Ray - I'm getting very close to having operating sessions. I want to finish the uncouplers, and these last bits of track. The signal issues have been narrowed down to a few locations, and only some engines at those locations. I think it will be fairly easy to correct those. Then I want to get a bunch of rail painted, so I can start unpacking cars, and make the cards for them.
As for the computer stuff, the layout can easily be operated without it, and it has always been the plan to phase that in as it becomes ready. I have designed the systems with an easy transition in mind. Turnouts will be the first system to come online, along with the JMRI track diagram used to control them.
Doug - Neither C/MRI (hardware) nor JMRI (software) have any scale bias. Both systems can be used with any type of trains. Furthermore, JMRI can be used directly with many brands of hardware other than C/MRI, and C/MRI can be used with other types of software. A lot of C/MRI guys are still stuck on Visual Basic, partly because, if I'm not mistaken, Basic has been Chubb's language of choice since the system's inception back in the 80's. Mainly for its ease of use.
Just to set the record straight on my C/MRI hardware, the original system used at the mall was compartmentalized in the form of a series of panels with the components mounted to them. The panels were actually built by an electrical engineer I once knew. I really can't take credit for that, as my understanding is only of the basic function. I have a lot of reading to do.
Where once there were ten "nodes", the current layout will reduce that down to four. My task is to reestablish the wire connections between nodes, and make the new connection to the computer itself. Technological advances have moved us from 9 pin serial to USB connectors, but I think I have that issue taken care of.
Jay & Eliot - All you have to do is drop me an email, and let me know when you plan to make it out this way. Happy to have you visit!
