Flat Deck Car and Control Caboose w/ JKnuckle
From the workshops of JodianGaming comes yet another component for our ever-growing train series. This creation includes two interconnected train cars. These cars actually function as two separate units, however they are hard-linked together via a flexible connection. There are also a set of small drive motors built into this set of train cars, which technically make them a "train engine", however without being connected to an actual train engine the battery power is very limited so I'd suggest using it sparingly.
The first car is a flat-deck transportation rig that can be used to move small vehicles or equipment. It has multiple rope tie-downs and a full railing cage to secure whatever you load onto it. The deck slides off the left side of the train car and can then be lowered to the ground for easy loading. The deck also has gates on the front and rear which allows loading while maintaining a cage around the cargo while transporting.
The second car is a caboose. While a caboose, by it's very nature, is designed to be the rear of a train consist, this one actually does have a rear knuckle should you need to push it somewhere. The internal accommodations of the caboose serve many roles. There are two beds for quick naps while travelling. There is a table with a pair of chairs, should you want to sit and watch nature go by the window while reading the paper. There is also a medical bed should the worst happen while you're out on the rails. Last but not least, the caboose has a small control station that is fully compatible with the JKnuckle system. This means you can set the caboose as the "Master" unit and control the whole train from the caboose, allowing easy reversing... As a reminder, only one unit on a train consist can be set to "Master" so if you intend to control the train from the caboose you need to put all of the other engines into "Slave" mode. You also need to have the caboose in "Master" mode to solo-drive the caboose.
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JKNUCKLE CONTROL SYSTEM
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To give more of a simulation feel to my train system, I developed a unique "knuckle" and microcontroller combination that allows all of my JKnuckle train cars and engines to literally "speak" to each other. This system works on a Master/Slave control scheme, where the "Master" vehicle sends out the commands and the "Slave" vehicles obey the commands. It's important to note that you can only have ONE train car/engine set as the "Master" in the train consist, or weird stuff will happen (just like in real life). To prevent such errors all JKnuckle enabled train engines/cars are set to "Slave" mode by default, and only engines will have the option to be switched to "Master" at the conductor seat. So what does this actually mean for you?
Well, if you have a train with 3 engines, you can use the "Master" engine to control the brakes, throttle, and reverse toggle of the other 2 engines. The "Master" engine will also control the brakes of any JKnuckle train cars you have attached to it. The train knuckles always search for a valid signal along the train consist, so it doesn't matter where you install the "Master" train engine, it should be able to control the entire train consist so long as all cars use the JKnuckle system. Happy training!
