3 ms·
As a younger person who in theory is interested in model railways, the sad truth is that the drawbacks simply outweigh the benefits. Model trains are physicall
by crote 3y ago
As a younger person who in theory is interested in model railways, the sad truth is that the drawbacks simply outweigh the benefits.
Model trains are physically large, so building a layout in my apartment is pretty much impossible. They are extremely expensive, and if you want to get something which can do more than literally run around in a circle you're looking at a $X000 setup cost. The "sexy" part (digitally controlling the trains) seems to be pretty much stuck with poorly-designed protocols from the 80s.
I like trains. I like DIY electronics. I like 3D printing. But given the barrier to entry, I'll just stick with OpenTTD or some kind of Euro Train Simulator game.
My friends are into Warhammer and DIY racing drones. If those hobbies have no trouble attracting younger people, the problem here really isn't young people's interest.
- kiwih 3y agoI've recently been designing a custom implementation of a DCC controller for a new model railroad I'm setting up - what don't you like about the protocol? I find the protocol fascinating in that the data signal is combined with the power, so you just run everything over the two tracks. Further, a transmitter is just a simple H-bridge that costs pennies...
- AnonymousPlanet 3y agoIt gets hacky when you want to read out CVs, since the DCC protocol is one way only. You need a good current sensor since most decoders encode the values into the current flow using the motor. It's a cute hack and somehow akin to morseing out with power LEDs.