Concept Design, S5 Operator Summary, S5 Job Cards, S5 Running Sheet, S5 Despatch Check Sheet and S5 Train Graph. After which I will update my website.

Maintenance

There was a number of issues addressed since my last update.

Loco

Express Goods East Consist Locos were behaving erratically. One Loco was starting and stopping whilst consist moving. Loco removed and replacement assigned.

Electrical

For some time there has been a gremlin that occasionally occurs when a train crosses the PSX-AR - PSX boundary at Helix Junction. Paul and I wired a section adjacent to the entry from an adjoining booster before the PSX-AR so it passes over a section of track powered through a PSX off the same booster as the AR. Time will tell if this addresses the issue.

Ops Sessions

I had two sessions this month.

HCS 7th September- Session #88

Barry, Denis, Don Paul, Peter S & Wayne joined me for the session.

Some operators ran trains they had not previously run and Barry is getting back i the swing of operating after running the Control Panels for an extended period. We all had some fun.

Afterwards most of us enjoyed afternoon tea and a good chat whilst others had family duties to attend to.

HCS 15th September - Session #89

Denis, John, Peter J, Peter S and Wayne joined me. Paul was unwell and Barry unavailable, so I had to run the Control Panels.

We got through the schedule ok and I didn't make too many mistakes. There were a few learning issues encountered as I could not do my usual mentoring role. However, where mistakes were made operators learnt by experience.