There has not been any modelling activities in December however we enjoyed our Xmas breakup dinner and I got a new monitor.
Xmas Dinner
Twenty of us made it this years dinner held at The Vines Golf Club - a COVID safe arrangement of 3 tables. Most of the feedback was all food was good however one meal arrived very late.
Thanks must go to Des for organising the venue - the feedback was he'll may get the same request next year!
New Monitor
Well the new Laptop is great but I could not get the old 21" monitor to work with it despite trying many adaptors so finally Peter R suggested the easiest way outta grief was to "just buy a new monitor, they don't cost as much these days".
So I am now the owner of a new 27" Lenovo monitor to work with the new Lenovo laptop!
I must say the addtional realesate makes doing my train graphs easier. Oh and I must say the Blurtooth Mouse & Keyboard I also got work a treat without any cables or dongles too!
This month our Monday round robin group got together twice ouside of Ops Sessions but I was unwell for one and did not attend, I worked to connect DecoderPro with my new NCE system, did some Maintenace, Daz from Model Railroad Techniques published a feature video of tmy layout, I made some car cards for Peter J's ENVGR layout, continued to work on op session paperwork for Session 3, held cancel my operation session (Session 2) but attended two other ops sessions.
NCE & DecoderPro
I purchased a DTECH 3m FTDI USB to RS232 DB9 Male Serial Adapter Cable COM Port with FT232 Chipset Supports Windows 10 8 7 Mac Linux (10 Feet, FT232 Chip) from Amazon thinking it would work Ok..... Fail....
So after consulting the NCE-DCC @ Groups.io I have ordered an ESU - Cable forLokProgrammer which is on the recommended list by Dave Heap. If you are a member here is the link to the article. I hope that this one will work as the other one would not.
Well thye new one arrived and I installed the drivers and guess what - still not working then I read to the last line finding this link. Well I missed that, bugger, my original cable may of been ok anyway..... Looks like I may have come across the first NCE design fault and sunk $70 in the process....
I removed the hexagon Head screws and still did not get a proper connection....
Further investigation showed that the Drivers are not loading correctly or Windows is not doing what it should do - so I posted the issue in the JMRIUSERS Group. I will wait to she what those who know lots more than me have to say.
Well I got told it was a two step provess
HP Support updated the BIOS & Device Drivers
Finally I bought and paid for Advanced System Repair Pro software but that didn't work either so contacted their support and they spent 4 hours on team viewer with me doing what I was told and they could not make it work either.
Frutrated I bought a new laptop and after setup I plugged the ESU cable in and it configured and ran first time.
After replacing the hexagon Head screws I still did not get a proper connection until reducing the length of the hexagon section.
A by-product is the new laptop boots up and loads JMRI much quicker.
I purchased a new Lenovo laptop running Win10 and an ESU cable as suggested and the drivers loaded successfully - both the Serial Converter and the COM Port.
The COM Port (COM3) appears and disappears with USB plug insertion/removal and there are no errors in the Properties>Events for either device.
I am still not able to communicate with the Power Pro.
The JMRI System Console still has the warnings:
2021-11-05 13:27:50,889 jmrix.AbstractMRTrafficController WARN - Timeout on reply to message: AA consecutive timeouts = 0 in nce.NceTrafficController [nce.NceTrafficController Transmit thread]
2021-11-05 13:27:51,005 nce.NceConnectionStatus WARN - Incorrect or no response from NCE command station [nce.NceTrafficController Transmit thread]
It's possible you didn't get contact between pins 2 & 3 or had a short to back shell.
Try the test of removing the two Hexagonal Headed Screws from the socket, as per <http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/nswmn2/Serial.htm>.
If that fails retry the loopback test. It tests the USB-Serial adapter cable, Windows driver and JMRI connection.
and
I had the same problem and results when I was attempting to connect my Win10 laptop to the NCE PowerPro via the serial cable. I found that the hex screws needed to be in place. I used a Dremel with a cut wheel to shave about a 1/16th of an inch off the female end of the hex mount screws. This allowed the cable to fully seat in the serial port and be secure in the connection. Everything worked after this remedy.
Best of luck.
and
The screws are fine as is. It's the Nuts that retain the "D" socket to the face of the command station. They don't allow the cable plug to make good contact with the "D" socket female pins. Solution is the reduce the Length/ Height of the two two hex Nuts. You only need a small amount (1/16" to 1/8") filed or cutoff. You may have to remove the cover to get access to the two nuts. Do this carefully so you don't get any filings inside the command station. tape up all openings You don't want to remove the PC board the socket is attached to as there will be no support of the socket and hex nuts and you could damage the soldered joints on the PC board
The results of the loopback test and feeback I received was:
I found a finer clip to bridge pins 2 & 3 and got the response "WARN - timeout flushes receive buffer: AA" so I think the the cable drivers are working ok, see below:
Agreed. That's what we are looking for.
2021-11-06 14:52:48,215 jmrix.AbstractMRTrafficController WARN - Timeout on reply to message: AA consecutive timeouts = 0 in nce.NceTrafficController [nce.NceTrafficController Transmit thread]
2021-11-06 14:52:48,324 nce.NceConnectionStatus WARN - Incorrect or no response from NCE command station [nce.NceTrafficController Transmit thread]
Since re plugging the connections to the Power Pro the system is not responding - the Radio Throttles Connect to the RB02 but they stay on the second screen screen showing NCE and time (time not updating) and secondline RADIO V1.5B and does not continue on to the Loco screen.
I am now thinking the PH Pro has the problem. The PH Pro status lights are all showing normal indication.
The feedback was:
The connector between the top board and the lower board is temperamental. You need to reseat the top board on the connector.
Biggest issue about doing the upper board reseating is insuring you have the connector lined up correctly. It is possible to shift the board left or right and be wrong. Generally removing and reseating the board a couple of times will remove any issue of possible corrosion on the pins.
So I decided to reseat the board. Here is my reply to the Group:
Gentlemen Thank You!
I removed the Power Pro cover and found that only one mounting screw was present and it was loose - I could see daylight under the washer - and no second screw and the cable tie over the foam block above the connector to the bottom board was firm but not tight.
I removed the top board after removing the DB9 hex scews and the loose boad mountung screw. I coated the male contacts on the bottom board with CRC 2-26 usig a Q tip then reseated the top board and sceured it with the existing and a cover screw (not being the earthing screw), installed the hex screws for the DB9 connector and attached a new cable tie over the foam block, then replaced the case.
Reconnected the cab bus, control bus, power and track plug and the Serial DB9 Cable then powerered up and everything worked properly.
JMRI system console no longer showing any timeout messages and I can run a train using a JMRI throttle on the laptop.
Thanks again for you prompt input and solutions.
I am so relieved that everything is now doing what I expected it to do.
Maintenance Issues
A number of things arose during my ops session that need to be aaddressed:
Fault LED Lights Flintston
Fault LED Lights Hornertown
Hornertown East Plant No.4 Turnout no power
Huntington Point to Siding Power Issue
Jimtown Siding Turnout Not throwing reliably
I hope to get to these within a couple of weeks.
Fault LED Lights Flintston
This has been traced to a blown power supply which I have replaced and everything is working again.
Fault LED Lights Hornertown
After initial and subsequent tests the problem is re-occuring spasmodically. I have managed to trace it to an joint on the LED strip and after some local pressure on the backing adhesive it seems to have subsided.
Remainder
They are still outstanding...
Model Railroad Techniques
Daz has produced a video that you may wish to have a look at.
I offerred to help Peter by producing the Car Cards for him. I setup a shared Dropbox folder for us to share data and he loaded the Car & Loco data from JMRI and images for me to work with.
There were:
12 Locomotives (2 remain but the are with Gerry H for some work)
48 Freight Cars
5 Coaches
8 Cabooses
I massaged the data and mail merged to produce the documents for printing, printed, guillotined, laminated and guillotined again and fitted into pockets.
guillotined cards laminated ready for final trimming
All done and placed in sleeves.
Peter now needs to build come car card boxes to suit the plastic sleeves and Train carriers for a group of sleeves,
Session 3 Paperwork
Thinking about what will be in Session 3 and I have commenced planning and am in the process of doing the train graph to prove the movements work ok. I will need to complete the train graph and job cards by the end of the year leaving only the switch lists to be completed following completion of Session 2.
Ops Sessions
I was lucky to be involved in three sessions this month, mine and two at Wayne's. Unfortunately not enough operators were available for the proposed run of Peter J's Eureka Valley Narrow Gauge Railroad on 8th.
Hallett Cove Southern 29th
Nine of us were to get together and this was to be the second formal session using the new NCE systtem and the second using the new operating regime as previously outlined.
Well that was until three operators ended up having medical matters to deal with.
So 3 hours before the start the session it had to be cancelled.
I will run the session in February now.
Wayne's 10th
Alan, Hugh, John, Murray and Ross joined Wayne and me for a pleasant sgternoon of running.
Afterwards we enjoyed some afternoon tea during the mandatory debrief.
Wayne's 28th
I was on the reseve list and didn't get the call..... Just like Des....,
Don sent me photos on what I missed out on.....
L to R Chris, Peter J, Barry, Wayne & Peter S
Chris & Barry at Red Rock, Wayne contemplating.. & Peter S at Dunkleigh Towers
Barry at Stokers Siding opposite Wayne
Don working Lowood Crossing
Barry checking the weather....
Peter S woking Valley Junction under the eye of Wayne
This month our Monday round robin group got together twice, I participated in Model Rail Radio show 205, Tried DecoderPro with NCE, prepared a Throttle Guide, Did some Maintenace, got to three operations sessions and continued to work on op session paperwork.
Model Rail Radio
Tom recorded two shows this month and I was lucky to be included on Show #205.
Don't forget to subscribe, check his website for future show times and join in if you are able.
NCE & DecoderPro
I purchased a DTECH 3m FTDI USB to RS232 DB9 Male Serial Adapter Cable COM Port with FT232 Chipset Supports Windows 10 8 7 Mac Linux (10 Feet, FT232 Chip) from Amazon thinking it would work Ok..... Fail....
So after consulting the NCE-DCC @ Groups.io I have ordered an ESU - Cable forLokProgrammer which is on the recommended list by Dave Heap. If you are a member here is the link to the article. I hope that this one will work as the other one would not.
Well thye new one arrived and I installed the drivers and guess what - still not working then I read to the last line finding this link. Well I missed that, bugger, my original cable may of been ok anyway..... Looks like I may have come across the firsy NCE design fault and sunk $70 in the process....
I removed the hexagon Head screws and still did not get a proper connection....
Further investigation showed that the Drivers are not loading correctly or Windows is not doing what it should do - so I posted the issue in the JMRIUSERS Group. I will wait to she what those who know lots more than me have to say.
Throttle Guide
I printed and laminated an A5 sheet and they are placed around the layout for reference by operators.
I love the consisting functions it makes life so much esier for operators when they can select the lead or last loco by loco number (when consisted) instead of the consist muber where they required to remember what the lead loco was to remember the direction of travel forward.
Maintenance Issues
A number of things arose during my ops session that need to be aaddressed.
Hornertown East Plant No.4 Turnout no power
Huntington Point to Siding Power Issue
Fault LED Lights Flintston - This has been traced to a blown power supply which needs replacement.
Fault LED Lights Hornertown - After initial tests problem is no re-occuring
Jimtown Siding Turnout Not throwing reliably
I hope to get to these within a couple of weeks.
Ops Sessions
I was lucky to be involved in three sessions this month, mine and two at Wayne's.
Hallett Cove Southern 11th
Nine of us got together and this was the first formal session using the new NCE systtem and the first using the new operating regime as outlined last month.
It was nice for everyone to have a radio throttle so no long cables to get caught up on anymore!
Controller - Jim and Crews: Don & Chris, Barry & Darren , Peter J & Ross P and John & Alan
We ran all but one of the 50 movements - I mixed up the cards and I was wondering howcome Don & Chris got a 10 minute break - I did the job after the session to keep things in sync.
It certainly showed up how rusty we were - the last successful ops session was held on 1 April 2019 - I have been asked to prepare a "how to read the switchlist" training session.
Darren & Me
Darren and Barry
Alan & Barry
Ross
Peter and Me
Don, Chris and John
Alan commencing "Icing the PFE" at Hornertown
Don & Chris at Flintston
Some serious discussions at Jimtown with John at Hornertown with Alan having a break
Peter intently watching his train
Loco LeMaistre Local arriving
Barry & Darren intently following their train at Lewiston Loop
Afterwards we had our usual debrief and afternoon tea.
Wayne's 13th
Alan, Des, Don, John, Murray & I joined Wayne for the session.
We are all enjoying Wayne's new schedule and running tasks.
L>R Murray, Des, Don, Wayne, Alan & John
Don at Dunkley Towers
Alan & Wayne at Waverly
John at Lowood Crossing
Murray & Don at Dunkley Towers
Don & Des at Dunkley Towers
Alan at Dunkley Towers with Wayne watching on
Wayne's 28th
Barry, Chris, Des, Don& I joined Wayne for the session.
Once again we are all enjoying Wayne's new schedule and running tasks however the Superintendent and adminstration staff had a few adminstrative errors to overcome.
L > R Chris, Barry, Wayne, Des & Don
Don at Red Rock getting ready for shunting
Barry ensuring the direction of travel was correct
Ready to go...
Barry and Chris shunting at Forrest Gully
Don working the livestock cars at Stokers Siding
Chris running the cement train through Forrest Gully
Wayen appears to be instructing Des at Red Rock
Des intently watching at Dunkleigh Towers
A derailement in the "worst place" so Des being the most nimble of all of us went to the rescue.
Here are a few short videos stiched together of trains running.
Afterwards we enjoyed some afternoon tea during the mandatory debrief.
Revised Session 2
Session 2 now has a new Timetable, Schedule, Job cards and YardMaster Tasks can be viewed in the links below should you have the time:
