New Software for creating switch lists

Having recently acquired an iPad, I have been thinking of an idea for an app that would be of use to the Model Railroad community.

Having always had trouble with creating switch lists I have started development of the following:
(Please note: this software is not currently available - the following is only the proposed app)












One dark, wet night in 1968, the Conductor of Extra 68 on the Sunset and North Eastern Railroad was putting together train in preparation for leaving Webster for the 50 mile run to Sunset and home.

Old Bill, as he was affectionately known, was standing by his 'new fangled' bay windowed caboose struggling with his clipboard in the wind. A blinding flash of light shook him. To his amazement, standing there was a vision of light and energy - his guardian angel.

This vision - known as Fred to his friends - had taken pity on poor old Bill and had made a trip into the future to try and make his life easier. 'Hey Bill', said Fred - 'Drop your old clipboard and try one of these'. He handed Bill a slim metallic pad with a glass front. 'Use this to make up your train and organise your switch list!'

From that moment on, Bill never looked back and he and his trusty iPad - for that is what it was - were inseparable and Bill's trains were the best organised and most efficiently made up on the whole railroad - maybe in the whole world!

Don't ask about Internet connections, power supplies etc. Guardian Angels have no problems overcoming such issues.

Bill's iPad worked so well that we have taken the idea and built the ideal iPad app for everyone struggling to manage their switch lists. No more DOS, Windows - printed lists - complicated forms- just an iPad app and some simple data input on the web.

How does it work?

You have heard of Cloud Computing? Yes? - No? - well anyway, Cloud Computing means storing your data safely and securely out on the Internet. Why is this good? Well, do you ever back up your computer? Same as me, then!

Storing data in the Cloud means having your data stored on fast reliable servers that have automated backup systems which include full encryption of your data so that only you can get to it.

Old Bill's Switch List works like this - Enter your data either through a web page or through the iPad app. You will need to enter the basic set up of your railroad - a car list, a loco list, each of your industry tracks and all of your freight yards. Sounds like a lot but the package carries lists of all of the popular freight cars so if you know the manufacturer code, then that's all you need. All of this is stored in the Cloud.

Once your data is in, you can either tell the app where each car is or ask it for a startup situation. From then on, the app will give you switch lists for every train you want to run. Just tell it from where to where and it will give you a list of cars to start off with - where each one needs to be dropped and what cars to pick up on the way - all in your hand as you walk around the railroad.

If you belong to a club and they don't have an internet connection, you can prepare a night's running before you go and the iPad will just cycle through the trains in order.

At the end of a session, you can ask the app for a status check - this will tell you where it thinks everything should be - so that you can check any switching errors.

As an iPad, the package will cost just $9.99. It will be available as an internet based package where the cost is just $29.99. Both options come with a lifetime license and all updates (see terms and conditions for more details).

We expect the software to be available sometime inQ4 - 2011

We have trees!

I have spent ther weekend putting down some greenery. This includes trees and bushes.

The trees are Timberline and MBS and the bushes (?) are Woodland Scenics Clump Foliage.

Yet again, the hot glue gun came in really useful in fixing all of this down.

I will use the airbrush to tone the clump stuff down a bit and to give it some tonal texture.

Here is a video and some stills of the current state of play.

Double click on the photos to see larger images

Grass and Tarmac laid

I spent today finishing off the basic scenery. I have put all of the grass flock down and laid the tarmac around one of the main industRial sidings. I have done a lot of airbrushing to cover some of the ragged edges and to tone the grass flock down - this was a very bright green.

I think the effect is quite good. Here are some snaps!

Almost the last of the plaster work done

I got some more plaster bandage and have now virtually finished up on the plaster work.

I have covered all of the hill areas and also layed some over all of the joins and screw holes. I still need to use some wet plaster to blend the edges in but there isn't much of that to do.

I have made a retaining wall and a girder to hide the point motor and the hidden entrance.

Here is a photo of where these two are going:

The rest of the pictures are just general shots to give an idea f how the plaster has finshed up.

Don't forget - you can double click on any picture to see a larger version in anther tab.

When an idea becomes reality

I have two areas at the back of my railroad where the trains are nominally in a tunnel but I don't want to cover them in as I think I will occasionally need access. So, on thinking about this, I thought that I could put up a false backscene in front of each area.

I got some plastic card and rigged it to be the right length - airbrushed the blue with both me and my wife saying that the colour was wrong. I then airbrushed some clouds but made them more distinct than I did on the actual backscene. Fitting shouldn't be a problem using a hot glue gun.

So I finish and up I go to the railroad room.

This it what it looks like - Complete and utter rubbish. I am posting this in the interests of honesty - on my modelling blog I always show my failures as well as my successes - well this one is a 100% failure!

Needless to say, these will not last the day. Mind you I am not sure quite what to do as these two areas still need hiding. Thoughts anyone?

I have continued with putting the plaster down and have now put the main scenery in with a first coat of colouring. This is what the last area looks like:

The gap between the existing and new has a surface mount point motor in it. To cover this I have made a retaining wall. This is work in progress as it has only had one coat of paint so far.

Don'y forget - double click on any photo for a larger image in a new tab.

Some of the scenery is coloured

I have done a first pass at colouring the base coat. I used a mix of plaster and some 'dipping inks' that are used in plastic models to highlight panel lines etc.

As with all of these jobs, you only see what you have missed when you take a picture, so there is some touching up to do.

This is just an initial pass so I still have to smooth out a lot of the joins plus filling in things like screw heads etc. However, I find that you don't see these until you put start the finishing process - then it all looks rotten so you do a huge amount of touch up - and then go again.

All the fun of the fair, as they say!

Anyway, here is what it looks like at the moment.

As ever, just double click on any photo to see a larger version in a new Tab on your browser.

Down goes some scenery

I have spent this morning laying some Modroc (plaster impregnated bandage) over the now-dry dampened newspaper. I did find out that 2 metres of Modroc doesn't cover 2 metres of ground so I ran out before I could do the whole lot that I needed. I have managed to blend in both of the tunnel mouths nicely. Anyway, you can see from the photos how it looks.

Don't forget that you can double click on any photo to see a larger image  on a new tab.

The next view is a video