Running Open Rails with AAR105 Control Stand

[trainfanbob]

To see running Open Rails with my AAR105 Control Stand, go to https://youtu.be/eZ8G3dAUoY4. A custom circuit board and software was developed by Rail Simulations, Inc. to work flawlessly with Open Rails to provide a degree of locomotive operation realism that does not exist with keyboard operation. The video demonstrates running an Amtrak passenger train and performing industrial switching and train makeup operations. The control stand and surrounding locomotive cab replica (70 percent to scale) is being relocated to the Galveston Railroad Museum in January 2021. For more information on my cab and control stand, you can contact me directly at bobleilich@att.net.

[dedwa15237]

Pretty interesting! How or where is the circuit board is located and size? Does it require one simple plugin or every piece needs to be rewired or?

Getting the AAR control stand is tough to find. Some are in Ebay and others...

Nice job

[trainfanbob]

Pretty interesting! How or where is the circuit board is located and size? Does it require one simple plugin or every piece needs to be rewired or?

Getting the AAR control stand is tough to find. Some are in Ebay and others...

Nice job

The circuit board is about eight inches square and mounted inside the control stand, accessed through panels on the backside of the control stand. All movable controls are connected to potentiometers, whose voltage outputs are converted by the custom circuit board to equivalent Open Rails keystrokes. The horn, bell and other controls are connected to switches, which the custom circuit board also converts to equivalent keystrokes that are passed to the Open Rails software. As a former locomotive fireman (1959!) and qualified locomotive engineer, the realism of Open Rails is truly amazing.

Rail Simulations, Inc. repurposes control stands from scrapped locomotives to make control stands that run Open Rails. My control stand was made by P.I. Engineering in Williamston, Michigan. P.I. Engineering is no longer in the business of making simulators, as they sold their assets to the Union Pacific (PS Technologies).