remote control

Good luck when your train goes in a tunnel!

You'd be better off going with a wireless DCC setup (Digitrax or NCE)...

--Dan

"Silicon Chip" magazine (an Australian electronics mag) has published a controller of this type. I'm not sure of the particular issue, but a reprint of model railway articles was done in a "special" about a year ago. From experience with their projects, this controller looks as though it should work well. I would add two riders:

- The Infra-red transmission requires "line of sight" connection. You have to point the remote towards the bench mounted receiver, not at your loco.

- The speed control consists of "faster" and "slower" buttons rather than a rotary speed knob. (yukk)

Not necessarily so. The IR system (Rail Command?) used by a couple people I know of has the IR receiver in the cab (or mounted on the loco exterior), linked to the DCC module in the body of the loco. See Allen Keller's GMR Volume 27 on Lee Nicolas' Utah Colorado Western, which I have operated on. I had no difficulty whenever the train was out of my line of sight.

Still no problem, as the loco(s) just continue on with the last command received until they can be picked up again.

Brian

One British firm makes(made?) an IR control system self contained in the loco.

TV remote to DCC station, kit for TMW DCC system

Dave.