geysergazer posted:What'd I do today? Worked on my DCTC project. Whazzat, you say? DeCentralized Traffic Control, that's what it is. It started with the Plywood Empire Route's acquisition of an MTH PS3 SW1500:
With speed control, switching became smooooth and slooooow, which quickly led me to the MTH DCS Remote Commander in order to inexpensively take full advantage of speed control:
The remote unchained me from a stationary "transformer". Then along came the incomparable Atlas O Sw9:
which is similarly slow&smooth but without electronics and which works beautifully with an MRC Walkaround throttle:
The more I develop switching operation the more I want to be right up close and now, enabled by walk-around throttles, I am slowly eliminating the [familiar] central control panel in favor of mini-panels placed where switching operations occur. Not a "walk-around" layout but rathe a "roll-around" pike (because cape cod with a waist-wall on the second floor where the train room is). Roll-around via the old office-chair zoom.
It started with this mini-panel in front of the Paint Factory:
Today's project was a smaller panel in front of the track switch for the heating oil wholesaler:
The West End track switch, remote uncoupler and car-stopper controls so the operator is right up close to operation. Next will be similar setups for the East End and there will be no more master control panel.
Lew
I'm really liking those tank cars
