# Sorry for new topic - changed my mind. Help.



## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

I wanted the train track that ran around the inside of my home. 
I've thought about that and it's just not do-able. However....... what about this idea? 

A long straight away section of wall. Obviously a little shelf jutting out from the wall to hold the track. But, the train would need to run in both directions......

So....is there some kind of computer, program, dcc thing that would change the polarity of the track to reverse the engine? If I had to put loco's on both ends that would be ok........ would it be possible then? Program the tail end loco to just be "dead" and along for the ride......when the train reaches the end of the track, the head loco could switch to being "dead" and the rear loco could switch to be active and then the rear loco takes the train all the way back down the track. More or less like a trolly?? Just back and forth. 

Surely I can make that work, right? Also, I know this is HO and I LOVE HO but for the purposes of the above project I'm thinking N or even Z scale. How can I make that work?


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

Um... just put the locomotive in reverse.


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

LateStarter said:


> Um... just put the locomotive in reverse.


Ok.....yes, I understand what you're saying and you are correct. It would be that simple. But keep in mind please I am a complete novice AND.....I would like it if ran back and forth automatically. Preferably on a timer. (Say..every hour it runs the length of the track. Like a coo coo train.) Hands off operation.


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## IronManStark (Jan 15, 2017)

Are you talking about a loop program? So when you turn it on you just watch it go back & forth?? 
Or do you mean when you are controlling it .. you can shut one off & have one rolling?? 
I think dc & dcc can do this. With dc you would have to gear match your locos & throw you switch to the other direction. 
Dcc I think you would be able to control the locos speeds easier. Still would have to switch it in direction.... 

A automatic program I am not aware of?? Don’t know if any. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## IronManStark (Jan 15, 2017)

Zodiac_Speaking said:


> Ok.....yes, I understand what you're saying and you are correct. It would be that simple. But keep in mind please I am a complete novice AND.....I would like it if ran back and forth automatically. Preferably on a timer. (Say..every hour it runs the length of the track. Like a coo coo train.) Hands off operation.


Maybe look into the programs they use for Christmas lights?? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ATTDCC (May 7, 2020)

Bachmann actually makes a trolly set that can do that just without having to change thhe direction. Here's a link to the product:44547 Bachmann / E-Z Track Reversing System (Scale=HO) 160-44547


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## ATTDCC (May 7, 2020)

Also, here's a video on how it works:


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## ATTDCC (May 7, 2020)

You still have to buy a locomotive though


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

There is a company called Bazooka Electronics in Canada that makes an Auto-Reverse unit that will automatically reverse the locomotive. You can set it for different time intervals. That one only works for DC locomotives. 
There are similar products made for DCC equipment. Someone will probably know a brand. 
On DC, you have to keep that auto reverse track separate from your other tracks, like if you had a switching layout. Not sure about DCC. 
Tge Auto Rev unit comes with a schematic and is very easy to set up.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

You cannot have a 'dead' locomotive dragged along by another 'live' locomotive.
Most 'dead' locos, the wheels will not turn/rotate.

But, you CAN have one loco on each end, both live, running the train back and forth.
Bullet trains come to mind, and intercity Multiple Unit trains.

FYI, the train running from Philadelphia PA to Atlantic CIty NJ is a 'push-pull' setup.
The GP40 pushes passenger cars to Atlantic city, and then pulls them back to Philadelphia.
It can do this because the end passenger car has an engineers control station (seat and litle room) which is connected by control wire to the locomotive.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Dennis461 said:


> You cannot have a 'dead' locomotive dragged along by another 'live' locomotive.
> Most 'dead' locos, the wheels will not turn/rotate.
> 
> But, you CAN have one loco on each end, both live, running the train back and forth.
> ...


The only way to run a loco on each end on a DC reverse line is to have one loco be a dummy. And the gapped track section on the side the dummy was running to would need to be a little longer than the train.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

If you have say a single track, a single DCC locomotive that you want to go back and forth -- you could do this with DCC++ and a little easy programming. The DCC++ commands are just in a text form... since the base of the DCC++ is an arduino you could just modify it code directly to send these "forward/reverse" commands as is desired -- you'd have to experiment on timing and just build that in. a little better would be something to detect the engine at either end and generate an interrupt in the arduino -- and it would send the "reverse" command each time in the interrupt handler.

another less getting into the muck of the arduino might be to combine it with an rapsberry pi "host" -- a simple script would send the commands on the serial line to the DCC++ unit. (for example i connect a PC to my DCC++ and then run JRMI. so the PI is just a variation on the theme.)

The sensor detection is a big ? for me though.

If any above sounds like "hmm wow, that's way out of anything i've ever done..." then you might stick to one of the other off the shelf approaches.

Still with DCC++ and a bit either hand timing or some kind of sensors -- and some programming, you could do all sort of crazy things. [like say 2 engines, or...]


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Here you go, auto reverser for DCC. That’s about 1/2 the price of a DC unit.
The DCC folks can probably fill in details on it.








Auto Reverser -- For DCC Layouts


Product Number: 245-AR1UPC: 652667030069 Manufacturer: DigitraxCategory: Lights-Electronics MotorsScale: A




www.bluerailhobbies.com


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

So that model may only be for reverse loops. Not sure if it works on a reverse line. That’s why I’m hoping folks familiar with DCC can clarify.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

this claims to be a DCC reversing module



DCC Auto-Reverser – Iowa Scaled Engineering, LLC


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Bachmann Auto Reverser
So, Zodiac, if you are serious about this ... There are at least 50 different ways to accomplish this. The layout selection, design, installation are much more critical than the eventual control method. Personally I would try DC and an Arduino.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

The Swiss, Germans, and Austrians all use control cars at the end of a train for just this purpose. The auto reverser sounds like a good idea though I don't know how it works with DCC.

There are also European trains called railcars that are semi-permanently coupled together that run back and forth point to point. There is always a control cab at either end.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

And Zodiac, ( to reference the thread title), no need to be sorry for changing your mind on your layout. Yes, around the room layouts are doable but always difficult. Shelf layouts are more common and much easier to build. 
We all go through this process in designing our layouts. Better to not even go down that road rather than starting something then ripping it out later.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

I like the idea of the automatic point-to-point. These trolley systems, if I understand correctly, typically include a dead zone (stop zone) and diode slowdown zones at either end. With the longer double-headed train, this is a difficulty. That's the reason I recommend a control system with more logic capability. But yes! it's doable, and a very interesting control problem.    So, I say, get the train up and running, then decide how to reverse it!
Maybe don't nail everything down just yet 🤣


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

"Auto reverser" in DCC terms usually means that as the Loco crosses to an isolated section, if the track phase is wrong (causing a short circuit) the device detects this short and automatically swaps the phase of the track under the loco. The Locomotive continues on in the same direction as the detection and swap occurs very fast. These are used in reverse loops to correct the phase miss-match, not reverse the locomotive. These devices send no DCC commands to the locomotive.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

But, we are talking about a trolley reverser. DC or DCC, the function is Stop at the End-of-Line terminal, Delay, Reverse back to the Home terminal. like the Bachmann or Miniatronics (I think) units for DC. I think it needs better logic than those.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Lemonhawk, you're the one that got me looking at Arduino, and Thank You!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Azatrax makes a reverser that controls a trolley that goes back and forth
between stations at the two ends of the line. 





__





Continuous back-and-forth model railway shuttle


Automatic model railroad control circuit shuttles multiple trains or trolleys back and forth on a point to point layout




www.azatrax.com





It would work just as well
to control a train doing the same. Only problem is, the train would
be backing up on it's return. You could make it a typical commuter
train similar to those operated in and out of many cities. These have
a loco at one end and actually do back up on their return trip.

Don


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

I think OP said he would have a loco on both ends...


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

As Severn mentioned above, this can certainly be done with DCC++, or probably any system with a JMRI interface. I set up something a couple months ago will testing the electronics for the shelf layout I'm building, however my setup was probably overly-complicated for what OP wants. I used a DCC++ command station with wifi, an arduino nano set up for an S88 bus, a couple pairs of IR LED sensors to detect the train reaching the end of the ilne, and a script I wrote up on my desktop computer to read the JMRI interface. I was actually testing a lot of pieces I'll eventually build into my shelf layout, but if you only want a simple back-and-forth then this is way more than what is required.

Realistically this could all be done with a single arduino, the IR LED detectors, and an L298 H-bridge to control DC to the tracks. (It could be done with DCC++, but you'd have to understand the code well enough to know where to insert your own extra bits.) Basically you use one of the PWM outputs from the arduino to control the L298, which would give you speed control. The IR sensors are placed near the end of the track and when the arduino sees one of them triggered it stops the train and reverses direction. To really do it up right you could put the sensors a foot or so back from the end of the track, which gives you time to slow down before stopping.

Sheesh... I'm realizing that even though this sounds dead-simple to me, it must be very confusing to someone who hasn't worked with arduinos before. Sorry about that. It really is straightforward with a minimum of components, the programming can be done from any desktop or laptop computer, and it could probably be built for under $20.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

I like it! This sounds really doable... You can have realistic accel/decel and possibly even ring the bell/blow the horn...
when Zodiac comes back in maybe he will give us some feeling for his comfort level with all this... 😅 
No train yet!!!!


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Yeah if you want all the fancy sounds and features that DCC provides you can still set up DCC++ and have some free I/O ports to monitor the IR LEDs. That would also give you the option to consist the front and rear loco together so you could do proper speed-matching. You could even turn off all the lights on the 'dead' loco so it appears to simply be pulled along.

If anyone wanted to look into this further, it would probably be worthwhile to check the DCC++ forum, as I would be surprised if someone _hasn't_ already created the code changes for such a setup.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Lemonhawk said:


> "Auto reverser" in DCC terms usually means that as the Loco crosses to an isolated section, if the track phase is wrong (causing a short circuit) the device detects this short and automatically swaps the phase of the track under the loco. The Locomotive continues on in the same direction as the detection and swap occurs very fast. These are used in reverse loops to correct the phase miss-match, not reverse the locomotive. These devices send no DCC commands to the locomotive.


Normally, this is correct, and in tha absence of any clarifying text in the item description I would assume that's what you're looking at. The item linked by prrfan fits in that category.

But the ones linked by cid and severn are what the OP is looking for. Another option is the Train shuttle card fromTam Valley Depot. It's out of production, but you may find one on eBay or other auction sites.


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

ATTDCC said:


> Also, here's a video on how it works:


Now just can the useless annoying boom boom music !


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

cid said:


> I think OP said he would have a loco on both ends...


Cid, et al, ----- (did you ever feel like a chimpanzee thrown out onto a basketball court full of Michael Jordan's?) lol, cause that's what I feel like. Ya'll are just talking a language that I do not know. At all. 

Cid described it best IIRC, just want a realistic looking loco pulling some rolling stock down a LOOONG straight track. When it gets to the end, it should slow down in a realisitc manner (vs just stopping on a dime) and then come to a stop. All the bells and whistles (literally) should be there as well as it's coming to the end of the line........

The _ONLY_ reason for wanting 2 locos is simply for looks....... sooner or later the train is going to have to "reverse" itself and reverse all the way down the length of the track until it gets back to the starting point. It would LOOK might stupid to see a train going in "reverse" down that long straight track.........UNLESS.......there was a loco on both ends. That way , it gives the appearance of going forward and thus not looking stupid. 

It could absolutely be a "dummy" loco for all I care. So long as the appearance of forward motion is achieved........

Seems to me the only hard part about this project is getting the > stop > delay > reverse thing settled and that's where I'm stuck. I'll look at some of the products that have been listed. 

Side note: I find it really strange as long as this hobby has been around, there STILL is no simple answer for this. That's an aggravating head scratcher to me. Such a product would completely eliminate the need for a "loop" and thus free up massive space.......in theory.


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

Shdwdrgn said:


> As Severn mentioned above, this can certainly be done with DCC++, or probably any system with a JMRI interface. I set up something a couple months ago will testing the electronics for the shelf layout I'm building, however my setup was probably overly-complicated for what OP wants. I used a DCC++ command station with wifi, an arduino nano set up for an S88 bus, a couple pairs of IR LED sensors to detect the train reaching the end of the ilne, and a script I wrote up on my desktop computer to read the JMRI interface. I was actually testing a lot of pieces I'll eventually build into my shelf layout, but if you only want a simple back-and-forth then this is way more than what is required.
> 
> Realistically this could all be done with a single arduino, the IR LED detectors, and an L298 H-bridge to control DC to the tracks. (It could be done with DCC++, but you'd have to understand the code well enough to know where to insert your own extra bits.) Basically you use one of the PWM outputs from the arduino to control the L298, which would give you speed control. The IR sensors are placed near the end of the track and when the arduino sees one of them triggered it stops the train and reverses direction. To really do it up right you could put the sensors a foot or so back from the end of the track, which gives you time to slow down before stopping.
> 
> Sheesh... I'm realizing that even though this sounds dead-simple to me, it must be very confusing to someone who hasn't worked with arduinos before. Sorry about that. It really is straightforward with a minimum of components, the programming can be done from any desktop or laptop computer, and it could probably be built for under $20.


I don't even know what arduinos is..... ?? Never head of it until I came here. Uggg. The dream is slipping away. lol.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Zodiac, we really have no idea of your knowledge or level of comfort with electrical devices.
You are wanting automatic speed and direction control of the train(s) which are basically DC motors.
There are several schemes and products like we have listed to let you do this simply.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

To take it up a level, like realistic deceleration and sound effects, will require more logic. I suggest you start on a layout, look at train hardware, and save the finer points of control for later when you can actually see it run.


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

I interpreted the need as being a forward and reverse direction DCC commanded engine (train) on a straight or non looping track hugging a wall. So the train starts at one end... Goes forward towards the other...and then is commanded to reverse backwards over the same track before it smashes into the end. Repeat.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

One reason why I don't like point-to-point layouts. Instead of watching trains run you have to constantly stop and reverse the train to go back to where it came from.

But some folks like all of the switching and track changes of a point-to-point, and that's fine too. Me? I'd rather just throttle them up and watch them run through the scenery and villages with a minimal of switching except to change trains.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Zodiak

I feel your pain. It appears we have all been talking shop, using 'terms'
that you possibly had never heard. We need to stop and and bring you
up on the basics. 

HO locomotives run on track powered by Direct Current 'DC'. (discussion
of DCC is for another time, ignore it now).

The current is supplied by the Power Pack 'track' terminals. The
current is polarized...one wire is PLUS the other NEGATIVE. These
are connected to the track, PLUS to RIGHT RAIL, NEGATIVE to
LEFT RAIL. 

The Power Pack usually has two controls: The FWD / REV
SWITCH and the SPEED CONTROL knob.

When the switch is set to FWD and Speed knob raised,
the loco moves forward, and when
set to REV the track polarity is REVERSED and the loco backs.

With a 'POINT TO POINT' track, with no loops at the ends,
a loco will always be pointed in the same direction. Using
the FWD/REV switch it will 'back' to the starting point. 

I do agree with you that a loco backing a train is not
a desirable attraction. I have two suggestions.

1. Run a 'commuter' passenger train. As I've said before,
these are on tracks like you propose with no loops. The
loco runs FWD in one direction, and Backs the train.
This can be AUTOMATIC using the Azatrax device I
linked to earlier.

2. Arrange a second track at each end,
connected by turnouts, that
permits the loco to 'run around' the train (either
passenger or freight), and thus
'Pull' it back to the starting point. To make this more
believable, use two identical diesel locos connected
together 'tail to tail'. Thus one loco is always facing
Forward. Though a very complicated electronic system
could be made to control this, it would be quite costly.
You would best be advised to run it manually with
you at the controls.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Zodiac_Speaking said:


> I don't even know what arduinos is..... ?? Never head of it until I came here. Uggg. The dream is slipping away. lol.


Well, none of us were born knowing all this either. We all had to learn it. We're not trying to blow fastballs by you, but as cid said, we really don't know what you know. So if you don't understand, ask. No one will think less of you (in fact, the problem children are the ones who refuse to learn...). Or look it up yourself. I'll spot you one: Arduino - Wikipedia



Zodiac_Speaking said:


> Side note: I find it really strange as long as this hobby has been around, there STILL is no simple answer for this. That's an aggravating head scratcher to me. Such a product would completely eliminate the need for a "loop" and thus free up massive space.......in theory.


This is why you're confused, really. The average model railroader doesn't want the trains to run by themselves. We want to play with them, and that means controlling speed, direction, lights, sounds, etc. Setting up automatic control really isn't rocket science, but it's enough outside the mainstream that you'll have to put a little work into it. Most layouts have loops, because that keeps the loco on the front of the train in normal circumstances, so it operates more like the real thing (real trains don't just endlessly run back and forth, especially freights). Quite a few layouts do not have loops, though. These are known as point-to-point operations, and they are an even more realistic simulation of an actual train. Trains leave a point at one end of the layout, run through they layout, stopping and dropping off or picking up cars as appropriate, and end up at the other end. Once all trains have traversed the layout, the operating session is over. Most of the time, the trains are manually turned to prepare for the next session.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Honestly Zodiac, the specific thing that is complicating this for you is the desire for the acceleration/deceleration feature on your reversing line. 
If you were willing to forego that, setting the DCC system up with the equipment DonR has suggested would not be difficult. 
Yes, this feature is more realistic than going from speed to a dead stop, and vice versa, but it will be challenging to construct it because no, it does not exist as an out of the box system per se.
I had two reversing lines on a switching layout and I loved them. It creates constant motion while you are running your switching operations on other tracks. 
So, challenging but not impossible. There are certainly folks on here to help you if decide to do it. Best of success and keep us posted.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

prrfan, did u mean to say "DC system"


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

cid said:


> prrfan, did u mean to say "DC system"


No, I thought the OP was looking for a DCC system since he said he wanted “all the bells and whistles “. Maybe I took that too literally? Lol.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

prrfan said:


> No, I thought the OP was looking for a DCC system since he said he wanted “all the bells and whistles “. Maybe I took that too literally? Lol.


Yes, I see why you asked that now. DonR was talking about a DC system. 
My bad. The last thing we need on this thread is more convolution. 
For DC, I found the Bazooka Electronics Auto Rev easy to use. Im sure a similar DCC system wouldn’t be that complicated. But adding the accel/decel feature is where it gets tricky. Bottom line for OP, keep it simple. I think you and Severn suggested the same.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Hopefully we will get more from The Zodiac about what he can handle electrically! Sounds like Arduino is a no-go...


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

cid said:


> Hopefully we will get more from The Zodiac about what he can handle electrically! Sounds like Arduino is a no-go...


Hi cid, et al. Ok, someone mentioned "convoluted" thread and I somewhat agree. Some seem confused about my skill level, experience, etc. Fair enough. I've learned quite a bit reading through the responses. I really have. I'd like to clear something up: Yes, I understand the vast majority of model train enthusiasts like to control them / play with them, etc. I get that. Love it. I'm all for it. > But that's not me. I truly don't have the space or time to create different yards, and so forth. 

So the actual idea is to make the train like a clock. Every 1 hr it would "do it's thing" and start up, make noises, horns, the whole 9........gently accelerate down the track to a visually realistic speed all the way down to the other end. Same thing when pulling in, gently decelerate , horns, bells, whistles to a gentle stop. 1 hr later, the process begins again to the other end of the track. (And of course I'd like to be able to change that 1 hr interval to 12 hrs in case the thing drives me nuts) 

I know, and acknowledge that I have already stated this setup to be my desire. Completely hands off. Literally like a clock. BUT NOW that I have read some of your responses.......

Are you saying that since it's a point to point layout / back and forth - to go ahead and just lay the track , get some rolling stock or whatever, get it more less running smoothly - MANUALLY - to get any kinks worked out and THEN start to hone in on my ultimate goal? 

And if that is the case, where do I start? I mean, quality track? (I build quality - but not necessarily name brand) Oh.......Yes, I completely agree with another poster about "freight" trains looking somewhat silly running back and forth..........unfortunately, freight things and diesel locos are my thing.......and I disagree that it would look silly going back and forth because of the passing of time before it heads up and down the track. 1 hr minimum. Not back and forth like a high speed bullet train. Yes, that would look quite dumb. lol. (my opinion of course) 

So yeah, I understand it's best to just dive in. Ok. But now that you know what I want, which pool should I dive into? One final clarification: I am not afraid of electricity, complex computer stuff. In fact I love it. Slicing track , solder, diodes, gizmos......I do quite well with. Once I understand them. 

I have looked at every single product listed by you guys and I thank you. I feel like this can happen......perhaps not an immediate, "out of the box" experience like I want but, it's doable. And from your comments, not just doable, but doable well. I want quality. Don't mind paying for it. 

Show me? Link me what you would buy / no brainer if it was you and I hired you to do this project for me. (And if you already did, please forgive me, I'm a complete novice - it probably went right over my head. Slap me around and show me again and I'll hone in on it hard) 

Thanks for all your help so far.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

KATO Amtrak starter set

I actually have one of these, it's not set up right now but I had it in a work apartment in Nashville. Look around that website for lots of other options. Kato Unitrack will be one of your track options. It's quite bullet-proof but no flex track, which you may not need nor want anyway. Glad to hear you're not intimidated by the electrical aspect, that will make everything much easier. 🤣


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

6+
-


cid said:


> KATO Amtrak starter set
> 
> I actually have one of these, it's not set up right now but I had it in a work apartment in Nashville. Look around that website for lots of other options. Kato Unitrack will be one of your track options. It's quite bullet-proof but no flex track, which you may not need nor want anyway. Glad to hear you're not intimidated by the electrical aspect, that will make everything much easier. 🤣


Is it okay to post a video I just found > 




This seems like a project I can handle but I do have just 2 questions about it and I think I'll be well on my way. 1) If you notice in the vid, after it passes the "slow" threshold and it speeds up......watch it closely.......it seems to speed up to an unrealistc speed quite fast........1) Is there something else that can be attached as a controller of sorts to speed it up to a more user adjustable setting? 

If we can get that question figured out the last one is > how to incorporate the accurate startup sounds, bells, whistles etc....... I think we're getting close. I'll have a look at what you just posted. Thanks cid.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

If it's a DCC loco you could adjust CV 3 and 4, acceleration and deceleration, and get
the effect you want.

As for start up sounds it depends on what decoder you have, some have start up with first voltage applied
and some have a function key for start up.

Bells and whistles are function keys as well, should be possible with some fancy programming?????
Not my area of expertise.

Good luck with this sounds interesting.

Magic


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

And there you go! Bob’s your uncle. I think to make it workable for a passenger train one of the locomotives will need to be a dummy since you probably wouldn’t want two powered locomotives on opposite sides of those control points. 

A good option would be to get a set of locomotive, cars and cab car. The cab car looks like a regular passenger car but is at the back of the train. In the prototypical world it has a set of controls that allows the engineer to control the loco when it is in push mode. Turning the train is not necessary and they indeed run this way, back and forth. Many of the commuter lines operate this way. 

I think Rapido offers these, in GO Transit livery and possibly others. The cab car would need to be un-powered. I’m not sure if they offer sets or just individual cars and locos. 
Kato Unitrack is an excellent choice for track. It is easily taken apart and put back together and you may want to be able to do this to accommodate various lengths of different trains. 
It’s a good start.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Making the train reciprocate between stations is easy-peasy using a Bazooka controller on DC, for example.
If I were in your shoes, I would start right there. Get a train running.

Sound effects take you to a new control level, accessing DCC on-board soundfiles without pushing buttons.
I think there are other ways to get sounds, like having your Arduino play wav files,e.g., but it's beyond my experience.

If you want to engineer the entire project before you start building, you will need to study up on JMRI and an Arduino DCC++ base station, both easily researchable online. I don't think there is a better way to access the sound effects on a DCC decoder. The DCC platform was designed to be human-controlled and going around that requires a bit of effort. 

Someone here on the forum has more knowledge on these topics than I do!! But I say, let's run trains!! 🤣 You will find PLENTY of challenge just getting to the point of seeing the first wheel turn...


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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

If jmri is scriptable... Meaning you can write some script to send DCC commands and do some event checking to the track..and jmri will run it as the operator. I would look into that first... Assuming you have an DCC engine, track, power etc...

Since it's computer stuff to a large degree ... Anything is possible. 

But what I'm describing would be high level and oriented towards an operator.

# my run script
SET ENGINE "210"
START
WAIT 7s
BELL 3s
NOTCH 1

# ETC...


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Let's run trains!! 🤣 Do you have a track plan in mind? A room layout?


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

By the way...

USB interface


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## Zodiac_Speaking (May 21, 2020)

Hey guys , I've got some news. TODAY, I actually went to a Hobby store. I saw with my own eyes HO scale and N scale. They did not have any Z scale ---- which was fine because I knew instantly N scale was "it." for me. Yes. I'm 100% certain N scale will be beautiful for my project. Big enough to have beautiful detail, small enough to make a long asss train in a small space. Love it. So I'm definitely set on N scale.

Now: I have also come to learn from reading here and elsewhere that DCC would be cool, and about 20x more expensive than what I'd really need to spend to accomplish my goals. (According to one poster) In other words, DCC for a simple back and forth straight away is WAAAY overkill......but would absolutely get the job done. 

So I'm learning. Narrowing it down. Starting to understand. So, if DCC is out for me, then it's DC? Correct? 
I am prepared to purchase a loco from Kato or Atlas to get me started. Of course I will buy some N scale track too. I suppose I'm going to have to look into this Ardrino thing. So I figure if it's DC then I may as well go ahead and get a good controller, good track, and good DC loco....... then go from there with some of the more advanced things I want.


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

Congratulations and all the best going forward. I don’t run DCC myself but I seriously doubt it would be 20x more expensive. I think you can anticipate some correction on that from folks who can give you specifics. 
But any any rate, as always, have fun and keep us posted.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

DC will be cheaper if you don't intend on separating track sections into multiple operating blocks with the associated hardware and wiring required.


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## TrainingDay (May 27, 2020)

You could rig up occupancy sensors to an arduino and automate it.


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## cid (Jul 3, 2014)

Zodiac, Are you going for the Unitrack? Have you any shelf design or concept yet? 
Am I asking too many questions? 😆


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## VTtrainguy (Jan 18, 2019)

Zodiac, I think you're kind of at cross purposes here. You seem to want the bells, whistles, lights, and realistic motion that DCC provides, but want it all automated and time lapsed and simplified and inexpensive, which it doesn't. I think you need some batting practice before you can expect to hit it out of the park. Laying some track and running some trains would be a good start with maybe a double ended Amtrak or a freight with a GP diesel at either end, one to pull, and the other to "help" your train over the scenic mountain you've built in the middle of your run of track. Railroading in my state involves serious grades and helper engines. I don't think you're going to get the behavior you want out of your train without a DCC interface, and for the automation piece, I've seen suggestions here of Arduino and JMRI, and if you're handy with electronics, you should be in hog heaven with either. If you've got an old laptop kicking around that's too old to play in the internet sharkpool, you might find JMRI the way to go. The learning curve for Arduino is kind of steep at first, but once on top of it, you can do all kinds of amazing things. I put a $40 DCC sound decoder in a $30 used Bachmann 2-8-0 Consolidation from eBay, and now have a $70 loco that does what I want it to on the cheap. There's many ways to get there, but don't forget to enjoy the ride. Y'all have fun now, hear?


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## Maddog (Jan 14, 2016)

Check out Dallee: https://www.dallee.com/Back-N-Forth-DC-5-amp-sensed-with-Momentum-610


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