The beginning of a journey

"You know Shane, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step..."

- Professor Terence M. Sabine, 2004

Just recently I bought a Märklin train set from my local Aldi here in Casino, at the reduced price of $99.99, down from $179. It was old stock from Christmas, of course, and stubbornly wouldn't shift, despite the reductions placed on it. I picked it up two weeks ago, and while I had a general idea the set could be computer controlled, I didn't realise I'd be tumbling down Alice's rabbit hole, almost literally...

I can build a computer controlled command station for AU$26!

Shocking hey?

If I spend a bit more money, I can have up to thirty amps in a section!

How am I able to do all of this?

This is the beauty of open source.

I'm well versed in both open source hardware and software as part of the duties I undertook as an embedded systems developer after I took my trade as a linesman. I started off with Arduino, moved onto the Raspberry Pi, and yup, I am a true child of the GNU Generation.

If you look carefully at the ECoS made by ESU, you'll note it's quite similar to what I work with - an embedded Linux computer! But I personally find the cost of the ECoS quite shocking, at near AU$1,000, especially since I was skimping my pennies to get the Märklin set in the first place!

Besides, I can build stuff, both with soldering iron and keyboard, in equal measure. So I've committed to making my little train set run with a computer control system, based on an Arduino Leonardo, a motor shield, and a CAN bus shield. It works out to be $26 in parts.

All good you reckon. Well, I ain't going to stop there - I will then attempt to make a point machine capable of controlling 27 points, for next to nothing. I imagine that would be about $40 in parts, not including the servos that'll move (or actuate) the points themselves. The word actuate I'll be using a fair bit, get used to it.

My game is, I want more money to spend on locos, and stuff like points and trackage. For wagons, control, buildings, so on, I'll make it myself, and I'll show you how to as well.

The Open Source Express train is about to depart Platform 1, all aboard please!