Adding Railcommand to The Lackawanna Terminal
or
Dragging oneself from the dark ages into the shining light of technology...albeit, reluctantly

 By
Steve Kay, President and CEO, Lackawanna Terminal Railway

The Opportunity for change

   When a major addition was added on to the family abode in 1989, I was forced to tear down my old layout due to the construction. This was not necessarily a bad thing as I was not totally happy with the way the railroad was designed. Anyway, it just seemed right to tear it down and start again.

    One of the major considerations in starting over again is the job of wiring a large railroad. Several considerations come to mind:

1. Do I want a centralized control panel which would require a full time Dispatcher when operating the layout to route power, control interlockings, and generally keep the chaos of an operating session within reasonable limits? Do I want to put up with the hassles from the ATDA, the contract negotiations, the constant whining about being cloistered in a darkened room far away from the action...alone...a carefully cultured tan fading in the dim light of the model board?

2. Should I go with a walk-around system where operators route their own power from toggle or rotary switches positioned around the layout as I had done in previous layouts? Do I want to entertain the problems of one engineer forgetting to neutral his block switch once he clears the block causing the following train to instantly and suddenly reverse, killing the crew and causing untold millions of dollars in damage to the cargo?

Or...

3. Should I try something entirely new, stretching my normally cobweb laced mind with new concepts of control mixed with the latest in microchip technology? Should I once more spend happy hours at the workbench carefully soldering connections I can no longer see without the aid of glasses with the magnification of the telescope at the Mount Palomar observatory?

Yeah, number three sounds good! I should do that! And why not I asked. I have humbled the answering machine, I can program the VCR (the little blinking "12:00" is there because I want it there...So there), I have a remote garage door opener and I can "boot" the computer without getting a "system error message" (well, at least most of the time). Hell, why not "go for the gold" with the birth of the Lackawanna Terminal. Surely, such a great undertaking as creating a railroad that never existed,  planning, then building the structure that is to become a living, breathing transportation entity deserves the finest control system technology can create (or money can buy). Well, maybe it can be bought on the installment plan.

Anyway, It was time to do some research.

    I don't belong to a club so I turned to my extremely small cluster of dedicated modeling-type friends and the Internet to see if anyone had ideas about what was state of the art in control systems.

Well, my extremely small cluster of dedicated modeling type friends failed me worse than my seventh grade math teacher. This was new territory for our group and I was going to have to go this alone. "Call us when you figure something out", they cried as they ran up the cellar stairs and out into the sunshine.

1. The system must be easy to install and operate. I am happy with the rheostat and reversing switch technology. I personally like having total control over the engines on a train (the controls the engineer uses on real locomotives are simple, even though the technology behind the electrical cabinets is not). Plus, too many buttons only tend to confuse me. Look at the advertisements for some of the DCC systems. The throttle looks like a 12-in-1 tv remote. Too many buttons, not enough digits on the hands (and my family lost their prehensile tails a couple of generations ago).

2. There must be consistent, easily available customer service. No "here today, gone tomorrow" tech support (CVP Products has been in business since 1976, a lifetime in model railroading terms).

3. The control system must be user friendly allowing the engineer to run the train and not have to worry about such non-railroad stuff as power routing. The system must be easily adaptable to a walk around configuration.

4. The trains must perform in a prototype manner. Slow starts, precise speed control, multiple engine consists, plenty of amps, the ability to mix manufacturer's locomotives in the same consist were some of the most important of these requirements.

5. No gimmicks. Engines must be able to be programed wherever they are on the railroad, i.e., no special programming track (a decidedly non-prototypical move). I didn't know that there were such things as programming tracks until the research was underway but the programming track concept turned me away, right away.

    That done, I turned to the Internet, specifically the Trainnet section of Compuserve. I found all the answers to all my questions there and believe me, it was a learning experience. There were devotees of the NMRA Standards on-line who pushed Digitrax like it was manna from heaven conducting a  vociferous, highly technical, and sometimes acrimonious battle with a pair of devoted Railcommand fans.

    The problem, I discovered, with Digitrax and the other NMRA Standards compliant systems were that they conformed to the NMRA standards. Well, actually, the problem was with the NMRA standards. Like, what standards? It seemed that the NMRA was constantly updating their "standards" with recommended practices and changing things around. I really wasn't interested in working with changing standards and committee decisions scare me. This, plus the infamous "programming track" and the fact that the NMRA standard allowed manufacturers to design proprietary systems which were not compatible with each other in many important ways. Also, at the time, the NMRA systems were using a telephone modular plug which was too flimsy for constant use over a long time. These were some of the problems that caused me to look elsewhere for my control system.

    What impressed me about the Railcommand system, which was being pushed by a pair of  rabid devotees, was that it was designed by a company I had dealt with before (remember the radio controlled system derived from a airplane radio control system featured in Model Railroader some years ago? I have built several of these systems and found Keith Gutierrez's  instructions were well thought out and the product worked the first time I tried it).

    I decided to send for literature for all the systems available at the time. I got responses from Digitrax and Railcommand. The first thing I learned was that a digital control system is NOT CHEAP! This gives added incentive to be cautious when deciding one system over another. The literature from Railcommand made the final decision easy.

    I ordered two systems. One for myself and one for a modeler-type friend who decided to jump in and convert his layout to the Railcommand system. I ordered both systems as kits to save money on the initial investment. Since I had previously built electronic kits I figured this would be the best way to go and I wasn't disappointed. The instructions were easy to follow and Railcommand offered a fix-it free policy if I screwed up (which I did, but that's another story).

    The results were all that was advertised. The Buss wire system was simple and extremely reliable. The receivers are "drop-in" simple to install and troubleshooting suggestions are easy to follow. I was even able to call CVP Products on a Sunday night when I didn't follow instructions and things didn't run right. The engines that I equipped with receivers work reliably and in a prototypical manner.

What's so great about Railcommand? Here's the list:

1. Simple 2 wire throttle bus:
This is the best thing to come along since the discovery of catnip (my cat suggested this analogy and since he threatened to sleep on my face if I didn't include it, here it is). Simply run two wires around the layout and solder feeders to the track. No power selection toggle switches or rotaries to wire. The Railcommand start up system is comparable to the cost of all the required wiring and toggle switches of a conventional control system.

2. Drop-in and plug-in receivers:
These are so simple to install, even a locomotive engineer like myself can do it.
Warning: If you have any electrical engineer type geniuses around, keep them away from the receiver installation. It is far too simple for them to understand!

3. Pre-wired front/rear headlights:
There is not much more you can do with headlights that you cannot do with the Railcommand powered headlights. They are directional ("Users have a choice of automatic directional headlights (M2 cut) or manual control of headlights (default). This feature originated from one of our early users who wanted to have prototypical headlight controls. It was such a good idea, we added it to the system. It has since become the defacto standard to which all other systems aspire - and still haven't got right yet". - Keith Gutierrez). You can turn them off or on and you can have them on bright or dim them when approaching opposing trains, junctions or stations where you are to pick up a Form D. All from the hand held throttle.

4. Works with all block detectors:
If you're gonna have a signal system, your control system has to be compatible!

5. Rugged, dependable connectors:
Railcommand uses 1/4" headphone jacks to connect their throttles to the Command Station. I used these for years in the military and they are the most rugged and reliable system available. The throttles are light and fit comfortably in your hand without the added weight of batteries like some systems.

6. Proven reliability:
Works the first time, every time and has the capability of being continually upgraded to maintain the highest possible standards without modification to the receivers installed in the locomotives.

7. Versatility:
The Railcommand system can be used as it comes from the box or, for those of you who understand such things, coupled to a computer to handle all the functions of the Command Center. The folks at CVP Products are developing a radio control to enhance the Railcommand experience which should be ready in the near future.

    I have divided the railroad into six separate electrical block sections as a tool in troubleshooting shorts or other electrical problems. I have used double pole, double throw toggle switches to isolate these sections and have one conventional throttle (Aristo-Craft Train engineer radio controlled throttle) so anyone can bring a conventionally controlled engine to the layout and run it on a section of the railroad that will not interfere with the operation of the Railcommand system. The sections are the top and bottom levels, each of the two helix tracks and the top and bottom peninsulas. See the enclosed track plans for easy reference.

   Using Railcommand is no different for the engineer than any other conventional throttle. The throttle itself is light in weight and fits comfortably in the hand. The performance of the locomotives is smooth and speed control is precise. Whether you are switching in the yard or running three or four engines on the head of a long freight, you are confident that the train will do what you tell it to do. Momentum is controlled from the throttle and you can infinitely vary the time delay so that you can follow your train from one operating position to another regardless of how far they are apart (or if you want to stop at the "goodie" table on the way to the next yard. (be careful how long you languish amongst the chips and dip, however, if you have set the time delay on infinite. That train will continue to run no matter what may be in it's way). If you are into running trains, electrical block considerations are a diversion that detract from the fun. I am into running trains so I chose Railcommand over the NMRA compatible digital systems available on the market. I am glad I did and the number of Railcommand engines operated by the Lackawanna Terminal Railway will continue to grow.

While my modeling-type friends were trying out the newly installed Railcommand System, I was busy at the workbench soldering up a second Command Center for a friend. From across the room I heard comments like, "Cool, this is really cool" and "This is really great!". These guys were having a lot of fun and that is what the hobby is all about!

Those who come to run the system are always impressed with it's versatility; the ability to run trains like the prototype without the restraints of conventional power routing systems.

Visit the Railcommand Web Site and see for yourself!

Questions? E-Mail me