Model Railroad Podcast

Model Railcast Show #94
Sun, Jan 17, 2010
Posted by: Ryan Andersen

Show #94 - The  Decade in Review Show
with Craig Bisgeier, Dave Emery
 

 Crew Lounge

  • Updates and News
  • RPO
  • Model Railroad Hoibbiest / MRCS Scavenger Hunt Winner!
 Round House
  • The Decade in Review
  • Decade Review continued... what failed?
    • Brass Market
    • other stuff.
  • The Decade ahead...
    • Our predictions
    • More computer controlled MRRs.
    • There's an App for That!
    • and more
That's a Wrap 

Length: 2 hours

  • The Model Railcast Pioneers support this show!  Thanks Guys!
  • Support your model railroad community, sponsor the Model Railcast Show, contact Ryan
    ryan (a-t) modelrailcast.com

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Posted by: bobcatt MRCS Pioneer on Tue, Jan 19 2010     bobcatts2bits.blogspot.com/
Good content & commentary, guys!

I wouldn't expect quick changes in this industry, especially where control systems are concerned. Command-control has been around for decades in various forms yet, even now, DCC is not universally adopted by all end-users. Straight DC and older CC equipment is still widely employed. For many people there is simply no compelling reason to change.

Looking forward to the next decade's advances...
Posted by: stopem MRCS Pioneer on Tue, Jan 19 2010     www.flickr.com/photos/stopem
Another brilliant podcast.

I enjoyed listening to you talking about the last and next decades and was fascinated by your take on the model railroad industry in the US, similar changes have taken place here in the UK.

You really made my long drive home in the dark much nicer!

Cheers,

Paul

PS just love the thought of having a driver's eye view of a model from my iPhone, that'd be amazing!
Posted by: holry7778 MRCS Pioneer on Wed, Jan 20 2010     groups.yahoo.com/group/jasons_ttco/
Very cool Cast guys. If you ever need an architect just shout. I do what I can to help out. At least then I can put my old college knowledge to use. I think one of things that will really come about this next decade is operating a railroad remotely via a live web link into the layouts DCC. Mini cams, DCC transponding, and high end computer controls will make it all possible.

As to buildings, the technos is now out there to take 2 or more photos and generate cad/cam information then turn around and print that to laser or 3d printer. Then next step will be to be able to print weathering right on to the model.

Once again thanks for the great shows
Jason
Posted by: railman28 on Wed, Jan 20 2010    
I would like a controller that that has a cab graphic taht would let you control your train by touching the Johnson bar or thortle. That would make you add water to the boiler, chuck some wood into the boiler, refill.fuel the tender.

Bob
Posted by: bobcatt MRCS Pioneer on Wed, Jan 20 2010     bobcatts2bits.blogspot.com/
re: railman28's comment
Oddly enough, a number of years ago I was involved in a group called "the Control Concepts Exchange" which was working on a separate control buss which had a PC that ran simulation software tailored to the railroad under control. The PC was to keep track of all inputs from the "cab" actuators (including brake, throttle notch, cutoff, etc) and output water level, fuel level, slip, pressure, etc. to the cab indicators. It would also use transponding to keep track of train location relative to grades and signals. Cab input would be combined with other rr-specific inputs and translated into DCC commands. For instance, a train of a known length (X cars) travelling up a grade of n%, that had less than so-many psi boiler pressure would slow down and stall despite the throttle being wide open - you'd then have to apply the brake, stoke up, release the brake and apply sand while easing the throttle to get going again. A train on a downgrade without brakes applied would accelerate downhill, and so on. Very interesting excercise...
Posted by: darkterritory MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jan 21 2010     www.Housatonicrr.com
Bobcatt wrote:

"I wouldn't expect quick changes in this industry, especially where control systems are concerned. Command-control has been around for decades in various forms yet, even now, DCC is not universally adopted by all end-users. Straight DC and older CC equipment is still widely employed. For many people there is simply no compelling reason to change. "

True, I don't think DCC (or Command Control in a wider sense) could be called ubiquitous yet. However, there's no doubt that DCC systems enjoy widespread use today, far larger than any pre-NMRA system ever did. And that trend is likely to continue growing, particularly if some of these technologies we discussed start making it into the hands of folks on their PDA's or iPhones. Better control of the trains is already here - better control of the experience is coming...
Posted by: stevej MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jan 21 2010    
Ryan, Craig, and Dave,

What a Great Show!

Thank You all for sharing your indepth knowlege of this Hobby with all of us.

I just think it is amazing how technology is advancing this Hobby, and how many exciting changes lie ahead. I love when I hear "there is an app for that", I'm downloading the app instantly.
I just hope the New technology does't drive the Hobby to a Virtaul Hobby, or I guess better to say a Simulated Hobby.
I think that no matter what happens in the advancement of time and technology, the Trains must exist, the Layouts must be built, and People must in some form control the trains.
The tools might get more advanced, but the skills must stay the same.
I can't wait to see how much things are gonna change in the next 10 years, I think its going to be more than we ever thought.

Thanks Again for a Great Podcast!
Fantastic listening!
Steve
Posted by: mr_mike_m MRCS Pioneer on Thu, Jan 21 2010    
Great railcast guys!
Posted by: soberman on Fri, Jan 22 2010     DJKmodeling.blogspot.com
I posed the question of what is the most significant thing in model railroading to a few friends and a comment was made that "the low cost Chinese manufacturing" is the biggest influence on the hobby in the last 10 years. I tend to agree, all of the exceptional equipment that is available today is a result of that. On the opposite side of the spectrum what will be the greatest influence on the hobby in the next ten years, the answer is the same! As the cost of manufacturing increases either quality goes down or prices go up. In either case, it will effect the hobby significantly.

David Karkoski
Posted by: deemery MRCS Pioneer on Fri, Jan 22 2010     www.earlyrail.org/SLN
>"the low cost Chinese manufacturing" is the biggest influence on the hobby in the last 10 years.

Good point! We kinda danced around this when we (and others) talked about the growth of superdetailed RTR cars and the plastic/composite locos that have replaced brass, but we didn't really come out and say this. Whether it's #1 on the 'top 10 list', I'm not sure, but it's certainly in the top 5. (I think I'd rank the growth of 'hobby-businesses' as more important, there have always been large scale manufacturing. I'm old enough to remember cheap IHC trains in Woolworths as a kid.)

Thanks for the thought!

dave
Posted by: bobcatt MRCS Pioneer on Fri, Jan 22 2010     bobcatts2bits.blogspot.com/
Congrats to Bill R for winning the draw!

Also, thanks for the shout-out via the telephone message. Only too happy to help out a fellow modeller.
 
 
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