https://losse-eindj.es/ Timo's blog about model railways, electronics, old Macs, travel and the things he collects. en Sun, 1 Nov 2026 11:55:00 +0100 https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-getting-german-signals-right https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-getting-german-signals-right Sun, 1 Nov 2026 11:55:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/hive-rail-signals.webp" alt=""></p><p><em>Which signal goes where, what it shows, and why your entry signal needs a yellow lamp.</em></p><p>German signals are the part of a model layout that goes wrong most often. And plenty of the advice you find on forums and in shops is wrong too. While building Hive-Rail I needed to draw signals on screen, so I had to work out properly what they look like and when they show what. That turned into…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-getting-german-signals-right">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-a-model-railway-with-no-boss https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-a-model-railway-with-no-boss Sun, 1 Nov 2026 11:45:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/hive-rail.webp" alt=""></p><p><em>Running a FREMO layout as independent power districts that work together, with no central server.</em></p><p>Most of what I have written about model trains on this blog was about one layout on one table. A LocoNet master switch, an Arduino LocoNet interface, a DCC packet analyzer. In 2021 I built an ESP32 LocoNet command station board. All of it assumed there was one command station, one computer, one…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/hive-rail-a-model-railway-with-no-boss">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/why-does-everyone-suddenly-care-about-this https://losse-eindj.es/blog/why-does-everyone-suddenly-care-about-this Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:38:00 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/01KXSZ2YQDQQATKJ3B8JB9KHFH.webp" alt=""></p><p><em>A Gen X take on accents, Helen of Troy, and the mermaid nobody actually had a problem with</em></p><p>I&#039;ve spent my whole life asking myself what I am. Not because any one person sat me down and demanded an answer — but because of how people around me interacted with me, in small ways, over and over, until the question stopped coming from outside and started living inside my own head instead. Light…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/why-does-everyone-suddenly-care-about-this">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/the-fermi-paradox-is-a-colonial-assumption https://losse-eindj.es/blog/the-fermi-paradox-is-a-colonial-assumption Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:21:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/covers/alifuru-kite.webp" alt=""></p><p><em>Why Our Definition of Intelligence May Be Shaped by Empire</em></p><p>When Enrico Fermi asked, “Where is everybody?”, he was pointing at a numerical tension. The Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars. Many are older than our Sun. A large fraction have planets. The universe itself is approximately 13.8 billion years old [1]. Given enough time, even a…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/the-fermi-paradox-is-a-colonial-assumption">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/seeing-the-code https://losse-eindj.es/blog/seeing-the-code Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:32:58 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/covers/seeing-the-code.png" alt=""></p><p><em>A Matrix-Inspired Way to Think About Reality</em></p><p>Most of us grow up believing the universe is made of solid things. Tables feel heavy, light feels instant, gravity feels like an invisible pull toward the ground. Our senses reinforce the idea that reality is built from objects moving through empty space, and for a long time science agreed. When…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/seeing-the-code">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/american-exceptionalism-national-identity-and-the-drift-toward-illiberalism https://losse-eindj.es/blog/american-exceptionalism-national-identity-and-the-drift-toward-illiberalism Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:46:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/USA-Blog.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>A historical and comparative analysis</em></p><p>Comparisons between contemporary politics and historical authoritarianism often provoke strong reactions. Many people instinctively reject them, not because the facts are wrong, but because such comparisons feel accusatory, exaggerated, or morally loaded. Yet historians do not use comparisons to…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/american-exceptionalism-national-identity-and-the-drift-toward-illiberalism">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/if-youre-replicated-are-you-still-you https://losse-eindj.es/blog/if-youre-replicated-are-you-still-you Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:00:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/01KJJMMEKQKPDZQH0CZT94BY3R.webp" alt=""></p><p><em>Star Trek, Cloning, and the Limits of Identity</em></p><p>Star Trek treats replicators and transporters as everyday technology. Food appears on demand. People dissolve into light and reappear across the galaxy. Most of the time, no one questions it. But if you stop and think about what those machines actually do, a deeply unsettling question appears: If…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/if-youre-replicated-are-you-still-you">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-rolling-test-stand https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-rolling-test-stand Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/covers/model-trains-rolling-test-stand.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Permanent bench-mounted rolling test stand for faster locomotive diagnostics.</em></p><p>A rolling test stand is one of those tools that seems optional until you start using it regularly. It lets you run and test locomotives on the bench without setting up a full track section, which makes troubleshooting faster and much less messy. I had a KFC-Zeller rolling test stand for years, but…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-rolling-test-stand">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-marklin-br-128-21mtc-led-conversion https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-marklin-br-128-21mtc-led-conversion Sun, 25 Apr 2021 21:42:34 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2021/04/BR-128.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Marklin BR 128 LED conversion with 21MTC decoder and lighting tweaks.</em></p><p>Winter is usually when I spend more time at the workbench with model trains. During the Covid evening-curfew period that season effectively got longer, so I used the extra time to do a proper locomotive electronics upgrade: LED improvements plus an ESU LokPilot setup. The first locomotive on the…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/model-trains-marklin-br-128-21mtc-led-conversion">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-delidding-a-soldered-cpu-upgrade-to-12-cores https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-delidding-a-soldered-cpu-upgrade-to-12-cores Mon, 12 Feb 2018 11:52:17 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2018/02/22a35b38f15eec030225b2a82d98c1_original-600W.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Delidding dual X5675 CPUs to upgrade a 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 to 12 cores.</em></p><p>Back in 2009 when Apple released the 4.1 Mac Pro they used CPUs without an Integrated Heat Spreader on the Dual CPU system. The Single CPU and later 5.1 systems don’t use these. They use the standard CPU with IHS. When upgrading my 4.1 Mac Pro to 2×6 core X5675 CPUs I had to make a decision. Modify…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-delidding-a-soldered-cpu-upgrade-to-12-cores">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-efi-flash-an-r9-280x https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-efi-flash-an-r9-280x Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:24:23 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2018/01/five_pictures6_2959_20150319104424550a380881766.png" alt=""></p><p><em>Flashing an MSI R9 280X with EFI for Mac Pro boot-screen support.</em></p><p>Apple uses special BIOS firmware on the video cards or GPU they install in their machines. You can, however, install a PC based GPU in a Mac Pro. It has standard PCI-E slots and if you install a GPU that is supported by either the Apple AMD drivers or the NVidea Web Driver the card will function in…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-efi-flash-an-r9-280x">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-i-bought-a-2009-4-1-and-am-running-high-sierra https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-i-bought-a-2009-4-1-and-am-running-high-sierra Sun, 7 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2018/01/Mac-Pro-full.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Upgrading a 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 to 5,1 firmware and running High Sierra.</em></p><p>The Mac Pro is a series of workstation and server computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Inc. since 2006. The Mac Pro, in most configurations and in terms of speed and performance, is the most powerful computer that Apple offers. It is the high-end model of the three desktop computers…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mac-pro-i-bought-a-2009-4-1-and-am-running-high-sierra">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/esp32-omniksol-solar-pv-to-mqtt-gateway https://losse-eindj.es/blog/esp32-omniksol-solar-pv-to-mqtt-gateway Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0100 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2017/11/Omniksol-1k-1.5k-TL2-M_large.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Local ESP32 bridge from Omniksol inverter telemetry to MQTT with OLED status.</em></p><p>In 2017 I replaced my Soladin 600 with an Omniksol inverter. The official Omniksol setup works with a WiFi module and cloud portal, but I wanted a local, low-latency setup under my own control. With a 602-series WiFi module, the inverter can be queried directly over TCP port 8899, so there is no…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/esp32-omniksol-solar-pv-to-mqtt-gateway">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/dcc-packet-analyzer https://losse-eindj.es/blog/dcc-packet-analyzer Thu, 26 Oct 2017 09:34:18 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2017/10/analyzer.jpeg" alt=""></p><p><em>Reading and decoding DCC packets with a low-cost USB logic analyzer.</em></p><p>This post started as a quick note, but the topic deserves more context. In the video below, I walk through how DCC packets look on the wire and how you can decode them with a simple USB logic analyzer. If you are moving from analog model rail control to digital, this is one of the easiest ways to…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/dcc-packet-analyzer">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-arduino-interface https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-arduino-interface Fri, 15 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/LocoNet-PCB-04.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>A compact Nano-based interface PCB for LocoNet and WS2812B signal control.</em></p><p>Since I don’t really have space for a full model railway layout, I tend to tinker with small rail-related projects. One part I genuinely enjoy is automation. Bridging the physical and digital worlds is a lot of fun. Because I use Uhlenbrock equipment, LocoNet is a natural fit. &lt;figure…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-arduino-interface">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-master-switch https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-master-switch Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/storage/blog-feature-images/LocoNet-Master-05.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>A portable stop/go controller for the Intellibox and Rocrail.</em></p><p>I still use an Intellibox Classic, and functionally it has held up very well. The weak point for me has always been the feel of the built-in buttons, especially for emergency control. Most of the time I run trains through Rocrail, so I rarely touch the Intellibox itself. But when I do, it is…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/loconet-master-switch">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mqtt-retrofitted-onewire-weather-station https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mqtt-retrofitted-onewire-weather-station Sun, 10 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2016/04/weatherparts.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Reviving a legacy OneWire weather station into a Wi-Fi MQTT telemetry node.</em></p><p>I had an old AAG OneWire weather station sitting in the shed for years. It had not been used in a very long time, but the hardware was still complete, and that made it a good candidate for a retrofit project. The idea was straightforward: keep the original sensor hardware, replace the old interface…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/mqtt-retrofitted-onewire-weather-station">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-road-test https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-road-test Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:52:10 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2016/03/img_0875.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>First road-test impressions from the When Pigs Fly motorized bike build.</em></p><p>Is it a good idea to stick weld an old bicycle frame? Hell no. Is it doable to hack, cut and weld your own bike? Maybe. Is the frame still straight? Hell no (it was not to start out with). Is it legal? Hell no. Is it in need of a rear brake? Probably. Is it safe? Hell no. Is it running? Hell yes…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-road-test">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-front-brake-hub https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-front-brake-hub Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:42:18 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2016/03/img_0890.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Adapting a Kreidler front brake hub for the custom springer fork setup.</em></p><p>Mounting a brake hub using tie-wraps is not the brightest idea, so it needed a permanent solution. Ground down a piece of square iron and welded it to the springer fork. This holds the brake backing plate in place. Made a new tank and temporarily fixed the front brake. Also made a horizontal seat…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-front-brake-hub">Read the whole post</a></p> https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-extending-the-frame https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-extending-the-frame Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:39:24 +0200 <p><img src="https://losse-eindj.es/images/blog/2016/03/IMG_0697.jpg" alt=""></p><p><em>Extending the frame to fit the board-track style and engine setup.</em></p><p>Now it was time to modify the frame, starting with the top tubes. After welding them on they were too high so I heated them with a torch and bent them down. Now I extended the whole frame 80mm to get the low and long look that I was looking for. Next, I made a mockup tank out of cardboard. I then…</p><p><a href="https://losse-eindj.es/blog/when-pigs-fly-extending-the-frame">Read the whole post</a></p>