Switching Puzzle

[Roadmonkeytj]

36 minutes ago, ColletArrow said:

Are you shunting randomly, or trying to make a set train dictated by shuffled cards, dice etc?

Here I had a pre-set destination train in mind in the video.

  So Im thinking of either waybill cards they pick or making a set of plates to represent each car that they randomly draw from a cup to get their destination train.  

Plan is for car placement:

2 cars in upper siding 

3 cars in Lower siding

3 cars in arrival train 

5 cars in departure train

36 minutes ago, ColletArrow said:

Seriously, I would recommend trying a loco (or at least a simple chassis to experiment) with a geartrain rather than the standard train motor; a much more realistic yard speed can be achieved, and with precise stopping control too.

The more I run it the more I desire that.  Ive been wondering about stuffing a M motor verticle in the cab lol.  Oddly enough if I run the train via Bluetooth App from my phone the slider provides prototypical speed.  However the hand held controller gives the instant snap the cars need to break the magnets.  The slider just lets the wheels spin.  I feel like one "click" of the button is 30% on the slider.  

I still got time lol first show it will go to is in October ... We will be installing this on the end of our yard to give that end a bit of movement and interaction.

[Hod Carrier]

Sadly I think you’ll need the good hard tug that the train motor provides to break the magnetic couplers, but I agree that a Technic-based solution would give better slow-speed control and precision of operation.

Just idly wondering about whether a weaker coupling connection might help. After all, the maximum train length is always going to be modest so the couplings don’t need to be super-strong. Might there be some mileage in swapping out the couplers at one end of each car for something ferrous but non-magnetic? Would this still be strong enough to permit your maximum train length but weak enough to make uncoupling a bit easier?

[Roadmonkeytj]

3 hours ago, Hod Carrier said:

Sadly I think you’ll need the good hard tug that the train motor provides to break the magnetic couplers, but I agree that a Technic-based solution would give better slow-speed control and precision of operation.

Just idly wondering about whether a weaker coupling connection might help. After all, the maximum train length is always going to be modest so the couplings don’t need to be super-strong. Might there be some mileage in swapping out the couplers at one end of each car for something ferrous but non-magnetic? Would this still be strong enough to permit your maximum train length but weak enough to make uncoupling a bit easier?

Possibly but what and how would I mount it so it doesn't get ripped off.  So far I only have two coupler issues ... One super weak and one super strong.  I noticed if I control the train with the PUP app that 10% is realistic speeds but you need the 30% instant "snap" that the controller gives you .... Anybody know how to change the controller output yet?

At 10% on the slider the train moves perfect but dragging to 30% is just too slow and causes the train to spin its wheels.  But one click of the controller is the ticket.  Sometimes you have to pushe the cars back then reverse to snap.

[Paperinik77pk]

On 7/31/2019 at 1:24 PM, Roadmonkeytj said:

Possibly but what and how would I mount it so it doesn't get ripped off.  So far I only have two coupler issues ... One super weak and one super strong.  I noticed if I control the train with the PUP app that 10% is realistic speeds but you need the 30% instant "snap" that the controller gives you .... Anybody know how to change the controller output yet?

At 10% on the slider the train moves perfect but dragging to 30% is just too slow and causes the train to spin its wheels.  But one click of the controller is the ticket.  Sometimes you have to pushe the cars back then reverse to snap.

Hi @Roadmonkeytj, you are creating something really special , I'm following this thread from its beginning, looking at all your great solutions!!!  

The App has the possibility to create some "programs" that can be executed without using the standard sliders. I tried a bit the application in order to solve a problem with my big G scale toy train (the Medium motor does not allow adjustable speed with the standard controller, and I do not like the way sliders work on the APP). I therefore created some small programs to achieve different speeds, to stop, to turn on lights and so on).

So for example , you can create a program for each activity you need:

One to allow slow coupling (START>SPEED SET 10%>TIME LIMIT 3), another one to allow fast decoupling (START>SPEED SET 30%>TIME LIMIT 3), one for moving forward at a fixed speed (START>HORN>SPEED 40%) or backwards (same as forward with speed -40%), one for stopping the engine (START>SPEED 0%>BRAKE SOUND).

Problem is...you also need to create a tablet/smartphone holder

[Roadmonkeytj]

3 hours ago, Paperinik77pk said:

So for example , you can create a program for each activity you need

I will have to give that a try ... The only thing is the train consists will be randomly chosen so the Time the train travels might be different each time 

Thank you for following though.  Ive been excited as I build to see how the public responds.

[Paperinik77pk]

4 hours ago, Roadmonkeytj said:

I will have to give that a try ... The only thing is the train consists will be randomly chosen so the Time the train travels might be different each time 

Thank you for following though.  Ive been excited as I build to see how the public responds.

My fault, I explained it badly - plus I wrote a wrong workflow (I forgot a command).

The "duration" is valid only for approach/coupling and decoupling. Setting a small amount of time will make the locomotive to move at desired speed only for a second, or two.

- START>SPEED SET -10%>TIME LIMIT x>STOP - this will allow the locomotive to make a slow movement backwards and stop quite immediately.

- START>SPEED SET 30%>TIME LIMIT x>STOP - this will allow the locomotive to make a fast movement forward and stop quite immediately. This should give enough power to un-couple.

When the locomotive has to travel on free track, you can use the fixed speed controls START>HORN>SPEED 40% or START>HORN>SPEED -40% - but obviously you'll have to stop the locomotive manually.

 

The programming is nice since you can emulate gradual acceleration and stopping, which adds realism.

Edited August 6, 2019 by Paperinik77pk

[Paperinik77pk]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/138174786@N04/48474777597/in/dateposted-public/

Hi @Roadmonkeytj, I copied here a link of a short video I prepared to show some programmable functions that can be implemented using the PuP Application.

I do not know if the standard PuP train motor will react as the M-Motor I'm using on the big locomotive in the video, it's a bit of trial and error approach

 

[Roadmonkeytj]

6 hours ago, Paperinik77pk said:

I do not know if the standard PuP train motor will react as the M-Motor I'm using 

I made up a couple test loops ... Will try to set it up tonight and see if it works

[Roadmonkeytj]

On 8/7/2019 at 4:22 AM, Paperinik77pk said:

it's a bit of trial and error approach

That it was I was able to program a forward reverse and stop in slow then a decouple that was a blast of power then off.  Then just for fun I made a victory lap sequence.

Main issue I had with the slider is the chains you build move around on the board as I try to press them ... Do you know a way to lock them in place once built?

I did take a video ... Is not the best quality as its the laptop camera but it does show all 11ish minutes of me solving a random train.

So had to speed the video up to 4x 

Here is the custom Api

[Paperinik77pk]

On 8/8/2019 at 3:53 PM, Roadmonkeytj said:

That it was I was able to program a forward reverse and stop in slow then a decouple that was a blast of power then off.  Then just for fun I made a victory lap sequence.

Main issue I had with the slider is the chains you build move around on the board as I try to press them ... Do you know a way to lock them in place once built?

I did take a video ... Is not the best quality as its the laptop camera but it does show all 11ish minutes of me solving a random train.

So had to speed the video up to 4x 

 

Great work!!!

The problem with "moving" chains is the same I'm experiencing in my video...I tried to lock them in place, but no way!

[Roadmonkeytj]

So after I've taken it to some shows I'm happy with the involvement the it went through three layout revisions but the final is something I can be happy with.

(The beautiful thing was as long as I had 7 and 8 head and tail tracks I could put it in any layout.)

So the plan is to "modualize" this.  The track is already 4 plates high so if I raise it one more plate it meets MILS standard for balasted track. 

I wish I had taken more shots of it but the public offered very little time to.  What I did learn was this.  As an inglenook the puzzle works ... However I have only gotten 6 people to actually ”do” the puzzle.  Instead what I found was if I had them just shunt one or two cars from main to siding then most were happy and content.(and not overwhelmed) At the first show I explained the rules and operations and the first day was slow the second day I just had them moving cars and that worked so I continued.  

At the last show GTS I talked with a rail club nscale about his timesaver.  He had been showing it several years and came to the same conclusion most people only move a couple cars around.

He was thrilled to see another switching puzzle ... And in Lego.  The automatic uncoupling impressed him as he uses long sticks lol

Here are a just a couple pictures like I said I wish I took more but the only time I had was just before teardown several times.

 

 

[Man with a hat]

Quite impressive to have this working on a show where the public can interact. (Sounds very scary to me)

[Roadmonkeytj]

1 hour ago, Man with a hat said:

Quite impressive to have this working on a show where the public can interact. (Sounds very scary to me)

Oh it's a little nerve racking ... but if you keep your fingers crossed and ready over the all stop button in the upper right of the API then all is well.  A couple times I had to grab the engine when the decouple was hit with no cars on it (90% motor power as opposed to the 28% it normally ran on.

The buffer stops are quite functional though and a couple times did get hit they pop up when hit but stop an engine at 90%. 

[hrusselvets]

Yeah, live shows are scary. I'd never participated in one because of the fear, but I'd gladly attend it as a guest. It's interesting to see how people solve the puzzles, especially the huge ones. Honestly, when I bought my first puzzles I didn't think it can become a competition with the audience. It probably proves that a show can be made of everything. But I don't like doing it in the public. When I got the jigsaw puzzles australia which consists of 1000 puzzles, I had to think carefully about every step. Of course, people around would distract me from the process, and that can be annoying.

Edited October 26, 2021 by hrusselvets