Smoke and Steam in 1:32

[TouchCab]

What is the operating system ?  Could you please provide a website ?  Thank you.

Sure ...

The digital system on the club layout(s) (the club has two) is DCC and Motorola mixed.

The trains are controlled by an ECoS command station from ESU (www.esu.eu).
Older Märklin locos are Motorola and newer locos are mostly DCC. The steamers in the movie are equipped with LokSound XL decoders running DCC.

Handhelds are wireless from ESU mixed with TouchCab, but most club members are gradually switching to TouchCab.

Turnouts are presently controlled by an older Märklin controller but a decision has been made to integrate those into the ESU system. This way they may be operated from a PC with a track plan and directly from each TouchCab. Accessory decoders are from Viessmann (www.viessmann-modell.com), but they may be changed to ESU SwitchPilots in order to use Railcom feedback to the ECoS and on to the PC and handhelds.

Best regards
Jens

[TouchCab]

I just don't see any residue, neither on the club layout nor on the desk at home during test runs.

Hi all.

Just got back from a drivers' weekend with the layouts of three gauge 1 clubs merged in a sports arena rented for the occasion, and I stand corrected:

I was recording a video scene with the BR50 going from a depot track onto a traverser which then moved two tracks to the side and let the engine off again. The BR50 would have the steam valves open all the time.
As it happened, I had to re-shoot the scene 15 times because the rest of the world refused to cooperate. Shorts, system restarts, people moving in and out or talking loud gave me a hard time, and I got stubborn. I wanted that perfect scene.

So after the 15th shot which was also not quite right, there was indeed not only residue, but puddles of steam oil on the traverser bridge. I then decided to settle for the scenes I had ...

Very realistic operation, that.
What's next? Emptying the ash box with a DCC function    

Best regards
Jens

[TouchCab]

... and here is a video from the event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCWK7ahL394

Best regards
Jens

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jens,

Beautiful track work and scenery !  How did you control the camera to get the nice moving view of the steam engine ?

Best Wishes,

Jack

[TouchCab]

The camera was placed on a flat car pulled by a diesel on the parallel track.
It's a small camera - a Canon Ixus 990 - placed on a very small Tripod, which is extremely handy when shooting these videos:
http://www.velbon.co.uk/newvelbon/pages/teenypod.html

Jens

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jens,

Good idea.  I was wondering if you did it that way.  You got the speeds matched nicely.  Can you work the camera zoom remotely ?

[TouchCab]

No - and not only that: you can't even zoom while recording, except for digital zoom, which I don't like. That's one of the major drawbacks with that camera. That and the fact that you can't fix the aperture for a recording.

But hey - it's small and handy and as you can see it records great 720p HD video even in moderate light conditions such as a sports arena.

Jens

[Doneldon]

This thread sounds more and more like an advertisement every time I look at it!

[Bucksco]

This thread sounds more and more like an advertisement every time I look at it!

I thought I was the only one who noticed that... .....

[Jim Banner]

Maybe closer to an infomercial?  I for one found this thread interesting and informative, particularly the parts about how Jens is making his videos of his trains.  With video capable, small digital cameras so common these days, and with Youtube available to post the finished products on, sharing videos of our trains is quickly becoming an important part of our hobby.

I particularly like Jens' follow shot using a second train on a parallel track.  This already has me thinking of building an easily movable temporary straight track, something like Bachmann large scale track mounted on metal studs.  I have had good success with large scale bridges built with metal studs set inside metal base tracks and the two pop riveted or glued together to make a box beam - light, strong, stiff and never warps.  To keep the temporary track light, I could see gluing on Bachmann's hollow rail track.  A single 12' length or maybe a couple of 8' lengths on this temporary track would be a wonderful addition to any model railroad videographer's bag of tricks.

Jim 

[jsmvmd]

Sorry, Did not mean to offend.

Perhaps in the future I should request specific product information privately.  I have a remote system I am learning, and am interested in other systems.  My questions are purely academic.

Best Wishes,

Jack

[Doneldon]

Jim-

Wouldn't a 1x3 be a little stiffer? My experience with metal studs is that they are fairly bendy until they are attached to something else. Even a 1x6 wouldn't be terribly heavy and it would allow an edge on each side of the track for clamping the dolly track to whatever is being videoed.

I suppose tripods could be used if 1/4" female inserts are put into the wood but that would require two tripods which is one more than most people have. A carefully centered fitting would allow the track to balance and might work if only lightweight Hartland mini or Bachmann flat cars are used with a small camera, but even that might be problematic.  The video dolly would have to be pulled by a string as a loco would throw things way out of balance. I think it might be difficult to attach the tripod receptacles to steel studs.

I might experiment with this myself. I have a good medium-duty tripod. I don't know if it will work for this purpose but I guess that's what I'll find out.
                                                                                  -- D

[Jim Banner]

One stud 3-1/2" wide nestled into a length of base track 3-5/8" wide gives a four sided box beam when the two are screwed, riveted or glued together along the narrow sides.   Much stiffer than a 1 x 3 or a 1 x 6 when on the flat.  On edge, the 1 x 6 might be a bit stiffer but will wobble sideways.  In addition, the metal box beam will not twist, warp, or otherwise go out of shape with changes in humidity.

Box beams are surprisingly strong.  I framed my 0n30 portable layout with them to keep the weight down and the strength up.  Those box beams have 1-1/4" wide strips of 1/4" plywood top and bottom and 2-1/2" wides strips of 1/8" plywood on the sides.  The sides are drilled with 1-1/4" holes every 3" to further reduce weight, increase strength, and to allow running the wiring inside the box beams.  The pieces are held together with glue - no nails, no screws, just glue.  To test the strength, I used a 5' length supported at each end, then put 100 kilograms (220 pounds) in the middle.  The beam deflected about 1/2" but held the weight.  Based on this, a similar beam 8' long would deflect less than 1/16" with a 20 pound locomotive in the middle.  Using the steel studs is just a quicker, easier way of making a box beam.

I wasn't thinking of tripods but that would be a good way to support whatever kind of beam one chose to use, especially if the layout were raised up off the ground.  For ground level, I was thinking that a brick or two under each end of the beam would do the job nicely.  If we ever get rid of our snow up here, it is something that definitely needs a try this summer.