Cab Desk Myself & my brother both enjoy simulations, & making things realistic. We also both enjoy working on projects. We've decided that we're going to work on a project together to build a home cab desk for TSW. It won't be based on anyone cab in particular, but taking inspiration from modern locomotive & multiple unit cabs from across Ireland & the UK. The buttons & horn joystick lever will be powered by a USB encoder, commonly used for PC arcade machines & button boxes for other simulators. These will be binded to key press, just as pressing keys on a keyboard. The combined brake / power handle & brake handle will be powered by Arduino (or *alternative), using a 3D printed notched system. The position switches will either also be using a USB encoder or Arduino*. Whilst I'm good at the planning side & layout, I'm not great at the programming! - My brother in the other hand is. They hope to be able to pull the speedometer & AWS information & display it on a secondary screen. The GSM-R will be a 3D printed dummy unit, but with functional red / yellow button to contact the signaller. The other parts of the GSM-R will be backlit with LEDs & maybe a generic screen in future. At the moment, we're working on phases. Phase 1 - Desk topper & basic controls Phase 2 - Displays & information Phase 3 - Side walls & additional control buttons / switches. By having it in phases will allow us to spread the project across more time & help us budget. The desk topper will be made from a plastic table, as to keep the desk in a good, sturdy condition, whilst also allowing ease of installation. I'll try to remember to update this thread overtime.
