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Here's the steps to reproduce. 

What happens if you do any function key, does the display then reflect reality?

Just tried, doesn't make a difference. 

okay I have a serious question.  eventually will we be able to say program an engine to blow whistle/horn for a grade crossing have the crossing lights flashing and the arms come down if so equipped?

and then at a set time after train passes the flashing railroad crossing lights and arms will return to the default state until next train passes by again? 

or do you need a sensor track for each function?

Just curious is all.

Yes, you can do that now the LCS.  You will need LCS Sensor Tracks, Legacy 990, Legacy Engine with IR Sensor.  The LCS Sensor track has a grade crossing scenario preprogramed for direction of travel.  You can run your grade signals with Lionel IR sensors or isolated outside rail.

I have no LCS devices.

so this is available to function now good!

so if one places sensor track say 2 feet from crossing or?

can one time gates to lower and flashers to come down prior to engine reaching crossing area and also be blowing grade crossing whistle/horn prior and during engine crossing.

and then once last car leaves crossing area all will go back to default as far as crossing lights and arms is this a correct assumption?

That's mostly correct. THe one thing I want to clarify is the custom recordings created on SensorTrack trigger when a compatible Legacy Loco crosses. Then, the exact same commands you send, and their exact timing, are re-created on playback. 

So in your example, the crossing gate comes back up at the same time, every time, based on the timing of your original recording. It is NOT "watching" to see when the last car in the train passes over the crossing before raising the gate.

And I will add that all the accessories involved need to be command-controlled to begin with. If you can run an accessory from your Lionel CAB remote, you can also control it from SensorTrack. 

If I were looking to accomplish this scenario I would follow Miken's example and take into consideration what Railsounds has said about speed.

I would put my LCS sensor track first, then a range of insulated rails.

I would create a custom recording that would do the following:

1. first set my momentum to low

2. set the speed of my IR equipped loco

3. set off all the horn/whistle blowing I wanted.

Setting the speed and momentum first will ensure your horn and whistle blows happen at the correct spot every time.

I would use the insulated rails to handle the lights and gates dropping.  Sure this method is old school, but it makes the most sense.  You can have your insulated rails start well before the crossing to make the lights go on and gate drop early.  The rails can also extend beyond the crossing so the lights turn off and the gates lift after the last car has cleared.

If your trains pass in both directions use 2 sensor tracks each with own recording.  1 will handle trains going left to right, and the other trains going right to left. You could also use the 2nd sensor track (the one after the insulated rails) to set your momentum to your normal default and maybe increase speed that you are now clear of a residential area.

Also - Railsounds, have you guys had any luck with the bug I posted about earlier?

Yes, thanks. It's on our to-do list!

EDIT: And I agree, the insulated rail approach to the crossing gate scene makes sense even if it is old-school--it correctly senses the actual end-of-train, which will work correctly for trains of differing lengths.

Great!  I look forward to the bug fixes and enhancements.  Have been enjoying LCS components a lot.

thanks to Miken-Railsounds and jrmertz for the information.

I understand it now basically a recording like using cab-2 but actuated by sensor track instead for whatever you choose to program yourself. or use a pre programmed recording.

myself I see a lot of use in combining both sensor track and isolated rails in some circumstances to achieve the desired effect.

they need to do more like be able to use a device where you can actuate it all from one device and use any ones accessories non command control now that would be better. 

please not meaning to knock the achievement here just think it could be more than it is. maybe as it develops it will get there.

hope you all enjoy it. 

anyones accessories can be used if they can be hooked up to an ASC2. 

so a ser2 would be first device connected to legacy base and then wifi device connected to the ser2?

now in the event the battery runs out using the LCS/icab app can one just grab the cab2 and assume control?

The Cab 2 is always running in parallel. The iCab app and Cab2 work in conjunction with each other as well as displaying feedback to eachother As far as speed information. 

This is new to me.  Did I miss something because this seems to mean you cannot control your older TMCC devises connected to the SER2 with the LCS app.  Is this correct?

Also, can 2 or more SER2s be used if you have lots of TPCs, AVCs, etc?  I assume the SER2s would all be connected together between the base and WiFi unit.

Can't share layout from one iPad Air 2 to another iPad 1, iPad 2, or iPad Air 2.

When I click get "another user's", the panel does capture the control panel from the donor iPad Air 2 and shows it's title and 270 objects. But when I tap "save", the app just closes on the recipient iPad and no control panel is saved.

What am I doing wrong? I have worried about RAM in the a recipient iPad 1 and finally tried it with a recipient iPad Air 2, but still no joy.

I tried it with just 3 objects and it does work. So what is the limit on the number of objects and why?

What I still don't like about the sensor tracks is that it is inside of a track. Which means that once located on the layout it's fixed.

I would rather see sensors that can be located at the side of the track like small signals that can be moved about as needed. Which means that the IRs should have been placed such that a side reading was possible.  Maybe a side-reading sensor can be done in a freight car.

Can someone POST the Link to the Manual on the SENSOR TRACK itself!

Thank you in Advance!!

Fred

Thanks Marty, saved me a lot of trouble looking for it on the Lionel Website.

Sincerely,

Fred

I have an oddity with the LCS application, and checking it appears to be the latest version available in the App Store.  I have v3.2x19 according to the iPad.

When I'm running in yard mode, and the engine is idle, when I hit the shutdown key, the sounds shutdown, and the engine starts moving silently in forward.

When running in road mode, the throttle response is very flaky.  I'm running an ERR equipped Lionel HHP-8 (stock, the 6-38402), and strange things happen.  I can run along slowly changing the throttle and usually all is well.  However, at times when I return the throttle to zero, the locomotive is still creeping.  If I happen to move the throttle slider faster, the train frequently takes off at speed, and then when I reduce the throttle to zero, it keeps rolling along at a good clip!  Even worse, the emergency stop button does nothing!  I can honk the horn, etc. while it's out of control, but the throttle is totally unresponsive.  I can stop it by changing direction, that returns the throttle to temporary sanity, only to repeat soon again.

Since the Bluetrain application has suddenly also developed this problem, what can be common?  Is it, by chance, the 1.54 Legacy upgrade?

Good point on the emergency stop, I probably didn't hold it long enough.  However, that doesn't fix all the other issues I see.

I find if I continue to play with the throttle slider, I can get different speeds at 0 on the iPad, and sometimes it even stops, usually it keeps running at some speed.  I have the slider update to the fastest rate.  If I move the slider really slow, it sometimes operates properly.

I tried several locomotives, and all of these things seem to happen with ERR equipped locomotives with 100 step mode.  The ones running in TMCC mode don't have the issue.  I'm guessing that it's missing relative steps and gets lost as to where it is.  That seems to be a significant shortcoming.  I can understand that the slider may not indicate the correct speed, the CAB2 does that as well with quick movements.  However, when you are at zero on the CAB2, the locomotive always stops.

Yes, I just didn't hold the Emergency Stop long enough, I can't remember the last time I used that, it just doesn't come up.

One other oddity that confuse me a bit, but I may have figured it out.  The yard mode seems to vary which direction the locomotive will go based on the previous setting of forward/reverse.  I thought about that, and I guess the Legacy system doesn't really know which direction it's currently setting on, is that the reason for that behavior?

FWIW, the Cruise Commander Lite doesn't do the same thing as the HHP-8 does with the crazy controls.  I wonder if there's something about the cruise module in the HHP-8 that confuses the LCS.  The CAB2 is rock solid with the HHP-8, no problem at all controlling it.  The Cruise Commander M doesn't do the same thing in 100 step mode either.

There's a new version of the Lionel LCS App for iPad available for download from the Apple App store. It fixes the issue with Yard mode.

Thanks,

Rudy

Thanks Rudy...again. LCS keeps getting better.

Just programmed in a yard. The tracks are all set to the direction that I want in default. Is there any way to change the icons so all of these switches are in the green direction?

Go into edit mode and highlight the switch you want to change. Hit the gear icon to the left of DEL and a pop up will open where you can switch the colors of the switch direction.

Awesome, thanks.

So the LCS for switch control I need a diff lionel part? I have 30 Fastrack switches with sc-2's to control with my Legacy system also 15 accessories controlled the same way.  Can I control these with the LCS wifiand apple ipad and ipad app?

You can still use your SC-2 for switch and accessory control. But, if you want to see the position of a switch on your iPad or iPhone after an engine goes thru the switch and activates the anti-derailing feature, then you will need the new, not out yet, module STM2 that will transmit the position of the switches at any given time. This module will have to have the yellow wire from each switch connected to it...the signal that lights the green/red LEDs on the controller.

Can I use a different tablet other than Apple?  Such as a Samsung Galaxy Tab S ?

Nope, Apple IOS only as of now.

Thank you for your help John

Not sure what help it was, but you're welcome.

I'd like to see it on the Android platform, perhaps someday...

I found a "LCS APP Help Manual" on the Legacy Station website.  Very complete and detailed.

My problems are:  I do not have command Fastrack switches.  I do not have command accessories.  switches and accessories are controlled with SC-2's .

I would have to replace all switches and purchase ASC2's to control them. and probably buy other things to make my layout work with LCS.