DCC Controller- Update

I  haven't touched this project in a long time. However I have found a project that is up and running which uses the Arduino Uno/Mega to generate the DCC signal and also uses a L298 Motor Shield to act as a booster for the DCC signal. This project is DCC++ and listed below are some useful links for it:

• DCC++ Website

• DCC++ YouTube Channel

• DCC++ GitHub repository

• TrainBoard.com topic - Introducing DCC++ ---a complete open-source DCC station and interface

Also there are two Raspberry Pi SPROG modules:

• Pi-SPROG One
• Pi-SPROG Nano

More information can be found at the Pi-SPROG webpage.

Been a while

It ha been a while, work has been taking up the vast majority of my time. Plus I have been attempting to plan a branch lines station, which has been taking forever as I could not make up my mind, and I still can't make up my mind.

There are a few branch line stations I have been thinking of use for inspiration of my design. The stations are:

• Arley Station on the Severn Valley Railway
• Bodmin General
• Goathland station

Arley Station 

I watched a YouTube video (shown below) about Arley station on the Severn Valley Railway, which made me realise that Arley station could be  good station to base a branch line station off of.

Which then lead me to watching the YouTube video D8059 Arley, 04/10/15 shunting the yard.

 The difficult part was looking for track plans, thus I used google maps to help me.

Arley Station as per Google Maps

And then I found "A drawing of the signal box track layout for Arley box at c1960, from the collection of John Hinson" located at www.signalbox.com.

Thus I decided to use Arley as the basis of my branch line station plan. Shown below are some initial track plans for the branch line station which is a work in progress.

Version zero - A basic rendition of the Arley station track plan using straight track segments

Version 007 - Extra sidings and a third platform added

Version 008 - double slip switch added

Version 012 - Station can now have double track approach on either end if required.

I still have a lot of work to do with the plan, especially as I want to give various options for the station:

• Through station with:
• single track access on both sides
• double track access on one side and single track access on the other
• Terminus station that has the terminating sides track buffer stopped and used as the head shunt. The remainder of the disused track will be populated with overgrowth. The station approach is via:
• single track access
• double track access

Version 012 of the track plan can now support double track on both ends of the station if required, and also follows the British goods yard access standards from when facing point locks were not in use.

As mentioned earlier Arley station is one of three candidates for my branch station idea, I also like Bodmin General and Goathland stations.