RailMaster Point Configuration R8247

[Chrissaf]

Jazz, welcome to the forum.

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By TrackMaster I assume you mean RailMaster. TrackMaster & RailMaster are two completely different things. Other assumptions I have made are that 847 modules are R8247 Accessory Decoders and that you are intending to use solenoid point motors such as R8014 or similar, you haven't actually stated what point motors you intend using.

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Configuration of the R8247 Accessory Decoders & RailMaster to operate points is a two stage process.

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I have only documented the rough outline process below as a guide. Read the documented manual pages for the full instructions. I do acknowledge however, that the Hornby instructions are not necessarily the best well written in the world and may be confusing. If you are struggling to complete the configuration tasks correctly come back and tell us exactly what part of the manual instructions you are having difficulty with.

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First Stage.

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Firstly you have to configure the R8247 Accessory Decoder itself with the DCC Accessory Address you want to use. Out of the box a R8247 Accessory Decoder has the four ports addressed as 1 to 4. If you don't readdress the second and subsequent R8247s then the 1 to 4 addresses will be duplicated in error in all the Accessory Decoders you install.

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Each of your R8247 Accessory Decoders need to be given a unique address in groups of four.You only need to configure port 1 of each R8247 Accessory Decoder using RailMaster. Ports 2, 3 & 4 take their sequential addresses from port one.

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For example:

Accessory Decoder 1 = port addresses 1 to 4

Accessory Decoder 2 = port addresses 5 to 8

Accessory Decoder 3 = port addresses 9 to 12 etc

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See RailMaster manual pages 73 to 76. Note: Each Accessory Decoder that you want to setup needs to be connected to your eLink PROG A&B output and NOT the main TRACK A&B output (i.e. your DCC BUS). To save removing the R8247's from the board you have installed them on, use a temporary pair of loose laid wires between the R8247 DCC A&B Input being configured and your eLink PROG A&B output. Remember to remove any wires currently on the R8247 DCC input first, and reinstate them after the configuration of the decoder has been completed. Normally you would configure these devices on your workbench before installing them and wiring them up.

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Second Stage.

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The second stage is to right click your 'RED' point operating button icons in your track layout design window and allocate one of the previously configured R8247 Accessory Decoder port addresses to each point on your layout. Indicated by the red circle on the image below (Note: Decoder port number in the image is the decoder port address). The 'GREEN' point operating icon will take its configuration from the settings you input on the red one, thus you don't have to configure the icons individually. Each of your points on the RailMaster layout design window will then have a sequentially allocated port address from 1 to n where n is the number of decoder ports you are using. See RailMaster manual pages 77 to 98.

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[Jazzonics]

By TrackMaster I assume you mean RailMaster. TrackMaster & RailMaster are two completely different things. Other assumptions I have made are that 847 modules are R8247 Accessory Decoders and that you are intending to use solenoid point motors such as R8014 or similar, you haven't actually stated what point motors you intend using...

 

Hi Chrissaf.

 

Thank you for replying and pointing out the errors l made you are right l should said Railmaster and yes l am using R8247 modules. I am using PECO points fitted with accessory switches were needed.

 

Your instructions make very clear sense and the second stage is where l had the block but by pointing out the right click step it makes sense.

 

It will be a few months but l will publish back the final results.

 

Thank you again.

 

Dave

[Fishmanoz]

Mods, can I suggest you change Trackmaster to Railmaster in the title.  It is quite misleading as it stands given Trackmaster is a completely different product and nothing to do with this topic.

[Chrissaf]

Hi

I am really new to the concepts of DCC having only had DC layouts before.

So where am l. I am using the latest issue and the pro pack and the e-link is working with my PC, l have built my DCC bus around the whole layout and have my points all ready for .connection even though all track is not laid. This means they should work if l can get the 847 modules correctly identified. My 847 modules are built onto boards that fit under the layout and each output is wired to a particlar point through a 15 way D type (giving me a group of 4 although there are many gaps as not all ports are needed). I have drawn up my trackmaster layout and added the pro point buttons where most sorted themselves into the correct power on state.

I now want to code up each 847 ouput to operate a particular point but l cannot see how to do this. I am probaly missing something obvious but sometimes we have a see the wood for the trees problem. Any Help would be appreciated.

Regards Dave 

[Jazzonics]

 Hi Chrissaf.

I followed the clear instructions on Part 1 and programmed two R8247 modules on the programming track.

I tried to follow part 2 but could not get the window to come up to allow me to allocate ports to points. I tried this with R2847 connected to the programming track. Do l need to connect the R8247 to the DCC Bus to be able to do this?

Regards

Dave

[Chrissaf]

Creating configurations within RailMaster doesn't actually require your PC to be connected to anything at all. Connections are only required when you want to either test or use your configuration. I configured up my original copy of RailMaster (2013) when my laptop was on the dining room table and I hadn't at that time even laid any track (layout was yet to be built in spare upstairs bedroom).

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Therefore you are able to set up your point ports within the RailMaster track plan design screen regardless of where the R8247 is connected. Note though, it can only be tested when the R8247s are connected to the main Track A&B output.

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In order to configure the point operating icons with port numbers:

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Firstly you need to be in the "Track Design" window. The icon on the top navigation bar (circled in red in image below). Not in the normal 'using track plan window'.

Secondly, you then right click the point icon (circled in green in image below).

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Note: This is very important, and may be the reason your point operating icons are not giving you the 'right click' configuration option.

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When you create your track plan in the 'track plan design' window. You must not position the Red & Green point icons on the plan manually. To place a point icon correctly on the point, you mouse left click drag the red icon from the left hand side icon selection column. You then move your mouse cursor (dragging the red icon with it) to the CENTRE of the point on the screen display. Once the cursor  is in the centre of the point icon you release the left mouse button. If you have done this correctly, then BOTH the Red AND the Green point icons will SNAP to the correct positions each side of the toe end of the point icon. Ensuring the point operating buttons SNAP to the correct positions will ensure that they are correctly registered in the RailMaster software and configuring the button functions should then work.

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If you just dragged the Red & Green buttons individually and placed them manually on the plan without this snapping action, then that is most likely why you can't configure them.