Morning all. Been looking at buying the raildriver controller. I've found this one https://www.keyboardspecialists.co.uk/products/raildriver-desktop-train-cab-controller Is it legit. Has anyone dealt with this company please?
Can't tell you about the company but I will say this, make sure you pay with either PayPal or a credit card (not debit) because if it doesn't get delivered or isn't as described then you can raise a dispute with PayPal or your card provider and get your money back.
Quite legitimate. I bought a Raildriver from them in April. It arrived with no problems, other than being temporally out of stock when I ordered.
I ordered one from keyboard specialist. It appears to be UK registered, hopefully UK stock and no import duty etc....
Fast service, just got home and my rail driver is in my safe place. Obviously I didn't research it properly and just realized it's no good for old British stock
No like anything British that hasn't got a combined handle. I couldn't get it to work with train simulator anyway. Got it working with tsw but I cant get on with it. Theres no notches on the levers so it ends up doing things like continuously jumping between notch 1 and 2 etc. I got it so I could easily drive with no hud but it seems I still have to keep looking at the handles in the cab or have the hud.
Step 1) Uninstall any software that came with the RailDriver Step 2) Go here > Ts Classic Raildriver And Joystick Interface (and here for TSW) > Ts World Raildriver And Joystick Interface
Emulating hardware notches in accelerator handle of an escutcheon plate under a brake lever with virtual notches will be a bit more difficult to implement. First of all, one needs a electronically stable variable resistor/potentiometer or better a Hall sensor and a lever mechanism without slop or slack. Would you like to have tactile notches, then a very tight calibration is needed to have the output match the notch position. Possible with professional hardware, but most of this is out of the price range for a mass market game controller I suppose. Flight sim hardware sells in larger numbers compared to train driving hardware, so there are reasonably priced flight sticks, yoke's and pedal available, usually in the > 500 < 1000 price range.
Yeah the kids flight simulator setup cost a small fortune. I was looking for something for British trains with a separate throttle and brake and maybe AWS button. Couldn't find anything though. The raildriver seems ok for ac44's etc I guess.
Take a look at these, not cheap either. Apart from professional flight school kit from Brunner or Virtual Fly and others, which will set you back a five figure sum for a complete dash, even without instruments and screens, the more affordable home cockpit controllers are Made in China, with I suppose a comfortable margin of profit for the likes of Thrustmaster etc. Products - TS Controllers
Yeah there's some nice controllers on that site. Shame some are discontinued. My son hasn't gone quite far as wanting the full dashboard yet. Although he has been looking at cockpits!
One of the Controllers sets has two separate handles for power and brake - like on a HST. The RailDriver also has two sets of handles on the same desk
I was looking at the hst controller. That's what I was looking for but it's no longer available. The raildriver is ok for some trains but like I said for trains with notched handles it's no good. I've tried 3 different softwares, it calibrates ok but it's tricky to find the right spot in the throttle. I see the 2 separate hst style handles but was looking for something like the raildriver that sits on the desk. If I buy a load of separate controllers I'm going to need to start chopping holes in my desk.
I don't know of any old UK locos that have notched controllers apart from the Class 76/77 and the AC Electrics And as the US locos the RailDriver is designed for Notched Handles - like a UK 66 - not sure why it does not work. All of the Diesel locos have a controller that has no notched position between On and Full Power. You could ask other people who drive the same traction how they do so.
It's working. It's just the problem where tsw and tsc have notches on the handle and it's finding the position on the raildriver that's not between notches. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
The Flexi Lever Controller is in stock at TS Controls that can be ordered which is the similar to the HST discontinued one. It comes with different notches that is easy to replace for different locos. I have one and only us it for driving HST and it is absolutely superb, along with the AWS and DSD plunger. Really adds to the immerson. (just didnt tell the wife the cost!)
Yeah I was looking at them, might have to ditch the wife before I start spending thousands on ts controllers. I quite like the flexi brake, would need a throttle that's the same kind of design though. I'm gonna need a bigger desk.
