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My ProtoThrottle Demo -

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  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 12:51 PM

gregc

 

 
wrench567
change the admittance of steam going to the cylinders

 

how do you think that impacts performance?

 

With or without a power reverse, the Johnson bar changes the valve cutoff allowing the cylinders to work their hardest, or work "lightly" or coast in "neutral".

Past neutral is reverse....

Someone else can consider the idea of how that is simulated with an electric motor and a DCC throttle.

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 12:48 PM

richhotrain

Pretty cool, I guess, if you are really into playing engineer with the time and patience to continually operate the throttle. This guy spends a whole lot of time with his fingers pressing buttons and moving levers. Personally, I have no interest or patience for such minutiae. I fell asleep at the 6:30 mark. There is something for everyone in this hobby, but this one is not for me.

Rich

 

Same here, no interest in that level of playing engineer.

My Aristo throttles use buttons, FASTER - SLOWER - EAST - WEST - EMERGENCY STOP, which I do feel is more realistic than a knob, especially an endless wheel encoder knob.

But even when doing switching operations, I have zero interest in this kind of stuff.

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: lavale, md
  • 4,678 posts
Posted by gregc on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 12:18 PM

wrench567
change the admittance of steam going to the cylinders

how do you think that impacts performance?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 12:14 PM

Interesting video. Thank you for sharing.

I have loved that throttle since I first saw it.

If I had to start over again from scratch, I would build an around-the-walls G scale switching layout. My only locomotive would be a GP-7, and I would use that throttle. The sound system would be so massive that my neighbors would swear I had a stationary EMD-567 inside the house.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • 1,057 posts
Posted by wrench567 on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 9:42 AM

maxman

 

 
gregc

 

 
wrench567
They have a Johnson bar version?

 

what do you think the effect of the Johnson bar will be on performance?

 

 

 

If threatened with the Johnson bar performance always improves.

 

  Greg.

 Before the advent of power reverse. The J bar was used to reverse the motion of the valve gear to change direction and to change the admittance of steam going to the cylinders.

  Maxman.

  The beatings will continue until moral improves.Cool

   Pete

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • From: Westford MA
  • 542 posts
Posted by Tophias on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 8:45 AM

I remember when these were first introduced reading about the need to greatly increase momentum settings to all engines to best mimic real movements.  While I agree these throttles are extremely prototypical, the momentum settings require You to need to make a major decision, that is, to use this one throttle exclusively or to run your layout with your existing throttles with exaggerated momentum settings. At $600 it's a decision I'll choose to keep my existing Digitrax throttles.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 7:12 AM

Pretty cool, I guess, if you are really into playing engineer with the time and patience to continually operate the throttle. This guy spends a whole lot of time with his fingers pressing buttons and moving levers. Personally, I have no interest or patience for such minutiae. I fell asleep at the 6:30 mark. There is something for everyone in this hobby, but this one is not for me.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 8,877 posts
Posted by maxman on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 6:06 AM

gregc

 

 
wrench567
They have a Johnson bar version?

 

what do you think the effect of the Johnson bar will be on performance?

 

If threatened with the Johnson bar performance always improves.

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: lavale, md
  • 4,678 posts
Posted by gregc on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 5:28 AM

wrench567
They have a Johnson bar version?

what do you think the effect of the Johnson bar will be on performance?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    May 2020
  • 1,057 posts
Posted by wrench567 on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 12:23 AM

  Looks cool. But I'm a steam guy. They have a Johnson bar version? ;)

  • Member since
    April 2017
  • From: Rock Hill SC
  • 54 posts
My ProtoThrottle Demo -
Posted by RockCity on Monday, August 29, 2022 4:30 PM

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