Tehachapi, BC

[ednadolski]

There heavy and cumbersome. Then if your using it in a yard to do switching, it takes what seems twice as long to get your work done. The braking seems like it takes forever to stop and the same for throttling up to get up to speed.

You mean, like, umm, a real train...?   

(Could be just the thing for P:48 tho )

Ed

[rodsup9000]

You mean, like, umm, a real train...? 
Ed

  Yip!!!

(Could be just the thing for P:48 tho

Ed

 That and G scale.  BTW, it was built originally for a guy that has a "O" scale layout in Omaha.

[davefoxx]

Ed, they look super nice and the thought behind them is good, but I didn't like using it when I had the opportunity to try one out. I think after you use one for a ops session, you'll have a different opinion. There heavy and cumbersome. Then if your using it in a yard to do switching, it takes what seems twice as long to get your work done. The braking seems like it takes forever to stop and the same for throttling up to get up to speed. Just my opinion and most of the people that I know that has used one. Maybe if the braking and throttling up was adjusted better to what most of us are used to, then might have a different opinion. Also need to get the weight down so it is so much of a strain on the neck. (Emphasis added.)

Isn't the problem you describe easily resolved by an adjustment to the setting of momentum on the decoder, rather than a flaw in the design of the Protothrottle?

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This Protothrottles look great, but, damn, they’re expensive at almost $500.00. On top of that, you need to also purchase a receiver to connect to your layout at an additional $99.00.  Yikes.  Still tempting, though.  But, yikes.

DFF

Oh god yes. It's also why I don't have one yet... but I do find them absolutely transformative from an experience standpoint. It absolutely "changes" the experience of running model trains. I can see how some folks might not like the change though. It does definitely slow things down a good bit. Personally I like it, but I can see the flip side as well.

[TLOC]

As a owner of a ProtoThrottle I can say it is a great tool. When it comes to costs, I won’t argue as what is expensive to you may not be for the next guy. I can say though, it is comparable to the price of 2 or 3 sound equipped locomotives and how many of us don’t have 3 too many of those?

Heavy, unwielding, too big, again very subjective and of course very individual. As for operations, especially switching IMO super great. Yes, you need to play with the CV’s and once it is dialed in a joy to use. Long starts, long stops does take some time to get used too. The ProtoThrottle group on groups.io is a very information gathering spot and there are many useful files on the CV’s. The FB group is just really getting started and is mainly non-users.

My problem is I should have gone with NCE interface and DCC system instead of ESU Cab Control which is super but I am the only user in my area. Therfeore I cannot travel to other layouts and I know nothing on how to interface with the JRMI.

If you get to the Madison Wi. area, give me a holler and maybe we can set something up. To some of us, this is a game changer.

Tom

[nuno81291]

I’m sorry but if a PT is too heavy it’s time to hit the gym.  expensive? Sure what part of this hobby isn’t? Do I have one? When I get a layout to a relative state of completion it is on my list. Nothing grinds my gears more than people playing nascar during ops. But then again YMMV. As far as the OPs layout; coming along nicely and even the roughed in landforms go a long way to visualizing a finished vista. Certainly the infrastructure of this layout alone is impressive

[davefoxx]

I’m sorry but if a PT is too heavy it’s time to hit the gym.  expensive? Sure what part of this hobby isn’t? Do I have one? When I get a layout to a relative state of completion it is on my list. Nothing grinds my gears more than people playing nascar during ops. But then again YMMV. As far as the OPs layout; coming along nicely and even the roughed in landforms go a long way to visualizing a finished vista. Certainly the infrastructure of this layout alone is impressive

Yeah, it's on my list, too.  When I do, my wife will probably kill me when she sees it.

DFF

[ednadolski]

... my wife will probably kill me when she sees it.

Do what I do: whenever the topic comes up, leave a copy of this book lying around:



Ed

[wazzou]

Do what I do: whenever the topic comes up, leave a copy of this book lying around:



Ed

Lol!  Literally, Lol!

[GaryHinshaw]

Signals again

As you may recall, I started working through the first signal installation about 6 months ago, but it stalled out due to some overly stiff wiring harness (and a bunch of intervening travel).   I now have a solution I am happy with and the first fully-installed signals are now in place, save for painting.

The problem I had last time is that I tried to use phone cable to connect between Wutter's signal base board and a phone jack socket (so I could easily detach a signal for maintenance).  Sadly, the phone cable was far too stiff and put too much stress on the signal base, so I abandoned that approach.  I'm now using cat5 cable, which is what I'm also using for the long-ish run from the driver card to the phone socket near the signal.  Here is a shot of a new signal module ready to be installed:



The cat5 cable is also relatively stiff, but it holds its shape, so there is negligible stress on the signal base when the connection is properly formed.  Happily, the cat5 wire is exactly the right size to run through a short section of phone cable insulation (peteski's suggestion), which makes it usable with a standard phone plug:



On to the layout installation.  My roadbed was initially cut without any accommodation for mounting signals, so I had to fabricate something that would work.  As it happens, the installation requires a 1/2" hole that would just graze the outer edge of the existing roadbed, so I pre-drilled a hole in a piece of scrap roadbed (3/4" plywood) then cut it to size (1" x 1.5") with one edge cut to the edge of the hole.  These were then glued to some basswood stringers, and Wutter's printed frames were glued around the perimeter of each hole:



(One of the extra blocks is shown for illustration.)  Now it is the work of a moment to run the lead through, plug it into the appropriate socket, and press fit the base into the frame:



And they work!:



Now all I have to do is build another 30 or so signal kits... But at least it is nice to have the process fleshed out. 

[C855B]

Good stuff, Gary. I'm getting ever closer to committing to... uh, something, sometime... on signals. Still stymied by lack of decent three-color verticals, and the section of RR I have running that's accurate with SA signals has them mostly on signal bridges. Lots more work involved there.   I'm counting my lucky stars I moved quickly on acquiring BLMA signal bridges and hopefully have enough to at least populate the Santa Fe portion of the railroad, Riverside Jct. to Daggett.

Remind me: you are using Dick Bronson's LED module rather than the Richmond/Showcase, yes?

[davefoxx]

Friggin' sweet, Gary!  You never cease to amaze me.

DFF

[Cajonpassfan]

Gary, I’m following your signal saga with interest, for somewhat personal reasons, and like your soulution a lot. Unfortunately, I have multiple variants of signal types and bases, based on prototype locations and can’t quite figure out a “standard” mount...see samples below. Also, how will the ”wuttercard” be hidden?
Otto

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks Foxxy.   

Remind me: you are using Dick Bronson's LED module rather than the Richmond/Showcase, yes?

Correct, the Signalman boards.  Mainly because I am using his Watchman and Motorman boards as well, so keeping it in the family.  I'm confident you'll find a good solution too.

Gary, I’m following your signal saga with interest, for somewhat personal reasons, and like your soulution a lot. Unfortunately, I have multiple variants of signal types and bases, based on prototype locations and can’t quite figure out a “standard” mount...see samples below. Also, how will the ”wuttercard” be hidden?
Otto

Hi Otto.  I think you could adapt @Wutter 's boards to your situation if you wanted to.  They are designed to accommodate a 1/32" mast (brass tube) through a central hole, which is what the Showcase kits use.  But I imagine you could just glue any foundation block to the board and run the LED leads through one of the available central holes and terminate them to the solder pads underneath.  You can then transfer to larger gauge wire (the cat5 in my case) for the run to the controller. How do your LED leads run underneath the layout now? 

The photo below shows a bit of the underside of the board, though it's hard to see the detail (sorry I don't have a better photo - I'm in Belgium at the moment, so no ability to shoot a new one):

[GaryHinshaw]

By the way, I was just planning to ballast over the top of the board (possibly encapsulating it with something first), and leaving a seam so I can pull it up if need be.  Depending on how that looks, I may want to recess the mount to be level with the sub-roadbed.  Not sure yet.