Help with setting up points which will change lights

[pete007]

Hi Guys.

I am needing a bit of help with setting my coloured lights to change when a point is changed.  I have two lines with coloured lights and one point.  I have set up in the points setting that when point is set to red then coloured light numbered 60 is green and the other set of lights 65 is set to red. At the moment only light 60 to work correctly.  In my point settings I have set, GREEN signal 60  RED,  GREEN signal 65 GREEN, RED signal 60 GREEN & RED signal 65 RED, I want these lights to change when cotrolling the point and not using the light symble to change the point.

Any help Welcome, thank you in advance.

Cheers

Peter 

[96RAF]

@Pete

 

If I understand it right you have a single point (presumably a solenoid motor) and 2 signals and I presume these are on the same accessory decoder (and presuming again that its an R8247).

 

If so have you got the point port set to pulse and the signal ports set to continuous.

 

If not then how have you got your point motor and signals wired in.

 

[Chrissaf]

I don't do my signals this way, so no personal experience to draw upon, but according to the RailMaster user guide (extract from ProPack extras below). The feature you want to make use of appears to require Railmaster ProPack to enable it.

.

• Ability to switch other points or signals when firing any point or signal• Ability to run programs when clicking any point or signal

.

Question.....do you have the ProPack upgrade installed?

.

I included the line about 'programs' because it struck me that you could use that feature to provide support for some quite sophisticated signal / point changes when clicking either a point or signal screen icon.

[96RAF]

@Pete

 

The other thing I just remembered is that even if you are using an R8247 with the signal port(s) set to continuous the connected light (if LED) has to be compatible with a common anode supply, else you will have to resort to latching relays to light the signal(s) with the relay coils being fired by the acc decoder. If there are incandescent bulbs in your signal(s) then polarity is of no consequence.

 

Given all that RM plan needs to be set such that throwing a point either way fires the port controlling the signal light - but it seems you have already said that has been done.

[pete007]

HI Guys,

Sorry I should of said what I have, I do have the propack and my coloured lights are by traintech 2 aspect with decoder in them and my point motors are Calbolt digital.  I know you can use the point motors to change other items but will require more wiring and it should be a lot easier to do the same thing with the railmaster.

Peter

[Chrissaf]

You probably need either PJ or Ray to see your post and provide an answer. They know that TT signal kit working with RM inside out.

[St1ngr4y]

Hello Peter,

I set up an extra set of points (address 70) on my layout to try this out for you. The configuration is shown in this screen shot:-

/media/tinymce_upload/112ca16424109fc22bdf107da1bbe55e.png

I configured this (imaginery) point to have a Cobalt decoder like yours, and I linked it to two of my Traintech 2-aspect signals, 106 and 107. When I clicked the point on my main screen, the signals changed as expected, both the actual signals themselves and the icons on the layout diagram, as did the blue/grey point direction indicator on the layout diagram.

I hope this helps.

Ray

[pete007]

Hi Ray,

Thank you for your reply,  It looks like I did set the lights up right looking at how you have done your example.  But only one set of lights worked, I have been playing around with them today and have number both lights with the same number and changed the polarity of one set so they both show opposite colours and it is working.

Do you know how to set up a Double slip crossing? I have used the example in railmaster and have got it to work in the X routes but not in the top to top or bottom to bottom, this is the last thing I need to sort out and it is doing my head in.  Any help welcome.

Cheers

Peter

[St1ngr4y]

Are you using the latest version of the software i.e. v1.64 ?

I will post a solution for your double slip points tomorrow.

Ray

[St1ngr4y]

Also did your signals work ok from the signal icons on your layout?

Ray

[pete007]

Hi Ray,

Yes I am fully upto date and the signals worked as they should from the signal icon.

 

Cheers

peter

[St1ngr4y]

Hi Peter,

First of all, I would advise ignoring the Hornby solution - in my opinion they have over-complicated things. All you need to do is place two "normal" points on your diagram, toe-to-toe, with a straight piece in between....

This diagram should help with setting up your double slip (I have used ports 21 & 22 as an example):-

/media/tinymce_upload/a146f49c14d05dc04a1a83a9a57c6502.jpg

The thing to get your head around is that the point is two points in one, but their “toe” ends are overlapping. On the RM diagram, all that has happened is that the two points have been pulled apart so that they are no longer overlapping. That is why on the picture of the actual point, the motor for port 21 is on the left and 22 on the right, while on the layout diagram, 22 is on the left and 21 on the right.

Another way of thinking about it is that port 21 selects which right-side route is selected (C or D), while port 22 selects which left-side route is selected (A or B). This statement applies equally when you look at the layout diagram and when you look at the picture of the point.

The blue/grey route indicator lines on your diagram should correctly show the route e.g. if you want the route to be straight across from A to D, the blue/grey lines on the diagram should reflect this. If your blue/grey route indicators are not showing the route actually set on the point, I think it could be just that the wires for the appropriate port/motor are the wrong way around, as they would be with any “normal” point.

Again, I hope this helps.

Ray

[PJ_model_trains]

 Ray's advice is good.

 

It would appear Hornby, with best intentions, have made things to complicated. Hopefully they will look at this and revise the way they are set up.

 

I struggled at first, even getting my head round having as two separate points, which did seemed the most logical option. The key is as Ray as stated, having the Port ID's the opposite on the layout to on the track.

 

Treating as two separate points makes it easy to visualise the route of the train, if you want to just click once instead of twice you can add small program icons to do this, at present I have both, I will add an image of this later.

 

If you are using programs all the time you won't need the one click small icons as you just give each point port the instruction for left or right, straight on or branch as required.

 

The image above Ray has included, which is as the one in the RM user guide, is also only for guidance to replicate the shape of the double slip as shown, you don't need to follow this, in your RM schematic layout you can have a through line with two branches either side to form the double slip which I would think most members would have.

 

Ray's advice is spot on for setting up the double slips. The Peco slips are really well made and derailment should only occur if the slip is not set up correctly.

[PJ_model_trains]

Ermmm has the edit function been removed?

The above should have read...

It would appear Hornby, with best intentions, have made things to complicated. Hopefully they will look at this post and consider reviseing the way they suggest the double slips are set up.

[Rog RJ]

The edit button disappeared over the Easter weekend.  Admin have said they are investigating.

[St1ngr4y]

The edit button disappeared over the Easter weekend.  Admin have said they are investigating.

Maybe they should go onto social media to see if anyone has seen it  😀

Ray

[PJ_model_trains]

Thanks Roger

 

I did wonder if it had been removed due to the recent issues.

 

I'm not on here as much at present due to building new layout 😎

 

Not because LD discussions are going nowhere like LD itself maybe  🤐

[PJ_model_trains]

As mentioned above, I share a screen shot from my schematic layout of the double slip with small icons pre-programmed for changing the slip/points with just one click

 

/media/tinymce_upload/aec8f17e4a3bc4ca078c76d624526f0f.jpg

 

There are 5 small icons included near the double slip, each is programmed to set the route required (they do not need to be close to the slip they could be on the edge of the schematic layout) 

 

• Approaching left or right are the 2 straight icons
• In the centre if the full cross over X
• Close to the middle track left hand turn out is the branch into middle line
• Close to the middle track right hand turn out is the branch into the middle line

 

The two branches on the middle line also change those on the outerlines, just one click on the chosen icon can change 2 or 4 points as required.

 

As mentioned above, points are set up as Ray suggests, it is simpler to do as indivual points and works well. (Providing the Port ID's are set up in reverse on the layout and in RM for the double slip points)

 

ALL points are set up as single points, they can each be controlled from the point buttons or the pre-programmed small icons, or simply run with a loco in a programmed route.

[RB51]

Looks very interesting PJ - just out of interest, where are those program icons, please? I can't see them in the standard pop-up. Thanks, R-

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi Roger

 

Look for the Red and White icon/images.

 

2 straight ones either end of middle rail, 1 X in the middle and the 2 branch ones near the branches.

 

They are tucked close to the rails, straight ones on left of track based on direction loco is travelling.

 

I have enlarged the screen shot image above as I run on 75% layout design size.

[PJ_model_trains]

In RM open track design

 

Click the 2 point icons on the left

 

Right click the 3 gear wheels and choose your icon from the list (mine were made and added to the list)

 

Put the chosen icon where you want it

 

You can also add a program to the chosen icon at this stage

 

Save and exit layout design.

[RB51]

Ah, that's what I was trying to find out yours "were made". I found everything else as you describe. Can anyone make an icon and add it? R-

[PJ_model_trains]

To create an icon start with a 50x50 pixel square (you can make it larger and then reduce it)

 

I use a transparent background

 

Create your image icon, position it in the square and save as a gif file. File name must be Button_name.gif

 

As the image I use is near the point buttons I created it in one corner of the 50x50 box, this way I could get the 50x50 image near the point but not covering the point activation buttons. If any part of the 50x50 image overlaps the point buttons it will conflict with them.

 

You have to create the file and save on your drove, then copy it to RailMaster in the program folder using administrators rights. If you don't it won't work. 

[PJ_model_trains]

Ah, that's what I was trying to find out yours "were made". I found everything else as you describe. Can anyone make an icon and add it? R-

 

Yes Roger as stated above.

 

You can add up to 40 including what is there, after that some will go off the viewing area. 

 

You can still sdd more with lower alpha/numerical file names but you will not have access to those that go out of sight.

[RB51]

Thanks PJ. R-