Oyster Bay Railroad Museum - Locomotive Simulators

OYSTER BAY RAILROAD MUSEUM - LOCOMOTIVE SIMULATORS
		Oyster Bay Railroad Museum	Oyster Bay Station aerial view NE - 4/23/2023 Photo/Archive: Brandon Kulik

The OBRM has 3 simulators donated by the LIRR 7 or 8 years ago, an M1, M7 and a DE/DM30AC. All were just static displays until Heng Ye contacted us last spring and launched this project. We decided that the M7 was the best candidate to equip with the new software for several obvious reasons... the Train Sim World LIRR route used the electric routes, and even the game cab was closely based on the M7. Further, the physical job we faced of interfacing the game with the physical control mechanisms seemed more doable. Jeff Bush - OBRM Project Manager
LIRR M1 #9234 cab - Caboose #50		DE and M7 simulators - Loco #35 cab View S	Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) DE30AC Diesel Cab simulator		EMD DE30AC Diesel Cab nterior simulator
The one-quarter length model of an M7 was used to simulate operating rail conditions for training and certifying Long Island Rail Road engineers. This unit was acquired by the LIRR in the early 2000's and saw usage until 2017, when the carrier switched over to computer based training. The M7 simulator employs the same exterior appearance and interior components as an actual M-7 MU passenger car. These cars were delivered to the LIRR beginning in 2002 and are the current mainstay of the electrified fleet. This is open for viewing.			The one-quarter length model of DE-30AC Diesel Locomotive was used to simulate operating rail conditions for training and certifying Long Island Rail Road engineers. This unit was acquired by the LIRR in the early 2000's and saw usage until 2017, when the carrier switched over to computer based training. The DE simulator employs the same exterior appearance and interior components as an actual DE-30AC Diesel Locomotive. These locomotives were delivered to the LIRR beginning in 1997 and are the current mainstay of the diesel fleet. This is open for viewing.

OBRM M7 SIMULATOR
The new Oyster Bay Railroad Museum M7 Simulator is an experience in which the visitor sits in the cab of a real Long Island Railroad electric M7-class multiple unit railcar, and using the controls in that cab, operates a computer train simulation game which depicts the experience similar to what the Long Island Railroad engineer would have in the real railcar. The computer simulation game is "Train Sim World 5 and LIRR Commuter" and we are grateful to its owner, Dovetail Games, for the special permission granted the Museum in the use of same. Please use the QR Codes to purchase your own version of this great experience for PlayStation, Xbox or PC. The experience which we now offer opens at the station platform at Hempstead Long Island and, if taken to the end of the trip, terminates just before Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. Other routes are planned. The full trip takes about an hour if the visitor stops the train at each stop along the way, although Museum visitor traffic may require each person's experience to be shorter. All use of the M7 Simulator is overseen by our Simulator Supervisor, so anyone of any age is welcome to try their hand at the experience. "The computer simulation game is "Train Sim World 5 and LIRR Commuter" and we are grateful to its owner, Dovetail Games, for the special permission granted the Museum in the use of same. Please use the QR Codes to purchase your own version of this great experience for PlayStation, Xbox or PC."
Location of the simulators, center right. OBRM Yard aerial 4/23/2023 - Photo/Archive: Brandon Kulik			LIRR M7 Cab Simulator - OBRM

Oyster Bay Railroad Museum visitors can get hands-on experience driving an LIRR simulated cab
	Heng Ye (left) and OBRM Jeff Bush discussing the M7 Simulator Project			By Joseph Ostapiuk May 7, 2024 - Newsday.com

Cab interior M7 simulator 2023		M7 Simulator Interior - May, 2024 after software/hardware project	M7 Engineer forward cab view - 9/2024 Info/Design/Implementation: Heng Ye
				Hardware Modifications made: * specific video cameras were removed * the top monitor was eliminated * new monitor installed * lights added * screens changed and controls retrofitted
					LEGEND 1) Master Controller (Throttle/Brake) 2) Key Slot 3) Reverser 4) Acknowledge Alerter 5) Console Buzzer (used to start simulator) 6) Aspect Display Unit 7) Speedometer (Train Operator Display) 8) Station Information and Brake Status (Central Diagnostic Panel) 9) Horn (photo location outlined above) 10) Tractive Effort/Dynamic Brake Indicator Info: Heng Ye

A Q&A with HENG YE - M7 SIMULATOR DESIGNER AND PROGRAMMER
Q: Tell us a little about yourself: I understand you are entering your Senior year of high school. What school are you currently attending? Additionally, you have an interest in railroads and certainly computers. What drew you to these areas of interest and when/how did this begin and grew? A: I attend Smithtown High School West in Smithtown, NY. I've been interested in railroads since I was an young as 4 years old (I was in China at the time). Since then, I've visited railway museums both in China and in the U.S. I was drawn to computer programming when I was in fourth grade, when I started to learn Java through library books. As I developed my skills through self-study of different programming languages such as C++, C#, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript, I also experimented with hardware with Raspberry Pi. One interesting tidbit is that I've never taken any computer classes in school--I've self-taught myself all the skills I need, from soldering to algorithms. Q: How did you become interested in the OBRM M7 project and get it started? What was the approximate time frame when this began? A: When I'm exploring railroad museums, I'm always drawn to the simulators. I noticed the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum, which I visited when I was a small child, owned 3 simulators donated by the LIRR. They were all static displays without the interactive components since the proprietary software used by the LIRR to train their engineers in the simulators was removed when the simulators were moved to the museum. I contacted the museum via email with my proposal for reviving the simulators in January 2024. The museum board assigned Jeff Bush to respond to the proposal. When Jeff and I first examined the simulators, we decided that the M7 simulator would be the best choice for retrofitting. Q: Can you outline the steps taken, obstacles, and solutions to the problems in bringing the M7 Simulator operational? A: First, I had to determine how the controls worked and how to retrofit them, which was extremely difficult since there was no documentation at all about the equipment. Eventually, I was able to use modern electronics and C++ code to wire the master controller and other controls. Next, I wrote a lot of code in C# which connects the Train Sim World software to the hardware controls. I also created a user interface for the main monitor which was a challenge since Train Sim World does not provide any API integrations, so I had to rely on unconventional macros to control the TSW program. I also created the interface for the two auxiliary display monitors so they matched the real M7 interface exactly, which took a lot of time since the proportions were difficult to get perfect. Finally, I made a power control system that turns the computer on and off without the need for staff to unlock the machine room. Q: What future additions/modifications would you like to possibly add? A: This winter, my plans include developing the ability to change the depicted time, route, and weather. Currently the simulator is only programmed for one scenario, which gets boring. I have researched and ascertained the possibility of writing code that will allow the museum staff to control these variables through a tablet, just like a professional flight simulator. Q: Will you be involved in the DE30AC Simulator project or other future efforts? A: This winter I also will attempt to retrofit the DE30AC simulator, and if time and logistics permit, the M1 simulator as well.


The Oyster Bay Railroad Museum is proud to offer the simulated experience of "Train Sim World 5 and LIRR Commuter" and is grateful to its owner, Dovetail Games, for the special permission granted the Museum in the use of same. Please use the QR Code to purchase your own version of this great experience for PlayStation, Xbox or PC.