Locos, cars and trains

Before a train can run in the track plan, LoDi-Aura needs its vehicles: the locomotives with address and dimensions, the cars and, built from them, the trains. Train classes group trains together. This page explains every field – including RailCom, CV programming, address programming and maintenance.

The four sub-tabs

The “Vehicles” tab has four sub-tabs. Their order is also the sensible order to work in:

• “Locomotives” – each loco with address, protocol, dimensions and driving behaviour.
• “Cars” – cars, with a function decoder if you like.
• “Trains” – made up of locos and cars. You place trains in the track plan and drive them there.
• “Train classes” – classes of train with a colour and a route horizon.

Every sub-tab has the same layout: the list on the left, the form of the selected entry on the right. The form is divided into sections that you can expand and collapse one by one. LoDi-Aura saves changes immediately.

The loco list

Above the list are the buttons that apply to the whole list, and below them the search box and filters. Clicking a loco opens its loco profile on the right.

Filtering and sorting

LoDi-Aura remembers the filters separately on each computer, but not the search box. So that no loco disappears without you noticing, every active filter has a coloured outline and says what it filters (for example “Command station: …”). As long as something is filtered, the “✕ Reset filter” button appears next to the count.

The car and train lists have the same filters, adapted to their content.

Deleting several locos at once

1. Turn on selectionClick “Select” above the loco list. The button then reads “Done”.
2. Tick the locosA click now ticks a loco instead of opening it. Shift+click selects a whole range. “All shown” selects everything the filter is currently showing, “None” clears the selection.
3. DeleteClick “Delete (n)”. The confirmation tells you which of the locos are part of a train and which carry a measured speed curve.

Combined with the command station filter, this lets you clear out, for example, all the locos of one command station in one go.

Adding a loco

Click “+ Add locomotive”. A new loco starts with DCC, address 3 and 128 speed steps. The loco profile has the sections “Master data”, “Dimensions”, “Digital / Address”, “Functions”, “Driving behavior”, “Maintenance” and “Loco photo”.

Master data

Dimensions

If you have chosen to display millimetres under “System” › “Track plan”, all lengths are shown in mm. Calculations and saving always use centimetres.

Digital / Address

How to set up a command station and enable it for driving is explained in Devices and command stations.

RailCom

In the “🔁 RailCom (decoder)” field you tell LoDi-Aura what the decoder reports via RailCom. This decides whether LoDi-Aura recognises the loco on the layout and which way it is facing.

LoDi-Aura never recognises Motorola locos or analogue locos via RailCom.

RailCom transmitters in mfx locos

An mfx loco does not report its address via RailCom. If a separate RailCom transmitter is fitted in the loco, enter its DCC address under “RailCom address (transmitter)” – this is the number the feedback sensor reads. The field only appears with the “mfx / m3” protocol and as long as RailCom is not set to “no RailCom active”. Empty means: this loco cannot be recognised via RailCom. The “🔁 RailCom (decoder)” setting then applies to the transmitter, so “inverted” means a transmitter fitted the wrong way round.

So that the transmitter answers, LoDi-Aura switches on function F16 at its address – as a DCC command, when the command station connects and when the train is placed on the track.

A RailCom number belongs to exactly one train

To the feedback sensor, a DCC loco with address 3 and a transmitter with address 3 are the same number. If locos in different trains carry the same number, LoDi-Aura assigns a reading to none of them – no placing via RailCom –, and the log warns when opening and saving (“RailCom number 3 is duplicated: …”).

• To fix it: change the address or transmitter address, or set one of the locos to “no RailCom active”.
• Two locos in the same train under one number are fine.
• Locos that are not in any train don't make a number a duplicate. The log only mentions them as a note.

Analogue loco

With the “Analog” protocol, a loco without a decoder runs via the LoDi-Rektor. An analogue loco belongs permanently to exactly one Rektor; if there is only one, LoDi-Aura chooses it itself, otherwise you choose it under “Driving interface”. Instead of an address, the loco gets an internal number from 20001 upwards, assigned by LoDi-Aura – there is no address on the track. The speed steps are fixed at 28.

An analogue loco has no functions, CVs, RailCom or mfx. The “Functions” section and the “⚙ CV programming” button disappear. If you switch an existing loco to “Analog”, LoDi-Aura asks first and tells you what will be lost: address, functions, CV values, RailCom setting, transmitter address and mfx data.

You may set up several analogue locos on one Rektor. However, they all control the same track signal. Only the loco with “Active driving channel of this Rektor” ticked is driven.

Functions

Under “Functions” you name and assign F0, F1 and so on. “+ Function” adds another one. F0 is usually the light.

Driving behaviour

The two decoder fields describe how sluggish the decoder itself is – not how the train should drive. Recommended: set CV 3 and CV 4 to 1 in the decoder; then both fields here stay at 0. How briskly a train starts and brakes is set on the train (“Train load”, see below).

Below the fields is the loco's speed curve with the buttons “🎯 Calibrate”, “🏁 Start measuring run”, “✎ Edit” and “🗑 Delete speed curve”. How to calibrate a loco is explained on the Calibration page.

Fine-tuning the stop with brake correction

If a loco regularly stops beside the mark, you don't need to recalculate any curve. Brake correction is the simplest way to an exact stop.

1. Measure the stopMeasure from the buffer to the spot where the train should have stopped.
2. Enter the valueUnder “Driving behavior”, enter the value in the “Stop measured:” row (1 to 100 cm) and choose “too far” or “too short”. With separate correction, also choose “forward” or “reverse”.
3. ApplyClick “apply”. LoDi-Aura moves the “Brake correction” slider by exactly that amount, the slider visibly jumps along, and the log notes it.
4. Check againRun the stop once more. If it is still not quite right, measure again – the values add up.

Maintenance

LoDi-Aura keeps count of how far and how long each loco runs – with the same calculation it uses to track the train in the track plan (speed curve × time). Runs in the simulation don't count. The distance is as accurate as the loco's speed curve: a calibrated loco counts more accurately than a freshly added one.

Under “Maintenance” you decide when the loco is due for the workshop: “After days”, “After distance (km)” or “After operating time (h)” – one, two or all three. The default is 40 operating hours; this applies to every new loco and to existing locos without an operating-time interval. You can change the value or clear the field – it then stays empty.

Loco photo and throttle

Under “Loco photo” you load a photo from a file (“🖼 File”) or from the loco database (“🌐 Database”); “✕” removes it. The photo appears in the train menu, among other places, and – if you turn it on for the train – in the track plan. “⛶ Open external throttle” opens this loco's throttle in a window of its own.

Copying a loco or car

If you have several identical vehicles, add the first one and then click “Copy” at the top of the loco profile – right next to “Delete”. For cars, the button is in the same place. The copy has the same name as the original with “(copy)” added and is selected straight away.

A copied loco therefore starts like a new one with DCC, address 3 and 128 speed steps, a copied car with address 0. Enter the correct address straight away.

CV programming

“⚙ CV programming” – at the top of the loco list or in the loco profile – opens a separate window for the selected loco. An mfx loco gets its own mfx window.

At the top, under “How to program?”, choose the method:

• “RailCom via S88 + Rektor” – the Rektor asks the question, the S88-Commander receives the answer via RailCom. No extra hardware needed.
• “CV-Programmer · main track (RailCom)” – via the LoDi-CV-Programmer on the bus, reading via RailCom.
• “CV-Programmer · programming track” – the classic way on the programming track, CV by CV.
• “Read out mfx / DCC-A” – only for mfx and DCC-A locos: reads name, functions and decoder UID directly from the decoder.

If an ESU ECoS, a Z21 or a Lenz command station (XpressNet) is in the project, their own programming track (“… · Programming track”) and main track (“… · main track (RailCom)”) are added. On the main track, the command station itself then asks and evaluates the RailCom answer; the loco can stay where it is. The Lenz command station switches off its main track when using the programming track. LoDi-Aura does not know about locos that are only driven from the handheld throttle – stop them there first. If there are several Rektors, the window asks “Via which Rektor?”.

Whatever is not possible right now is locked and says why. “Read standard CVs” reads the usual set: CV 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 28 and 29 – CV 5 and 6 are maximum and mid speed. The DCC scan reads the same set when you read in a new loco.

How to connect and set up the CV-Programmer on the bus is explained in Setting up the LoDi-CV-Programmer.

Reading on the main track via the CV-Programmer

With “CV-Programmer · main track (RailCom)”, the loco doesn't have to go onto the programming track or onto a RailCom feedback sensor. The Rektor asks the question, and the LoDi-CV-Programmer on the bus listens for the answer. For this, the loco stands on the section that the CV-Programmer feeds via channel A (main track).

Programming an address

You don't set a new DCC address CV by CV. The reading bar has “Program address”; the pencil ✎ next to CV 1, 17 and 18 also opens this dialog. You only enter the new address – LoDi-Aura works out which CVs are needed and shows you beforehand.

1. Choose the methodAt the top, under “How to program?”, choose the “CV-Programmer · main track (RailCom)” or “CV-Programmer · programming track” card. The dialog takes over this method and shows it as “Method: Main track (POM)” or “Method: Programming track”.
2. Enter the addressEnter the address after “new” (1 to 10239). Below it you see the plan: up to 127 a short address (CV 1), from 128 a long one (CV 17 and 18), plus bit 5 in CV 29.
3. ProgramClick “Program”. A list shows each step with ✓ or ✗.

The job keeps running even if you close the window (“Keep running in the background”). When it is finished, the loco is set to the new address in LoDi-Aura – you don't need to update anything.

• For DCC locos only; with mfx and Motorola the button is greyed out.
• Lenz decoders (CV 8 = 99) block the main track – for them, only the programming track remains.
• On an ECoS, LoDi-Aura reads CV 29 first and aborts if there is no answer, before anything has been changed.
• If you opened the dialog via ✎, “Write CV 1 only” (or 17 or 18) still writes just that one value.

Cars

Under “Cars” you add cars – with or without a function decoder (light, sound, coupling). Cars don't have a motor. The car list has the same buttons and filters as the loco list, but can also be sorted by class.

Making up a train

Under “Trains” you make up trains from locos and cars. For each train, the train list shows where it is standing (“📍 standing in …”) or that it has not been placed yet (“📍 not placed”). You can also filter by display and sort by name, length or location. How to place a train in the track plan and drive it is explained on the Driving page.

Master data

Train control

Consist

With “+ Loco …” and “+ Car …” you add vehicles to the train. Each row shows the vehicle's length; if it is missing, you see “?” – then enter the length in the master data.

• For each loco, choose how it is coupled in the train: ▶ forward or ◀ reverse. ◀ on the first loco means: nose towards the cars – in reverse it pulls, forward it pushes.
• Use ▲ and ▼ to change the order; “Remove” takes a vehicle out.
• Enter the rest of the train that you don't want to add car by car as “Train section (flat) — rest of the train as one piece”. Its row shows its length and the ⚡ box if it triggers occupancy detection (resistor axles in the rake).
• Below that, LoDi-Aura adds up the lengths: locos, “Cars (individually)”, “Train section (flat)” and “Total length”.

If a loco or car is already part of another train, LoDi-Aura asks whether it should be taken out there and added here.

Multiple heading

If a train has several locos, LoDi-Aura checks how well they match and shows the result in the “Multiple heading” box below the consist. If the locos have speed curves, LoDi-Aura matches them using those: each loco gets its own speed step for the same speed. Without a speed curve for the lead loco, each loco gets the same proportional speed step.

Below that are notes (ℹ) and warnings (⚠), for example:

• a loco without an address – it gets no driving commands and is only hauled along,
• two locos with the same address on the same command station – both hear the same driving command, so they cannot be matched to each other,
• a loco without a usable speed curve, or a speed curve that only goes up to a certain speed step,
• a top speed that one of the locos can't reach – the train then runs no faster than the slowest loco,
• decoders with very different inertia (CV 3 or CV 4) – the locos drift apart when starting or braking,
• different speed step formats – LoDi-Aura converts the step for each loco.

Speed curve (learned)

In its last section, the train form shows the speed curve the train has learned in operation. “Reset speed curve” deletes it. What the display means is explained in Calibration.

Train classes

A train class is a class of train with a colour and a route horizon. Trains refer to their train class; blocks and stations can allow, direct or bar train classes individually (see Blocks, feedback and insulated joints and Stations, shunting and staging yards).

• “Name” and “Color” – this is how the train class appears in lists and in the track plan.
• “Route horizon (blocks)” – how many blocks a train of this class books in advance (1 to 20). A long horizon runs more smoothly, but ties up more of the layout for other trains.
• “Stop at the platform” – how trains of this class stop at a platform drawn in the track plan (table below).

Everything from the first to the last car in the formation counts as cars, including the flat train section. The loco in front may stand beyond the platform. A train without cars – such as a multiple unit that you have added as a single loco – counts as a whole. A train never runs past the stopping point, and its end stays within the block. In operation, the stop line in the track plan is shown where the train really stops. Without a platform drawn in, the stopping point applies.