Week 491

Sun, Dec 24, 2023 thru Sat, Dec 30, 2023

Sun, Dec 24, 2023

I tried to update the locomotive ID from 03 to 138.
FAILURE!
UGH!

Mon, Dec 25, 2023

I got up early and tried to change the number on JMRI
Still no go!

Later that day...
I decided to go ahead and switch out the fiber optics
with real LED lights.

Using CA I attach the LED head and glue down
the wires to keep the head in place.

I also used tape to hold the wires in place while
the glue set.

Well, let's see how I did.
What? No lights?

Yep, that's because the wires on the light posts
were on the wrong posts. After I switched them 
around the lights worked! WHEW! That was a relief!

Here are the lights going in the other direction.

The lights ON viewing from the outside.

And the other directions.
MUCH MUCH BETTER!

Now this is acceptable!

Very nice!

Tue, Dec 26, 2023

Today I'm going to disconnect the wires to the Programming Track (a virtual reset)

and try changing the ID number again...

Wed, Dec 27, 2023

Family over tonight.

Becca said she wanted to go to the basement to see the trains.

So did Christian.

Becca came and went before I could take a picture.

But Christian stayed long enough to get his picture taken!
Thanks, Christian, for coming down to take a look!

Thu, Dec 28, 2023

Video taping for 2023 Dec Layout Update.

Working on production today...

Fri, Dec 29, 2023

I spent over an hour trying to upgrade JAVA and JMRI.

UGH!

It was so exhausting.

Not easy at all.

Way too time consuming.

I will spare you the details...

Sat, Dec 30, 2023

Let's try again.

My goal today is to reinstall JAVA and JMRI.

I sure do hope I don't lose what I've already gained.

While I try to reinstall JAVA & JMRI 

I will also try to wire up new decoder for METRA F40PH #130

I'm going to try one more time to upload JAVA.

Meanwhile...back at the workbench...
This is the next project I will tackle.
Installing the N scale sound decoder in the
Metra F40PH #130 locomotive

Meanwhile...back at Central Control Tower...
JAVA is in, now I need to reload JMRI.
Here we go...

Next step at the workbench:
Remove the lighting and old
circuit board.

Making progress...calling up JMRI.

YES! My data is still in tact!

Then remove all the wires from
the old circuit board.

Remove and throw away
old circuit board. I won't be needing
that again...ever.

Now, what wires go where?

First I need to clip off the interface board.

Next I need to connect each wire
according to the diagram.

I've connected all the wires
to their proper locations.

This is the test run using ID 03.

The lights work.

The sound works - although very quiet.

And the direction works.

I am now ready to wire according to plan and tuck everything in

and then see if we have success on the mainline.

I tried to go back to JMRI and reprogram the short number (03) with the long number (138).

No success!

Bummer!

Back to the drawing board.