Eye Choo Camera Wagon User Manual
- Records your layout from the driver's eye view
- Records sounds too!
- Full 1080p 30fps or 720p 60fps capture
- Can record still photographs
- Copy recordings to your computer for editing
- Ideal for YouTube videos
Overview:
Congratulations on your purchase of the Eye Choo, designed for filming your layout as the engine driver would see it!
Quick start guide (video mode):
Firstly, pull out the NEM hook from the underside of the camera and attach it to the rear in the slot provided.
Next, choose if you want to have the driver's hood fitted or not, and remove it if necessary. Ensure the switches on the back are set for video mode (see Diagram 1).
Now place the camera on the track and couple it to your loco. Press and hold the power button for a couple of seconds until the blue light comes on and the camera buzzes three times.
When you are ready to start recording, press the start/stop recording button. The camera will buzz three times, and the red light will come on, indicating the camera is now recording.
Now send your loco around your track and press the start/stop button again to end the recording. Now plug in the camera to your computer and see what you've recorded!
Viewing your recordings:
Connect the camera to your computer using the supplied USB cable. The camera will appear as a normal USB device and on the drive you will find a directory called VIDEO and one called PHOTO. You will find your recordings and still photographs within these directories and they can then be copied or edited freely.
Setting the time and configuration:
The camera has an internal clock that can be adjusted by the following method. Firstly, connect the camera to your computer as described above, and you will find a file 'time.txt' saved on the camera.
Open this file in a simple text editor (double-clicking on it should do this). This file contains the current time and other configuration.
Edit the file so it shows the current time in the format:
YYYY.MM.DD HH:MM:SS
For example, 4 August 2025 at 4:26 pm would be:
2025.08.04 16:26:00
This is followed by either a Y or an N depending on if the time stamp is to be shown on the video and photographs.
Finally, the camera will record in time blocks up to 6 minutes before starting a new file. The default is 3 minutes, but this can be changed to 6 minutes by simply changing the 3 to a 6 at the end of the configuration line. Resave the file when done.
Changing between photographs and videos:
The camera can take video at either 1080p 30fps or 720p at 60fps. In addition, it can take still photographs.
This is selected by the two slide switches on the back of the unit. Simply set the switches to the required position before placing the camera on the track. See Diagram 1.
To take a photograph, simply press the start/stop button once.
Switching off the camera:
To turn off the camera, simply press and hold the power button until the camera buzzes and the blue light goes out.
Recharging:
The unit has its own internal battery which is recharged automatically each time it is connected to your computer via the USB cable. During recharging a red light will illuminate next to the USB socket indicating the unit is recharging. If the unit fails to switch on, try leaving it plugged into your computer for a while to allow the battery to recharge, then try again.
Please note the camera will not operate whilst connected to your computer except for viewing your videos.
Problems de-railing?
Any wagon pushed forwards over pointwork is always more liable to derailment, particularly if the wagon is heavy as in this case. You might like to try a different locomotive as different couplings can give better results. Another solution is to pull the wagon forwards whilst recording, then, on your computer, reverse the video so it plays backwards and will therefore look like the locomotive was pushing the wagon.
Removal of SD card:
An SD card is fitted as supplied, and you should not need to remove it when using the USB cable. However, if required, you can remove it by pressing it inwards and letting it pop out. To reinsert, simply push back in until a click is heard. Note: it will only go one way round.
If you switch on the camera and both red and blue lights flash quickly, it indicates that the SD card is not inserted or cannot be read. Please check the SD card.
Notes on deleting videos:
If the Eye Choo fails to record videos, it could be that the SD card is full. Please be aware that on most operating systems, including macOS and Windows, deleting a video from the SD card doesn't actually free up the space. Select the empty recycle bin option while the Eye Choo is connected so these files are removed.
Diagram 1: Rear controls and features
