One of the most compelling things about this layout is the use of RFID tags and sensors. I have not been able to learn much more than the fact that you are using them. Seeing the sensor in this episode was the first time that I had seen anything other than a brief glimpse of the tags at one time. I would love to learn a lot more about what you are using as I see it being a real advantage to many layouts with ideas of prototypical operations and logical car movements. The RFID makes keeping track of the location of any car much better. Thank you for presenting this layout as it is inspirational in so many ways.
There are three videos on this. The name of the company that makes the sensors is called Eccel. Have a search for them on the internet. We are planning to take an RFID primer layout to the Southampton show in January 2022. Can you make that?
@@dattouk I came across what I assume is your main video to explain the RFID system, your number 33 Managing Freight with RFID, and found it informative. I was particularly interested in the RFID tags that you are using and you pointed to them, and the pricing is pretty decent as well. I will have to miss the Southampton show as I am living in Canada. But I do wish you success showing what you are doing. One of the things that I liked about your RFID readers is that they included WIFI and you are using a Raspberry Pi to collect the data. Do you ever have issues where the RFID reader reads cars that are on another track? Or is the thickness of the roadbed and other things enough to limit the range to essentially only one track? Thank you for the inspiration with your layout as it certainly does make people think about their own potential with what they are doing.
@9:05 missed opportunity to say "... to avoid confusion and delay :P" Great channel and videos, thanks so much for explaining this with such enthousiasm :)
That’s station roof by Alan Gibson is a real work of art. You can tell it’s based off bath green park, but it fits so well for a station roof. It’s very beautiful. The station throat gives it a lot of awesomeness. So much that can be done in the area in relation to operating. Really like this. Clint
I really enjoyed this update, and have to say, Charlie you are bringing your magic over with you from Chadwick, in its production. I look forward to the next soon I hope. cheers Paul at Sandling Junction.
What can I say? Unbelievable, fantastic, brilliant, the list could go on and on. One of the most interesting layouts I’ve ever seen. Just wish there were more videos the wait between them is excruciatingly painful for me. Would love to see some footage taken from the trains as they travel around this massive layout. Tony.
Evening David. This is close to my heart as I live in Manchester and had the pleasure of being around when Manchester Central was open as my favourite station as I lived In Urmston on the CLC line. Also exchange was still in operation if only partly 🙈 Great update and appropriate the effort your putting into this fantastic project 👍🏻 And not forgetting Charlie Bishop 😃 Until the next update thanks Stevie 😎
Great video on the Manchester station. Your making some great progress. Love the technology you are using awesome. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for sharing. Ken
G'day from Australia, to the team at McKinley, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say, we would love to just see a big running session of all the layout and the protentual of what can be done, cheers.... K.J
Another great video: v interesting content and great production from Charlie. I continue to be amazed by the amount of thinking and planning that goes into McKinley. That station throat looks superb. Is it really all proprietary code 100 track? Just shows what can be achieved with careful tracklaying, ballasting and scenery work. Used to love the old Shinohara points: didn't think they were still made. Went you went off camera to fetch the new goods arrangements, I wondered for a moment if you were going to come back with an interpretation of the Great Northern Warehouse! I also wondered if you could improve goods workings by sacrificing the engine shed area and moving it "off layout," but then you mentioned all the goods workings needed to supply the sheds, and you'd lose that interesting operation. So, as you were then. I wonder if you have thought about whether the control panels could be more virtual, i.e. on ipads, then you wouldn't have to move the rather cumbersome panels up onto the railway itself. If the Manchester throat is so difficult to operate, would there be any mileage in a route setting solution, i.e. click start, click end and software sets all the points between? But then, maybe the difficulty of operation is part of the fun! Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the next instalment.
Hi david , If you are going to change the mimic panel ,and i believe you use traincontroller couldn't you use a touch screen to operate the points signals etc ,as ive said before an amazing layout ..................tony
Good question Western Rover. I have thought long and hard about a touchscreen world. We tried one on the staging area. They are much easier to implement by far and very easy to change, but there is something about having a tactile interface with your hands that beats the glass logic. Firstly you get physical feedback and secondly you are not waiting for the system to respond correctly. Sweaty hands still work with a button and some of our chums have shaky and others large fingers. So although its hard work to design and build, physical panels come up trumps for McKinley.
After watching many of your videos particularly the attention to detail there appears to be one thing missing . Graffiti. Correct me if I'm wrong. Great stuff
It's such a shame that control panel is so cumbersome over the layout.... Surely it could come down from the wall at the back as an overhead panel? Perhaps mount it on a display panel swing arm?
McKinley Railway,. David, The plan's for Manchester's future look and sound stunning. If I may and take you back to London for a moment and the new good's yard extension's. Extra van' s are needed to handle the morning newspaper traffic Will you handle any produce van's here for Covent Garden? 9 Elm's handled mail, parcel's, newspaper's fresh produce and banana trains all under 1 roof. upto Covent Garden moved. Cheer.s Chris Perry.
@@dattouk David, Sorry I 've been away for a couple of day's. I live in New Zealand which I hope won't be a problem. So if you can give me your E/mail address we'll see what both of us can do, It'll be fun. Cheers, Chris Perry.
So, just so I understand this set up completely. This is in a house, looks like the entire first floor, so you are not taking this on expeditions and shows, right? And to top it off it looks like you'll never complete it because you are always adding to it and modernising it. I don't mind as building it is two thirds of the fun.
@@dattouk Ahh I see, so you live in like a townhouse and are abusing the top floor and any remaining loft space. I would love to see it first hand but, although unsure, I think you live to far for me to travel as I'm a Norfolk lad (56 next BD).
I’m sorry but if you are going to bother making videos then please learn to edit away from the speaker at certain important points! You showed us a wonderfully made control panel and not once cut to a close up whilst it’s use was being explained but stayed in the exact same boring shot of this chap explaining something none of your viewers could engaged in! Could we see what the heck he was trying to explain? No because not once did you even zoom into the panel to show us. Just saying because the work certain folk must have put into this layout needs to be shown in it entirety to us the waiting world!
One of the most compelling things about this layout is the use of RFID tags and sensors. I have not been able to learn much more than the fact that you are using them. Seeing the sensor in this episode was the first time that I had seen anything other than a brief glimpse of the tags at one time. I would love to learn a lot more about what you are using as I see it being a real advantage to many layouts with ideas of prototypical operations and logical car movements. The RFID makes keeping track of the location of any car much better. Thank you for presenting this layout as it is inspirational in so many ways.
There are three videos on this. The name of the company that makes the sensors is called Eccel. Have a search for them on the internet. We are planning to take an RFID primer layout to the Southampton show in January 2022. Can you make that?
@@dattouk I came across what I assume is your main video to explain the RFID system, your number 33 Managing Freight with RFID, and found it informative. I was particularly interested in the RFID tags that you are using and you pointed to them, and the pricing is pretty decent as well. I will have to miss the Southampton show as I am living in Canada. But I do wish you success showing what you are doing.
One of the things that I liked about your RFID readers is that they included WIFI and you are using a Raspberry Pi to collect the data. Do you ever have issues where the RFID reader reads cars that are on another track? Or is the thickness of the roadbed and other things enough to limit the range to essentially only one track?
Thank you for the inspiration with your layout as it certainly does make people think about their own potential with what they are doing.
Great update David. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Bob
Mesmerizing..... Just got blown away!
@9:05 missed opportunity to say "... to avoid confusion and delay :P"
Great channel and videos, thanks so much for explaining this with such enthousiasm :)
That’s station roof by Alan Gibson is a real work of art. You can tell it’s based off bath green park, but it fits so well for a station roof. It’s very beautiful. The station throat gives it a lot of awesomeness. So much that can be done in the area in relation to operating. Really like this. Clint
Amazing & so exciting 👍👍
Thank you for sharing your wonderful layout with us.
I really enjoyed this update, and have to say, Charlie you are bringing your magic over with you from Chadwick, in its production. I look forward to the next soon I hope. cheers Paul at Sandling Junction.
You're too kind Paul. It really is a dream of a railway.
What can I say? Unbelievable, fantastic, brilliant, the list could go on and on. One of the most interesting layouts I’ve ever seen. Just wish there were more videos the wait between them is excruciatingly painful for me. Would love to see some footage taken from the trains as they travel around this massive layout. Tony.
Cool...on my tiny layout the trains leave the station whizz around a couple of times and then I stop it
Evening David. This is close to my heart as I live in Manchester and had the pleasure of being around when Manchester Central was open as my favourite station as I lived In Urmston on the CLC line. Also exchange was still in operation if only partly 🙈 Great update and appropriate the effort your putting into this fantastic project 👍🏻 And not forgetting Charlie Bishop 😃 Until the next update thanks Stevie 😎
Great video on the Manchester station. Your making some great progress. Love the technology you are using awesome. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks for sharing. Ken
Great video can't wait to see what the team is working on next
Very very impressive layout. A credit to you
G'day from Australia, to the team at McKinley, I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say, we would love to just see a big running session of all the layout and the protentual of what can be done, cheers.... K.J
I can't wait either. Its been such a long road.... :-)
Looks like some interesting changes coming . Great update.
Another great video: v interesting content and great production from Charlie. I continue to be amazed by the amount of thinking and planning that goes into McKinley.
That station throat looks superb. Is it really all proprietary code 100 track? Just shows what can be achieved with careful tracklaying, ballasting and scenery work. Used to love the old Shinohara points: didn't think they were still made.
Went you went off camera to fetch the new goods arrangements, I wondered for a moment if you were going to come back with an interpretation of the Great Northern Warehouse! I also wondered if you could improve goods workings by sacrificing the engine shed area and moving it "off layout," but then you mentioned all the goods workings needed to supply the sheds, and you'd lose that interesting operation. So, as you were then.
I wonder if you have thought about whether the control panels could be more virtual, i.e. on ipads, then you wouldn't have to move the rather cumbersome panels up onto the railway itself. If the Manchester throat is so difficult to operate, would there be any mileage in a route setting solution, i.e. click start, click end and software sets all the points between? But then, maybe the difficulty of operation is part of the fun!
Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the next instalment.
just so interesting and a great update.........
Hi david , If you are going to change the mimic panel ,and i believe you use traincontroller couldn't you use a touch screen to operate the points signals etc ,as ive said before an amazing layout ..................tony
Good question Western Rover. I have thought long and hard about a touchscreen world. We tried one on the staging area. They are much easier to implement by far and very easy to change, but there is something about having a tactile interface with your hands that beats the glass logic. Firstly you get physical feedback and secondly you are not waiting for the system to respond correctly. Sweaty hands still work with a button and some of our chums have shaky and others large fingers. So although its hard work to design and build, physical panels come up trumps for McKinley.
My narro gauge HOe layout room is 8 feet x 7 feet , the layout is in two parts of 8 x 2 feet connected with a bridge . Great video and layout !
Great tour of the station 🙂
Looking forward to your progress 😊
Excellent update. David - could you update on how the RFID readers worked out and perhaps link to them please?
Hello Alan, coming soon. We have made some excellent breakthroughs.
Simply outstanding!
Love it!!
1:22 seamless edit.
After watching many of your videos particularly the attention to detail there appears to be one thing missing . Graffiti. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Great stuff
Graffiti wasn't an issue in those days. Dirt and dust was the key factor.
thank you for the update
does the team use any project planning software, if not why not ?
Because its a hobby and the team are chums and contribute as volunteers.
It's such a shame that control panel is so cumbersome over the layout....
Surely it could come down from the wall at the back as an overhead panel? Perhaps mount it on a display panel swing arm?
McKinley Railway,. David, The plan's for Manchester's future look and sound stunning. If I may and take you back to London for a moment and the new good's yard extension's. Extra van' s are needed to handle the morning newspaper traffic Will you handle any produce van's here for Covent Garden? 9 Elm's handled mail, parcel's, newspaper's fresh produce and banana trains all under 1 roof. upto Covent Garden moved. Cheer.s Chris Perry.
Chris we need to connect properly.
@@dattouk David, Sorry I 've been away for a couple of day's. I live in New Zealand which I hope won't be a problem. So if you can give me your E/mail address we'll see what both of us can do, It'll be fun. Cheers, Chris Perry.
So, just so I understand this set up completely. This is in a house, looks like the entire first floor, so you are not taking this on expeditions and shows, right? And to top it off it looks like you'll never complete it because you are always adding to it and modernising it. I don't mind as building it is two thirds of the fun.
Not quite... Its the second floor and we will finish it and be operating trains.. That is where the fun will start.
@@dattouk Ahh I see, so you live in like a townhouse and are abusing the top floor and any remaining loft space.
I would love to see it first hand but, although unsure, I think you live to far for me to travel as I'm a Norfolk lad (56 next BD).
I’m sorry but if you are going to bother making videos then please learn to edit away from the speaker at certain important points! You showed us a wonderfully made control panel and not once cut to a close up whilst it’s use was being explained but stayed in the exact same boring shot of this chap explaining something none of your viewers could engaged in! Could we see what the heck he was trying to explain? No because not once did you even zoom into the panel to show us. Just saying because the work certain folk must have put into this layout needs to be shown in it entirety to us the waiting world!
Good point. We'll get some more detail in the next video on control panels for you.
@@dattouk Thank you 👍