Getting Started with JMRI and Digitrax LocoNet: Computer Control for Model Trains

Рет қаралды 28,265

Күн бұрын

JMRI Basics: • JMRI: Layout Editor, I...
WiThrottle and Engine Driver: • Beginner's Guide for J...
Computer Control for Model Railroad is a fascinating subject and in this video I will show you how to get started with JMRI and Digitrax LocoNet. CONTENT BELOW:
Connect/Install RR CirKit's LocoBuffer USB: @3:33
Install RR Cirkit's LocoBuffer USB Driver (For Win 8): @5:47
Install JMRI: @11:45
Configure JMRI to Talk to LocoNet: @16:20
Set-up and Control Turnouts from JMRI: @20:15
Part 2: • JMRI: Layout Editor, I... - basic controls of turnouts and routes
Part 3: • Beginner's Guide for J... - control your model railroad using a mobile device
I used RR CirKit's LocoBuffer USB as the interface to connect my Lenovo notebook running on Windows 8 with my old Digitrax DCS50 that was gifted by a friend of mine quite some years ago. I connected this to my test layout (that I built before to do all my prototyping) and voila! My layout was readily accessible through my computer.
I am making this series because I realised that though both JMRI and LocoNet is in the market for a long time, there is no 'on stop shop' for someone to just go, look and get started with computer control. One has to spend quite a lot of time and effort to figure out what needs to be done. The JMRI and Digitrax manuals, documents and clinics definitely help, but it still takes considerable amount of time to understand things, and often it's difficult to figure out the basics. This series is made hoping that it would help those starting with the hobby and/or aspiring to control their model railroads using a computer.
Yes, I will still be confined to Digitrax and LocoNet and JMRI has certainly grown beyond LocoNet, but given it is still one of the most used combination for easy and affordable computer control for model train layouts (and the fact that I decided to use this combination for my current projects at hand), I believe it will be helpful for those starting with the hobby, or starting with or contemplating about using computers to control their layout.
Essential links:
JMRI: jmri.org
RR CirKits LocoBuffer USB: www.rr-cirkits.com/locobuffer-...
Basics of DCC wiring for Model Railroad: • Beginner's Guide: Mode...
Visit Website: www.trainsanddioramas.com
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Пікірлер: 45

@lesparks126 3 жыл бұрын

Watching this video gives me the confidence to start taking my DCC layout to the next level. I have always been apprehensive and intimidated when seeing digital layouts. Thank you, so very easy to understand!

@TrainsandDioramas 3 жыл бұрын

I am so glad that you found this helpful. Yes, I used to be intimidated by the Digital Model Rialroading as well, and when I went to look for resources on the most common subjects, I found very little resources that gives the complete picture. That's why I made this video and I am so pleased to see that it is helpful for others. Thank you for stopping by and hope you explore more in the channel. Cheers! Kaustav

@JohnPW22 5 жыл бұрын

Great job with the video - looking forward to future episodes!

@TrainsandDioramas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you John! Glad that you liked it. I am really excited that I started with computer control at last - it's so much easier and less intimidating than what I used to think! Exciting days ahead!

@thatlowesguy5544 5 жыл бұрын

Outstanding work! A thousand Thank You's for taking the time to shed some new light on the hobby!

@TrainsandDioramas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Joe! I am glad that you liked the intro. Truth be told - this video is actually the boring part! The real excitement lies ahead. :) Cheers! Kaustav

@scentgrasslakerailway Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for the information in this series, excellent, a job very well done!!

@TrainsandDioramas Жыл бұрын

You're very welcome! I am glad that it was helpful. Cheers! Kaustav

@Bob_TheDude 3 ай бұрын

W tutorial

@SeanWalsh75 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing this.

@TrainsandDioramas 2 жыл бұрын

My pleasure! I am glad that you this was helpful. Cheers!

@JohnHibbard0808 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing Information and Video! I am brand new to the hobby of model railroading, currently in the process of building my first layout, so this information comes at the perfect time. As an IT professional, it is very exciting to see the possibilities of combing technology with an already amazing hobby. I also have visited your website and your work, attention to detail and your ability to explain it all, are truly amazing. Looking forward from learning much more from you in the future. Keep up the great work!

@TrainsandDioramas 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you John, I am so glad that you are finding this series interesting and my channel and website helpful. I am yet to uncover many secrets of a digital model railroad myself but suceffully completing the first step is of course a great start. I work on HR Technology in my day job too and I can surely appreciate the sophistication of the Model Train technology through a different lens. Please feel free to look around and let me know if you have any questions. Facebook Messanger and Instagram Direct are very good ways to strike up a conversation. Cheers! Kaustav

@KimKeyboardKimFokken Жыл бұрын

What do I look up in Digitrax for that usb buffer kit? I am also use a Lenovo notebook with windows 10 and Digitrax controller is dcs 52

@vincebreen3-55 3 күн бұрын

I find this 4 years later. Does one still require the interface control with the newer Digitrx systems?

@markdebsauzzietravels Жыл бұрын

Morning Sir Great vid thank you Cheers Mark

@TrainsandDioramas Жыл бұрын

Morning! I am glad that you found this little experiment helpful. Cheers! Kaustav

@josefbuckland 3 жыл бұрын

ALWAYS Awesome along with Charles at chadwick its always a great watch. How Come not just take the FREE win10 Upgrade so you are all good to go all the drivers are available for that machine and its FREE seems logical other that awesome!

@TrainsandDioramas 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I am glad that you're enjoying these videos. :) That old notebook can hardly handle Win8 Home, it will run a fever to work the Win10. :) The idea here is to show that you can get a lot even from very modest equipment. I think many times we end up putting a lot more weightage on gadgets than necessary. The idea is to keep it intentionally 'oudated' in every sense and show, it doesn't really matter much. Thanks for stopping by, cheers!

@KimKeyboardKimFokken Жыл бұрын

I am using jmri decoder pro 4.18

@normanrowe2831 5 жыл бұрын

Hello, as soon as I saw you in front of what looks like a blackboard I’ve decided to call you Professor! I hope that’s okay. You have obviously put a lot of thought and effort into this series. That being said, I graduated college in 1972. Pre personal computers. So, I am going to really concentrate and follow along. I have a first generation iPad, ( still going strong ) and an IPhone X. I Never had any reason during my career to become computer literate. Not proud of that, but won’t cry over that spilled milk. Like I said, because of your efforts and my true interest I will do my best. Okay Professor? I look forward to my next lesson.

@TrainsandDioramas 5 жыл бұрын

Professor, huh? Professor Kaustav Chatterjee... Now, I like the sound of that! I always wanted to be a teacher and nothing will make it more exciting than being a designated one in a field I'm passionate about! I really don't think computers to be essential in life. In my mind, tools are for people and not the other way around - one should use technology only when needed. So, now if you feel that you need a computer to run your trains and need to learn whatever is necessary, it's perfectly fine! With so much online help and some really nice people in the hobby, you'll get started in no time. And of course, professor is always there to lend an extra hand as needed. :) Thank you for stopping by Norman, your comments always put a smile on my face. Cheers! Kaustav

@michaelshaffer6182 4 жыл бұрын

Hi, thanks for all your videos. I am confused about the turnouts etc. how does jmri know what turnout 101, 102 or 103 is?

@TrainsandDioramas 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for stopping by Michael. The turnouts are already programmed and the addresses are set - you can find the first video in the series to find the details: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bs-Rm5mozb3YYWg.html . Once a turnout has an address it will be known by that address irrespective of the interface, whether it's your DCC throttle or JMRI and you can control a turnout from either of the interfaces - your throttle or JMRI. Hope that helps.

@OtterCreek 4 жыл бұрын

Are you using a stationary decoder for the three switch motors?

@TrainsandDioramas 4 жыл бұрын

Hi - I am using DCC Concept's Cobalt IP Digital which has an integrated decoder in the switch machine itself, so I don't need a separate stationary decoder. However, if you're using a standard switch machine like the Tortoise, then yes, you'd need a stationary decoder like Digitrax DS 64 if you're using a Digitrax system.

@OtterCreek 4 жыл бұрын

@@TrainsandDioramas , thanks! Just looked into these. Have the worked well for you?

@TrainsandDioramas 4 жыл бұрын

@@OtterCreek it really has. They are smaller than tortoise so they fit in tighter space, programming is super easy and they have a bunch of other contacts to do some cool things. They cost more than tortoise, but if you add the cost of a decoder to them, then it might not be that different. The only downside is that I have to communicate with them over the bus and cannot use loconet. Not a problem for a small layout, but for larger layouts you might want to think about that while designing your communication architecture.

@neilrogers1571 5 жыл бұрын

Kaustav below are a couple of links you may be interested in. I use a NCE DCC system which I am in the early stages of developing as I build my layout. I was going to go down the all DCC route but at our club layout here in the UK we have experienced command delays on the system then I saw Mikes KZfaq video below which explained how a dcc system can get overloaded with data traffic. Then the real game changer an article in the June 2019 Railroad Model Craftsman "Build an LCC-based interlocking which was the first article I have read that I fully under stood since the NMRA launched the concept of Layout Command Control, I think in 2016. I had been aware of LCC when it was first launched and thought this may be the future but as with all new things it takes time for things to really get going. I think that time has now arrived with rr-cirkits LCC kit, others are starting to follow. The most important thing to know is that as with DCC the NMRA holds control so no one manufacture. The system works on individual nodes that plug and play because ever node no mater who makes it will have a unique address so a lot of the configuration with other equipment is already done when you purchase it. This is now the way I am going e.g. Using DCC to control the trains on the track and only them and using the separate but parallel coms system LCC to control the switch motors block detection signals etc thus dramatically reducing the digital traffic on the Dcc system which is now doing much more than it was designed for e.g. Speed and direction control some lights and a bit of sound. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/esx_fdWi08idmmQ.html greatnorthwesternrailway.blogspot.com/2018/11/lets-configure-node-beauty-of-lcc-with.html Hope you find this as interesting as I do Neil

@TrainsandDioramas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Neil for stopping by and details on LCC. Interestingly, I was talking to Dick Bronson, the creator of LCC last month. The conversation started after I started enquiring about their TowerMan feedback module that I wanted to use to get a feedback of my Cobalt IP Digital machines to LocoNet. Truth be told, I learned about LCC about a year ago, but by that time I've already invested in my block detectors and signal controllers from Digitrax. I was seriously considering switching to LCC, but I reconsidered and decided to stay with DCC on LocoNet network because my layout will be really small - about 40 feet long and just 16 inches deep shelf layout, half of which will be logging anyway, so the actual automation and CTC will be confined to half of the layout and in very small scale (my longest train will be just 4 feet long!). For such a small layout it didn't make sense to re-invest in LCC especially since I have no taker of my existing DCC hardware in India at the moment. I might still look at LCC if by the time I get to signalling they release some type of way to intercommunicate between LocoNet and LCC so that I can keep my existing hardware in use. I am going to build New York Central's speed signalling with multiple signals with 3 heads - you can imaging the pain it is going to be to manage the logic in DCC! I am seriously dreading that... Thanks again for stopping by, stay in touch. :) Cheers! Kaustav

@neilrogers1571 5 жыл бұрын

Kaustav that is the beauty of LCC using JMRI it will control both loconet and LCC. I was lucky with my timing I had only just started going down the all DCC route when I found that article. My layout will end up larger than yours with 3 levels 4 loops and 2 helixes. I estimate when I finish building there will be about 250’ of mainline track so when it is all built it would be affected by the data traffic issues

@TrainsandDioramas 5 жыл бұрын

Neil - totally agree. For a layout of that size LCC will be invaluable. If they release any interface to use the Digitrax hardware then, I’ll surely move to LCC for the expansion. As of now, I have the hardware only for the first phase of my project, I’m keen on trying out LCC for the second. It all depends on Dick and his team.

@zenegillette3938 3 жыл бұрын

Hi... Can I use my NCE Power Cab with Decoder Pro? Zene

@TrainsandDioramas 3 жыл бұрын

Sure, as long as you can connect your command station with your computer and then configure JMRI to be able to communicate with your command station, Cheers!

@tonyromano6220 3 жыл бұрын

I have the loco and car in my collection.

@KimKeyboardKimFokken Жыл бұрын

Where do I find that kit and is it a Digitrax product

@TrainsandDioramas Жыл бұрын

Please refer to the links in description for the RR Circuit’s LocoBuffer USB product. You can use Digitrax PR4 instead.

@aquaticthumb5193 10 ай бұрын

He sounds funny

@eXtremeFX2010 3 жыл бұрын

What about connecting DCS52? I would really like to see a video demo on updated Technology? Please Thx

@TrainsandDioramas 3 жыл бұрын

Connecting DCS52 or any other Digitrax command station is going to be no different. The connection to your computer is bascially building a network and that infrastructure and the protocol is no different in these upgrades for a particular manufacturer. The update that are pushed in these new starter systems are mostly improving the ability to use more functions from the throttle itself. If you are using a computer to control your layout, you don't have to upgrade your command station unless you need to enhance the 'capacity' of your command station, like enhanced amperage. The software does the heavy lifting in your computer and the command station simply works as a intermediator in the communication. Hope this helps. Cheers!

@KimKeyboardKimFokken Жыл бұрын

I am using dcs 52 also and want more info on that usb buffer kit and where to get it

@peters.5669 2 жыл бұрын

A fantastic tutorial I appreciate you investing the time in creating the split-screen video. This is exactly what I was looking for. All the best, Peter

@TrainsandDioramas 2 жыл бұрын

I am so gld that you found this helpful Peter. Keep exploring and hope you have fun running your layout using computer and smartphones. :) Cheers!