Train Simulator Controller: Metal Panels, Custom Headlight PCB, and More
After three years of building a physical UK Class 80x train simulator, the author upgrades from fragile hardboard panels to laser-cut, powder-coated steel, tests a custom headlight control PCB with selectable LEDs, and explores interfacing miniature AWS sunflower units that produce real horn and bell sounds. The post covers challenges like sourcing a six-position switch and adapting the I/O board for high-side switching.
Unexpectedly, the hardest part was finding the right selector switch: I knew the manufacturer and even the part number for what I need, but the only way to get it new is to spend hundreds of dollars buying multiples.
- lbriner
I love this stuff. Seems like a massive untapped market if you get in partnership with a manufacturer. There are enough train buffs around the world, although I guess the tricky bit is that the dashboards are all different.
I found it surprising that despite having amazing international supply chains, it can still be hard to source electro-mechanical parts. I wondered about knocking up an NX signalling panel as a nice to have to my layout but sourcing those latching push/pull buttons is equally difficult although maybe they were only really used on the real thing and the demand has disappeared along with the supply.
- Liftyee
Wow, really clean design. I'm surprised that you could get hold of original hardware. Not sure how much of it is commodity industrial equipment Vs bespoke buttons, etc.
- ddevnyc
I would love a controller like that for my editor, or my LLM. That would make coding so much more fun.