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I'm just wondering if anyone has ever thought of doing that? From what I've read over at Raildriver they built the airbrake stand and bought the control stand themselves. They retrofitted the stand to work with a USB port. If anyone has every thought of building one there is loads of data on building a flight sim cockpit out there.I know that the flight sim is much more "user friendly" from an input output standpoint. I'm thinking though that the same principles apply to building a control stand. You wouldn't need to make it as big as the full size one perhaps just one that would say fit on the side of the desk. Say 1/2 real size.I know that Raildriver has a fine desktop controller. What I was thinking of was something that you might find in a SD40-2 or simular "non desk" version of controller. This perhaps could be augmented by putting a seperate display above the control stand to act as the gauges . You could perhaps even adapt a pda for a speedometer. If you have enough space on the LCD "gauges" monitor you could add in the speedometer. As I was reading in another thread for the monitor to work you would need a video card that had dual monitor outputs.From the Raildriver website they used PVC piping and Bondo to make the brake stand. I understand that such a controller would be pretty big for most space constraints found in most computer areas but if you have the space and the time it would be a really cool project.The drawings of the controller aren't hard to find I have a book that has the complete layout of the cab and controller for the SD50. There are places online that have manuals that have photos and drawings.So if there is anyone - Thinking of - is building - or has built one feel free to post and let me know? If there are any other thoughts on the idea also feel free to post.One of the things involved in the controller is a mechanical interlocking between the throttle and the dynamic brake and reverser. This could be hard to impliment?Ronson2k4
I'd love to have a control stand myself...although I prefer it be full size.I know Raildriver's control stand is pricey, maybe if you visit a local locomotive scrapper, you can get a control stand for cheaper, then back it up with electronics that would make it MSTS freindly....put the thing on boards with rollers on the bottom, you'll be all set -Jeffrey
A control stand from an NS C40-9W would be perfect for the job. It has computer screens built-in to it so it would be easier to get the gauges to work with MSTS...
IIRC, the folks at Raildriver will sell individual componants, such as the doodads that actually interface between an analog control and the computer. In theory, one could find/purchase the elements of a control stand (either AAR or desktop) and simply install the needed electronic componants provided by RD.This was the plan when I spoke to them about a year ago anyway...Really though, it seems to me like a person could fabricate the "stand" from fiberglass, particleboard, or even metal and simply obtain a cast of the brake, throttle, etc handles. The setup would be relatively lightweight and you wouldn't have to bother with searching scrapyards for the needed parts. For a simpleton like myself, the hardest part of the task would be figuring out how to interface these with the PC, but as I said, if the Raildriver people have already done the work it really becomes an exercise in scratchbuilding.Your milage may vary.Blake Harris Manager/Engineer, Jefferson and Cypress Bayou Railway http://www.jeffersonrailway.com
Vice Dean, Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies
$6400 ouch... well I can certainaly agree it would be way cool to have one. I was thinking of something that would be a bit less costly. I have scene stands on ebay and the like. I was thinking it would be cool to build one. I like flight simming aswell and have read many articles on the FS boards from those that have built full cockpits. This is perhaps a bigger challenge then a control stand in as much as there are a ton of more controls. I think what raildriver was thinking about would be for something like a training type of thing. That is it would be built by a railroad to there spacific needs. Or they could adapt a control stand that they already have for training to work with MSTS. For the complexity of locomotive the control stand itself is pretty simple. The brake stand perhaps would be the hardest part to fabricate. A full size stand would be very nice. Love to see some photos maybe?? It's just that the space I have the computer in is a bit smelt. I know I could move it and everything but??Anyway I have scene like I say many articles from building your own controls to making an interface to building displays and everything. While the controls for an aircraft have in complexity the Flight sim has a really great interface to work with. Where as the simplicity lets say of a locomotive the interface is left lacking. There are many ways to work around it of course.You would need a special "MSTS Cab" to send the display data through the second monitor - placed on top of the control stand for the gauges. LCD displays are pretty cheap these days. I know you can connect a PDA to the computer for I/O. In order to use it as a speedometer though and maybe even a gps display. The software could even be linked to a MARY of sorts. I don't think that MSTS keeps track of the EOTD position atleast in a way that can be monitored. It could perhaps be calculated though?Some thoughts on a control stand design.Lights horn and bell not a problem (all switches - rotary for lights). - Horn being a big switch. Reverser also (just a big switch) accept for the interlocking. The throttle is notched. Each notch would be a switch forward or reversed (increase/decrease).Brakes are the thing. I've never tried using a stick for the brakes on the locomotive. Does it work from a digital or analog input. I'm thinking it's analog. You move stick it moves the control. The position of the stick doesn't remain in the control. Unlike the flightsim where the control is held in the position of the stick. So it then becomes a question.Do you have a piece of hardware that monitors the position of the "stick" and the "virtual stick (on board MSTS)" and sends the corrective data to the train sim until they match or do you have the hardware calculate the amount of brake power being input and then just send that data once to MSTS? I think you would need something (software wise) to get the data out of the train sim. Raildriver uses the HUD to get this data. Perhaps you could do this also in the msts cab. You could use the display portion that isn't being displayed (gauges LCD Display) to monitor the MSTS cab control postions. This cab would be for output only. You can have a piece of software then translate that info into something the interface can read. This would then be sent to the hardware in the control stand. You could rearange the display in MSTS to have the forward view do it's not the forward view at all. The forward view would be just for the out of controls to the interface. You then rework the display so it's looking forward but it's one of the other views. This will let you put all the data you could want on that view (that space would allow) then this data is monitored by a piece of software and sent to the interface to get adaptive information.You may want to add in some other output for a MARY this would also work off of the display data but be converted to a numeric value and display in a LED on the "homebuilt MARY".Sounds a little complex I know. I would be interested in how the "actual" control stand get wired up to work? Do you wish to share your home built controller info? Do you gauges also work on the control stand and if so how?As well it may be worth it to wait for the upcoming new sims to see if they will have an interface for Multiplayer. This would get the data coming out so you wouldn't need to rig something up to get that data.I was thinking though that the LCD display is there anyway so why not use it for as much as you can..Ronson2k
