DIY Class 43 HST Style Controllers for Train Simulator Classic (Or Any Other Train Simulator Game)

With these at a stage I can call 'mostly finished - probably', I'm happy to share what I've got. As usual, this is a project that snowballed from me looking at pictures and saying 'I bet I can do that cheaper' and ended up with something far more complex than I ever intended.
I'm still not fully used to using these yet as I've been ironing out bugs, so while filming this I just kept forgetting to change the train setting. Now the bugs are gone, they're very reliable.
I won't be making these for sale as I can't support them software-wise, but you can use this video as a basis for your own controllers. They're made with 200x120x75mm project boxes. All 3D printed parts are made with my Bambu A1 Mini, which is such a superior printer to my old CTC machine it's ridiculous.

[@VoeViking]

Nice work, it's fun when we can make something to interface with some games.

[@gordonwebb5009]

Very nice - particularly like the potentiometer levers - I guess some 3D printing involved. I just finished a working prototype where the brake and throttle are just the 2-way switches, same as your horn. I use an ESP 32 and connect to the computer as a BLE-Bluetooth keyboard. Also it has a capacity for 48 switches as I use 6 shift registers (CD4021B) so mine is in a single (Big!) Box and single ESP32. I plug in a 1A 5v power supply - but no connection to the computer unless programming (next job is to convert to OTA WiFi programming which I have done on more recent projects so no connection to computer needed - and no more broken USB sockets!). An idea for the pedal is an electronic keyboard sustain pedal - should be less than 10GBP. All the best with the projects!

[@MattTester]

Thanks Gordon, yes there are several 3D printed parts inside and I couldn't have done it without the new Bambu A1 Mini printer I have. Using the ESP 32 as a Bluetooth keyboard sounds like a great method, if you wanted you could probably replicate this kind of lever setup with two microswitches and a ratcheting mechanism to press either switch as the lever moves between notches. You would need to adjust the button press timing as I have done and probably set up debouncing. The two-position levers are actually more appropriate for locos like the Class 66/67/68 with their auto brake levers, I'm finding it tricky to get the timing right for those. OTA programming would be very nice, I'm hoping I get to a point fairly soon where I don't need to mess with it any more because programming each of the four modules is pretty tedious. Although the Ardunio Pro Micro boards have Micro USB, the sockets on the back of each box are USB-B. I've always considered that to be the most robust USB socket so hopefully I won't break any! Sustain pedal is a great suggestion, I will look into that. Thanks. Best of luck with your projects too, it would be great to see your controller at some point.

[@huntzthehack]

WOW!!!! As someone who has just started playing train sim's these look fantastic!! Would you be willing to do a more in-depth video on the software & hardware. What type of levers, controllers, boards, 3d files etc? Thanks

[@MattTester]

Thanks, I'm happy with how they've come out. Maybe when I stop fiddling with the code I can do a more in depth video, it might get out of hand very quickly though! I'm currently writing a PowerShell script to generate the Arduino code for me, based on a spreadsheet of trains and values. The script is 2,300 lines long and constantly increasing...

[@macg9940]

A really cool project. Have fun with it! I've been working on my own control stand for years.

[@nopuedomas2006]

What a great project! I’m building also my own train simulator controller. It’s nice to see other people’s creations and this inspires myself to keep trying and improving. If it’s ok with you I’d like to ask you a few questions about your controller. Greetings from Spain. Thanks!

[@MattTester]

Glad you like it! Go ahead and ask any questions, I will do my best to answer.

[@nopuedomas2006]

@@MattTester I don't want to bother you and steal your time so I'll try to keep this short: 1- How have you managed to achieve the notches in your levers? They sound and appear to feel very nice in the video and I'm struggling to come up with a solution so my levers stay in each position 2- I also thought about switching between the different trains I want to drive (4 or 5) with a button which in turn makes the pertinent code to be executed changing the mapping of the levers for each train but I'm starting to come up with a simpler solution. Was your solution very code heavy? 3- I'm using rotary encoders for the levers (I have yet to print them but I'm immersed right now in the mapping of the ranges in the encoders). Do you recommend encoders or potentiometers for the levers? I hope these qestions don't bother you and I thank you greatly for your help. Your video has made me rethink some ideas I was stuck with. Again, you've done a great and inspiring job! Regards.

[@TheBroomwagon]

Excellent Matt. How many trainsimmers would love this, I would. I assume you use trackIR too. I bet you'd be able to create a combined brake, throttle as well. Though what the equivalent set up for those of us who love steam engines would look like ☺

[@MattTester]

Thanks, a combined throttle and brake is already on my mind for the more modern trains. As they use the throttle buttons in Train Sim Classic I can make special notch plates with different notches for the throttle and brake side. The handle for the top would actually be the most difficult part as it needs to mount differently. I've never actually used TrackIR with this, I tried it a long time ago though with Flight Sim and it worked well. Steam controls could definitely work too, you could gear down the potentiometer rotation with 3D printed gears so you need to move the controls a lot more, or use rotary encoders that rotate endlessly like I have for the headlight controls. It's all down to software to handle it then. I may give this a try!

[@CornishCarper]

Amazing!!! I want so want! All they need now is to add random real life events and then I would be happy!

[@MattTester]

I agree about random events, some locos have random faults but other than that the only random things are bugs in the game!

[@Trains-With-Shane]

That is excellent! I'd pay some real money for an American style ARR style control setup in kit form.

[@yaroslavpanych2067]

Driver Vigilance Device - there are actually setups when driver actually need to interact twice with controls: somewhere on control panel, or besides it, and pull some leaver locate up high under the ceiling. Idk what kind of simulator it is, but I never seen one that actually properly ready to accept controls exactly how they are in real cabin. And I don't expect any of vendors will ever do that. Simulation of keyboard, yeah, that is the way, but for controllers they definitely should have proper joystick input setup, whose whole reason to exist is to simulate controls

[@MattTester]

Thanks for the information, I hadn't come across the DVD controls you mention. It would be possible for me to simulate that but yes what I have will never quite match a proper analogue setup. Sadly the input options of this game are very limited, some add-on trains simply can't be used with analogue controllers.

[@damianc.0.681]

These look awesome. If you could ever start making more and selling em I would be a instant buyer because I don’t have half the equipment requires

[@MattTester]

Thanks! It's unlikely that I will be selling them soon but maybe in the future, I still have some ideas to try out.

[@tidmouthmilk12]

One of my silly daydreams is to build a full scale facade of a steam cab and make actual physical levers and controls to play train sim with. I've got absolutely no manufacturing or technical skill though so that'll most likely remain a daydream 😅

[@MattTester]

That's a great idea, it's completely possible but it would be a big task. I certainly don't have the space for such a thing but I have an idea of how I would connect the levers. Of course it also needs something to blow soot in your face or it wouldn't feel real!

[@fuzzyblueProductions4553]

Nice tip: change the AWS button into like the 43's one

[@MattTester]

Thanks, I should be able to 3D print the bell shape and have a button in that.

[@Grandremone]

Awesome work! How does the 3.5mm jack communication protocol work?

[@MattTester]

Thanks! The 3.5mm jacks are connected to the TX and RX pins on the Arduino boards for serial communication between them, in the code this is 'Serial1'. The base module continuously transmits a number corresponding to the selection. I could've used any kind of connector with 2 or more pins, I had 3.5mm jacks and cables already so it was an easy choice.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

This is phenomenal! I've been wanting to make something similar, a miniaturised and genericised control desk which can operate games like Diesel Railcar Simulator and Derail Valley Simulator but also model railways via a basic train movement sim and DCC. You might want to consider an architecture where the secondary modules send all data through the primary/master instead of each one having a separate USB as well as a serial connection?

[@MattTester]

Thanks! I had thought about this being good for DCC models, if you can control them with keyboard commands then it's definitely possible. It would likely be possible to adapt a basic DCC controller to take an input for this potentiometer, the Arduino might need to translate the position of the lever into something the DCC controller expects. I don't have a model railway at the moment (I would if I had the space), so I can't experiment with it. I had considered joining all of the modules up or just adding a USB hub inside the master module, I may still add the hub or combine all of the modules into one desk, but I wanted the opportunity to swap out modules if necessary and I prefer storing them without the cables. Another commenter is using an ESP 32 board to operate as a Bluetooth keyboard, which is a great idea. It would be great to see how your project goes if you start building it.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

@@MattTester oh yeah, I got into DCC because of the DCC++ project which uses an Arduino as the base station and anything which can send serial messages to an Arduino as the controller. So if you have a simple simulation of locomotive power, train weight, power setting and brake setting, you can come up with a speed and send that to the DCC decoder. Ideally the locos/decoders are all speed-calibrated so that DCC speed step 8 is always a scale x mph, say I get bogged down trying to implement stuff like this because I want to go further and make a consist-building peripheral to find the train weight, control multiple locos, etc there's a lot of cleverness that can be put onto the decoder itself - inertia emulation etc - but I'd rather have the decoders solely responsible for making the motor turn at a precise speed, and controlling the head and tail lights

[@Un-Grand-Central]

the VP185 have like a 10 seccond delay when powering up only when going from notch 1 to 5

[@MattTester]

Thanks that makes sense, I had only been driving the Valenta-engined HST up until recently.

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Have you seen the VKB STECS flight sim throttle? comes with a bunch of detent blocks you can bolt to an interchangeable cartridge. swapping from one detent setup to another is undoing a thumbscrew, removing one cartridge, inserting and screwing in the other, and pressing a button.

[@MattTester]

I hadn't seen those throttles, I like what they've done and metal detents would definitely be better. It would definitely be possible to buy some of their detents to use in a project like this.

[@motogws]

Would love to see a list of the hardware need to do this

[@MattTester]

I'm just about to release a couple of videos giving you a closer look and some details of the parts, I still want to allow people to make their own versions though without following a strict guide. Thanks for watching.

[@Trafficlightsfan]

I think thats a DTG and not a AP 159 because of the noise and the pipe thing on the right of the drivers side of the cab beside the sander

[@MattTester]

Ah that makes sense, someone else said it was the wrong 159 but with no other information. I have the AP 158/159 pack, there are several to choose from and it isn't clear which is which. I will try them all to confirm which is the AP one. Thanks.

[@vanessamaldik4202]

Oh yes, really nice work, i make my own for simrail and more commands to contrôle (80 commands about). with a binary system of acknowled for each command. with a strip addressable led for each monitor led and some lcd display. very interesting

[@MattTester]

Thanks and that sounds great, maybe I will build in some communication from the game for warning lights.

[@vanessamaldik4202]

Hello @@MattTester : i can explain how i builed my système : in arduino, i'm using pin 2 to 8 for reading the possibilities i give an explicit name for each pin of arduino (use in pinMode : INPUT). pb1, pb2, pb4 and pb8, when all input are on high level, its give 15. i add 3 pin for adress, (sa1,sa2,sa3), i can obtain 7 as higher value. (pb x as = 128 possibilities). I hope you find pleasure for driving whith your commands. its nice job. good drive to you.

[@shamus2503]

Well done buddy!

[@MattTester]

Thanks!

[@kmcat]

7:36 Not too sure what you mean with the issue with your DSD peddle. I think you are trying to make it act like a button. You could use propagation delay in logic gate to achieve this. You would have your input branch off into two line. The first line would go through an odd number of NOT gate and connect to a AND gate The second line would go straight to the same AND gate. The output of the AND gate would be a blip of logic level 1 when the input is pressed. You would tidy this up by using NAND equivalent logic Second Method a 555 monostable

[@MattTester]

Definitely possible, I've got an idea to try that would just put the logic in software and with the addition of a single switch. That also allows me to flip the switch once the game has started, so I'm not constantly spamming the key when my foot isn't on the pedal.

[@yourlocaltrainenthusiast]

Nice! what was the company that makes those more expensive options?

[@MattTester]

I won't say their name as I don't want their searches coming here but if you search for Train Sim Lever Controller you'll most likely get it as the first result.

[@BCLRailfnner_4109]

I’ve always wanted to make my own set up specifically referencing a GP40PH-2 do you think you can make a tutorial on how to program everything

[@MattTester]

I will be making a programming tutorial, I'm just working out how to do it in a way that makes sense because it gets very complicated very quickly!

[@BCLRailfnner_4109]

Gotchu

[@LevsInventions]

This is Awesome!

[@benjibatch]

Don't think you selected the right 159 there :/

[@MattTester]

Yes I realise now I didn't select the AP 159, for some reason I missed it completely. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@georgecooper9655]

Great! How did you manage to get the notch effect to work? I couldn’t find any suitable levers :(

[@MattTester]

The notches are all custom, you wouldn't be able to buy anything that works quite right apart from a similar pre-made controlller. I'm about to release a couple more videos with some more details. Thanks for watching.

[@Duh_ZaspZ]

were can i buy those controllers or did you make them

[@pauloaugusto4505]

Perfect

[@MarketMonkey2]

May i ask what type of parts did you use for the controller and throttle stuff? Thinking about doing one similar to NYCT trains and i want to follow what you did similarly but make it as realistic as possible to my trains.

[@MattTester]

The basics of the levers are 10mm stainless steel tube and 10mm bearing blocks, with 3D printed parts to attach the lever a small splined insert to attach to the 10K potentiometer and another insert at the top with a thread to attach the black ball. I won't try to link to exact items as they probably aren't available to you, but I got them all from Amazon. You can pretty much make any throttle or brake lever with this base. Thanks for the interest.

[@BLAMBERRY]

Where did you source the AWS mushroom head button from?

[@MattTester]

The yellow AWS button is an illuminated arcade button, but the red and green mushroom head buttons were both in a pack together from Amazon. 'Momentary Push Switch Mushroom Head' would probably be the best keywords.

[@AYDEN_OFROBLOX]

i want one

[@hanstheexplorer]

Stepford County Railway

[@MattTester]

Great to see the Class 43 in other games, it's an iconic train.