Switches and LIGHTS!!

I know this post comes rather soon after the first one, but its because I've been tinkering away with some PIC chips (the 18F4550) and the Microchip Pic kit 3.  I know this doesn't sound like its remotely related to railroads or model making, but I've finished up my first year in electrical/electronic engineering at uni, and so I wanted to keep up my very basic knowledge of C Programming throughout the summer.  Also, this is directly related to the layout as I'll hopefully be using microcontrollers to drive the servos that move the switches - (or "turnouts/points" for fellow brits!).  Maybe also do some sort of lighting sequences...?  I won't go into the details here, but I will provide a link to the youtube vids I've been using where this guy explains in great detail how to configure the chip, set up the timer modules etc to do this sort of thing.  Anyway, here's what my first bit of programming did:

yeah, a bunch of LEDs flash.  Not very exciting but still something.  Specially as this was done in software; if I want to change anything, say on a soldered up board, I don't have to de-solder and change any hardware, i can just change a few things in my program in MPLAB X, build the program and then write the file onto the chip with the pic kit3.

This used delay functions to make the leds blink...but what if you want each led blinking at slightly different times?  No problem, do a bunch of calculations and use the 4 timer modules:

Again, not very exciting...but still!  Come on!

And just today...I've managed to get a servo moving!! (1ms pulse one way and 2ms the other way)

Anyway, so thats the electronics stuff out of the way, i can now show the slight progress I've made on the auto factory:

Also i just got an accurail open auto rack kit from the states, might well start building it soon:

and here's another addition to my growing collection of locos, a CSX ac4400 (only £60!!)

I might keep it he way it is possibly repaint it in Canadian Pacific colours. We'll see.

God bless and happy modelling!!


P.S:  here's the link to the youtube channel I've been using as a guide for these microcontroller projects.  The guy's teaching is excellent: (note a basic knowledge of the C programming language is recommended before starting)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxAnMtjN08ryThpgYTBmILg

Canadian Railways....

Well, I've been into British trains for a long while...but over the last 6 months or so I have developed an interest in American and Canadian trains, specifically diesels.  Some dvds at my model railway club got me started, and of course now Youtube has been a great source of stuff.  I've now bought myself a nice potted history of the Canadian National railway by Tom Murray (see below)

And also a bunch of Dvds from greenfrog productions...I got all 4 of their volumes on the CN (including its operations in the states) and another one they sell courtesy of CanRail on branchlines in Ontario in the 90s.  I highly recommend these dvds, they are very good, lots of interesting info about the operations and great footage of the trains themselves.

The livery of the CN was what really stood out to me at first, the orange and black (and at one time with "zebra" stripes) I thought were really nice.  I've since also read about VIA Rail Canada, Canadian Pacific and also the nice Go Transit commuter trains (the ones with the unusual looking bombardier cars):

(by the way, the VIA rail site has some interesting stuff; they have 360 degree photos of the interiors of their different passenger cars.)


Anyways, this new interest in these railways then got me buying HO versions, starting off with a walthers trainline CN gp9rm and a bachmann CN gp38-2 from ebay.  The gp38-2 is currently being detailed, since there are A LOT of differences between a standard unit and the versions used by CN (not counting the widecab variants).  Of course bachmann just used one tooling across them all, but I can't really complain as they are pretty cheap.

 The gp9rm is to be an even bigger detailing project, as the body on the trainline version is....well...not very good.  I'll probably get a proto 2k or bachmann gp9 body and then a kaslo shops chop nose cab and do some serious cutting and glueing to make an accurate model.

Also now got a Pennsylvania Railroad Sd45.  Was wanting to maybe do this in Wisconsin Central livery for the club layout.  Bit scared to repaint it though...it does look nice though.  It can always sit on display if it doesnt get resprayed.

Also have a sw1200 in CP Rail (old "system") livery by Proto 2K.  Very nice also.

Aaaand.....a bachmann CP sd40-2...

My brother and I are now planning a layout in our attic based around the automobile industry, possibly set in Detroit. However there are automobile factories in Canada as well (such as in Oshawa) so we may have the layout set there; this would make sense as then we're not just limited to CN, we can run CP as well (though Detroit does allow for a fair bit of BNSF).

I've now bought a couple of tri-level auto carrier cars, and also a Walthers auto assembly plant kit.  I've built the front so far.  Some of the window pieces are missing (which is worrying!)  I'm debating wether to call Walthers or else just to make some out of plastic strip.

So anyways, thats my first entry into Canadian/American trains and any progress on modelling projects or even just links to interesting vids of rail action I will post on this "blog" thing.  Thanks to Alan Aitken for the suggestion of starting this!