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T O P I C    R E V I E W
LVRALPH Posted - 04/17/2010 : 08:02:00 AM
See next post.
15   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
vzjtothalo Posted - 04/12/2013 : 6:14:49 PM
Quick, two word answer on behalf of my friend:

Tax season.
plavallee Posted - 04/09/2013 : 01:36:18 AM
How are you making out Ralph?
LVRALPH Posted - 09/17/2012 : 04:44:41 AM
It did what it was supposed to do...teach Hueber and myself how the board is suppossed to work under less stressfull conditions and identify some issues.

The main issue was the turnout at WK (OS 90) stopped working in normal mode. It works fine in direct. The input values are all correct including the code button value. So this one has me stuumped big time. I will have to talk to Bill. It is odd because it worked fine last time.

The second thing is I need to finish the block occupancy lamps. I just have to. That process in itself confirms that the associated blocks detector is also working, so it is important.
Because of that and since I will have no time between now and October 7 (the next planned session) I am skipping the Oct date and going to operate on Nov 4.
AltoonaBound Posted - 09/16/2012 : 4:25:57 PM
Ralph,

How did the test session go today?
LVRALPH Posted - 09/09/2012 : 5:49:15 PM
I managed to hook up one more block occupancy lamp for block 1242. I then tried to hook up lamp 1201...only the problem was, the detector for block 1001 activated. I think I have a power feeder connected to the wrong detector. I did hook up the code button for OS 175, so other than the switch lever and signal levers and lamps, that is done.
LVRALPH Posted - 09/09/2012 : 04:53:00 AM
I woke up at 2:30AM, a couple of hours early. I tried to fall back to sleep. After an hour, I said screw it! Another hour later the crossover at Coxton staging track entrance (OS 175) is operating and connected to the CTC machine. This will relieve congestion at Solomons gap and give the dispatcher more flexability in moving traffic across the layout. So not sleeping prooved a boon for the LVRR.
LVRALPH Posted - 09/04/2012 : 05:18:38 AM
It is, but sometimes you have to save people from themselves!
MarkF Posted - 09/04/2012 : 02:26:16 AM
Hey, wait a minute. Isn't that machine Joe's property? Didn't Joe do the artwork and have the board made? Heck, if he wants to mess it up, then he has every right to!
LVRALPH Posted - 09/03/2012 : 6:52:54 PM
This weekend we I made some progress on the RR. But it was two big steps forward, and one big step behind.

Hueber was in the house yesterday and he helped me restage the RR by running the CTC machine and taking a train or two while I had at it. Things behaved much better.

Today I managed to drill the hole for OS 125 and install it's block occupancy lamp. This was important because it was the first device on the new output card, and it worked. I then installed block occupancy lamp 1241. I am slowly getting across the RR with these. We also found that block 1621's detector was not reporting. I found a spare that worked and installed it.

While drilling the hole for OS 125's lamp I came to the conclusion for reasons that will not be made public, that Hueber is not allowed to drill any more holes on his CTC machine. It was tough, but I had to do it. He was also sent to cable making school. Not sure if he passed.


I spent two hours with Bill on the phone today trying to debug switch motor 175 that was on pins 5 and 6. Ultimately we ended up moving them to pins 7 and 8 and it works perfectly. I then installed the other switch motor in crossover 175. That was the two steps forward. As I was making the connection to the other motor, the machine would not throw. Not enough power. I will have to pull down and check out the resistors on the existing machine and see why that is happening.

Then while I was up there working I discovered that the swith motor to track 0 stopped working. It has power to it's normal position, but will not reverse. I am suspecting a broken wire somewhere in the reversing circuit.

So that's my report and I'm sticking to it.
conrailbill Posted - 08/30/2012 : 09:30:33 AM
If it does work bewteen the Molex housing, the check the NORMAL positioning as well.

Next, with the Molex Connector still unplugged, attach your resistor + LED to +5 volts and then with the CTC machine in Direct Drive Mode, with the Switch 175 Lever in REVERSE, check the Reverse pin by touching the other end of your resistor + LED to that SMINI Output pin to see if it will light up. If it does not, then either there is a programming issue, or hardware issue with the PORT. Also check the "Normal" position pin as well with the Switch Lever in Normal.
conrailbill Posted - 08/30/2012 : 09:27:09 AM
Ralph, to test it out, first unplug the molex from the SMINI that housed the two pin leads ( N and R ) that went to that turnout's - Fig 3-10 User's Manual - control circuit. Then insert a ground wire / pin into the female molex connector pin housing for the "REVERSE" term, attach it to GROUND of the SMINI, and it should force the turnout into REVERSE. If it did not, then I suspect there is something wrong between the Molex Connecctor housing and the tortoise Fig 3-10 control circuit.
LVRALPH Posted - 08/29/2012 : 7:06:40 PM
I started to restage the RR. As I backed the first train out of Coxton staging the cars started to derail. The switch motor that I had hooked up to the SMINI was holding the motor in normal. It now changed it's status to reverse, thus derailing the cars.

I faced a choice here. Disconnect the wire to the SMINI and pin it closed; or finish the wiring to this crossover. We really could use this crossover to avoid trains having to run down to Solomon's Gap, so I decided to try to finish wiring this bugger up.

I spent a couple of hours wiring up the rotary for the turnout. It seems they disconnected the wiring for this on the machine, so I had to run a new feeder. But after some time I got it working. The input screen now shows a value of 1, indicating the turnout should be in normal. It also toggles to 0 for reverse. CTC machine side working perfectly.

I went downstairs after setting the lever for 175 to normal and the switch was still in reverse.

Well that will be the nect thing to check out. All I have to do is solve that issue, install the other machine in the crossover, and we will have a key piece of the RR working. That will be a sat morning job when I am fresh.
AltoonaBound Posted - 08/27/2012 : 09:04:32 AM
Ahhh, wiring issues. It might help to put together a monitor program that you can run on your laptop. I use one on mine and as I'm debugging CMRI wiring problems, I have my trusty laptop sitting next to me monitoring the SMINI status. Since your CTC is upstairs, like mine, it helps when you're alone, sure beats running up and down the stairs! I wish I was a tad closer, I'd love to help with the debugging.
LVRALPH Posted - 08/27/2012 : 07:58:40 AM
Thanks Eric. I look forward to trying to be in the hotseat some day, but it is not my strength in the hobby.

Hueber was in the house and we had a great day! First, Joey has been pestering me to countersink and putty the backdrop at Crestwood; to prepare it for priming and painting. Well, he finally realized that that is way down on my list of priorities so he tackled it himself.

The rest of the day was spent working on the CTC machine by adding block occupancy lamps. We managed to get six working, blocks 1261, 1262,
1241, 1242 and OS 125 and 153. It goes so much quicker with two people.

In the process we discovered a couple of nasty stupid Ralphie wiring tricks. This all ties into some of the signaling problems we had during the session. Especially at signal 1211, the westbound home signal at Packerton. Now if Hueber was not sitting in front of the cumputer observing inputs, I would have never noticed what i am about to describe.

When we ran a loco into the short OS section 125, which is the Hetchel turnout to the CNJ, he noticed that the input on OS 121W went active. It drove us nuts. We contacted Conrail Bill and drove him nuts. Hey, lets share the fun. After his visit (pics to follow) he knows what he is getting into.

I did not figure out the problem until after Joey left. I wired up the housing correctly, but put the wires in BACKWARDS! In other words pin 3 which receives the output from the DCCOD was going to pin 6 (OS 121W) not pin 3 as it should. That ment every time a loco was in Hetchel, it sent a signal that OS 121W was occupied. That combined with the other miswired pins, played havoc with that section of the RR.
So I reversed the housing. It's not the way it is supposed to seat on the SMINI, but I will change out the wires later. It's on my to do list.

Oh, wait, it gets better. While working on block 1241, (between Packerton and Hetchel) we could not get the detector to clear. It always showed occupied. So I figured I hooked a feeder to the CNJ buss in error and traced out the buss feeders. There where none! Then how was that track powered? We removed the 3 CNJ SD's and the detector cleared! We just confirmed, there was a feeder from the non detected CNJ track, connected in error to block 1241. We traced and found it and made the proper connection.

This block was just in frot of OS 122, which is just in front of 121W. The signal 1211 and the dispacher never had a chance with these wiring blunders.

So, a good day. I am cutting back the next session to 5 people to better test out the system and move at a more measured pace. It will also give the dispatchers an easier time to learn the machine.
AltoonaBound Posted - 08/26/2012 : 08:58:24 AM
Ralph,

Thoroughly enjoyed the August session! I know all too well the problems of getting the CTC working. Even tho I use a glass CTC board, the problems you were having reminded me of issues we had here.

I will definitely sign up for DS once I get familiar with the railroad and get some more track miles under my belt. Maybe I can persuade you to do the same over here at the Susquehanna Central some day.

Eric
General Manager, Susquehanna Central RR

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