XCam2 Rides the Train
May 29, 2001 -
It was the railroad that brought together the eastern and western United States. Spurred on by public demand and fears that the Northwest might be annexed by Canada, and the gold rush in California, in 1849 many railroad magnates worked endlessly laying thousands of miles of track through rain, sleet and snow. They laid track across the prairies of the Midwest, the vast deserts of the West, and over the crags and tors of the Rocky Mountains. All so they could bring the railroads of America from sea to shining sea. And now model railroading has become a favorite among hobbyists everywhere.
E. Ray Smyth has a 32 by 24-foot O Gauge Toy Train Layout. In this layout, he fastened an XCam2 to the front of a flat car. Now when he wants to show off, he puts the camera-mounted Flat Car on the track in front of the engine. "It's just like riding around the train," he told us. "The train itself is going through bridges, meeting other trains, and all that."
In addition to the one special camera, he has added eight additional stationery XCam2s at strategic locations throughout the layout. The cameras are connected to a total of four thirteen-inch television sets. "The eight stationery cameras and the one mobile camera make for some exciting model railroading," he told us.
It's only taken him three weeks to rig all this up, and it has drawn considerable interest from several of his Train Buddies. Thanks to E. Ray's setup, one of his Train Buddies has purchased his own cameras for his layout, and is planning to buy more. E. Ray is also going to be doing a demonstration at his Model Train Club meeting in Daytona Beach, Florida in June.
On top of the cameras he's purchased, E. Ray also bought an XCam2 WideEye to get an overall view of his Train Layout. So now he can see it from above, from any angle he wants, or right there from the train itself. And it's as easy as switching from camera A to camera B, or cameras 1-8, however he has named them.
"The cameras have really shocked us for quality and price," he said. "I have thought about doing an article for Classic Toy Trains Magazine." Well E. Ray, when you do write that article, be sure and send us a copy. We love to see what a little ingenuity can do.
Send comments or feedback on this article to xzone@x10.com
Featured Articles - Listing of Recent Postings
August 30 - Cameras Catch the Car Vandals
July 23 - Remote-control Units Help Country's Biggest Student Film Festival
July 2 - The X10 Mechanic
April 19 - FloodCams Catch the Vandals
Customer Stories -
Index
|