I want to add ctc to my layoutbut so many people are doing it that I dont know who to go with.
R and R digital wants tester so their thing is free right now.
Thanks
Steamfreightboy
Your post is somewhat confusing. Are you talking about Centralized Traffic Control(CTC)? A Google search for 'R and R digital ' came up with photo editing.
Anyway, if you want to do CTC on your layout, you will need some basic hardware/software. The 'software' is available for free - JMRI. You have to write the 'scripts', but it is workable. Here is the link:
http://jmri.sourceforge.net/
As for the 'hardware', there is mulitple sources available. The key item is the 'detection' units that sense when a train in in a 'block', and the 'driver' circuitry to tell your signals to light up. The JMRI 'Panel Pro' application can make the CTC diagram on your PC, or 'read' the electrical switches on a CTC panel(additional hardware) . Panel Pro can then decide what turnout to throw or signal to light up, based on your programming scripts.
Signaling can get very expensive quite fast - hang on to your wallet!
Jim Bernier
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
CTC - Centralized Traffic Control - is a system originated, I believe, by Union Switch and Signal as a control system for prototype railroads. There are a lot of ways to implement it on a model railroad - most of which include some hairy wiring.
Note that CTC does NOT control locomotives. That is done by individual engineers operating their own locomotives. It does control critical turnouts and trackside signals.
If, as I suspect, you actually mean DCC - Digital Command Control - you will find numerous discussions on this forum about which system is 'best.' Since I'm one of the primitive throwbacks who still uses analog DC, that's a can of worms I'll leave unopened.
Chuck [modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, M(aka CTC)ZL system]
r and r is at rnrdigital.com.
Thanks for the 'link'. I read the 'working document' and what they are doing is 'automation', really not like prototype Centralized Traffic Control. They even state that their product is Computerized Traffic Control. Some of the automation is similar to real CTC, and it may provide specific features that you would like to implement rather than a 'full blown' CTC enviroment. Why not give it a try(the software price is 'right') and you will learn something from the exercise.
Jim