ok, first of all I want to post my code I have now
/*Alittle something for my dad's H0 modeltrain
*this is the light for a swing from the '50s
*based on a 8 LED kit from some web retailer.
*the code is simple, as were the Tivoli light in the '50s
************************************************************************/
const int buttonPin = 2; // the number of the pushbutton pin
//LED Pin Variables
int ledPins[] = {2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}; //An array to hold the pin each LED is connected to
//i.e. LED #0 is connected to pin 2, LED #1, 3 and so on
//to address an array use ledPins[0] this would equal 2
//and ledPins[9] would equal 11
int delayTime = 350;
int ledState = HIGH; // the current state of the output pin
int buttonState; // the current reading from the input pin
int lastButtonState = LOW; // the previous reading from the input pin
// the following variables are long's because the time, measured in miliseconds,
// will quickly become a bigger number than can be stored in an int.
long lastDebounceTime = 0; // the last time the output pin was toggled
long debounceDelay = 50; // the debounce time; increase if the output flickers
/***********************************************************************************
* setup() - this function runs once when you turn your Arduino on
* We the three control pins to outputs
******************************************************************************/
void setup() {
//Set each pin connected to an LED to output mode (pulling high (on) or low (off)
for(int i = 2; i < 11; i++){ //this is a loop and will repeat ten times
pinMode(ledPins[i],OUTPUT); //we use this to set each LED pin to output
}
pinMode(buttonPin, INPUT);
}
/**************************************************************
(commented code will not run)
* these are the lines replaced by the for loop above they do exactly the
* same thing the one above just uses less typing
pinMode(ledPins[2],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[3],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[4],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[5],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[6],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[7],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[8],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[9],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[10],OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledPins[11],OUTPUT);
(end of commented code)
**********************************************************************************/
void oneAfterAnotherLoop(){
// int delayTime = 350; //the time (in milliseconds) to pause between LEDs
//make smaller for quicker switching and larger for slower
//Turn Each LED on one after another
for(int i = 2; i <= 11; i++){
digitalWrite(ledPins[i], HIGH); //Turns on LED #i each time this runs i
delay(delayTime); //gets one added to it so this will repeat
} //8 times the first time i will = 0 the final
//time i will equal 7;
//Turn Each LED off one after another
for(int i = 11; i >= 2; i--){ //same as above but rather than starting at 0 and counting up
//we start at seven and count down
digitalWrite(ledPins[i], LOW); //Turns off LED #i each time this runs i
delay(delayTime); //gets one subtracted from it so this will repeat
} //8 times the first time i will = 7 the final
//time it will equal 0
}
/*******************************************************************************************
*/
void slowonalloff(){
// int delaytime = 350; //the time (in milliseconds) to pause between LEDs
//make smaller for quicker switching and larger for slower
//Turn each LED on one after another
for(int i = 2; i <= 11; i++){
digitalWrite(ledPins[i], HIGH); //Turns on LED #i each time this runs i
delay(delayTime); //gets one added to it so this will repeat
} //8 times the first time i will = 0 the final
//time i will equal 7;
//Turn all LED off at one
for(int i = 2; i <=11; i){
digitalWrite(ledPins[i], LOW); //Turns all LED off at once
delay(delayTime);
}
}
/*************************************************************************************/
void LowToHigh(){ //This will run the light from the buttom to the top
for(int i = 2; i < 11; i++) {
digitalWrite(i, HIGH); //Will turn the LED on
delay(delayTime);
digitalWrite(i, LOW); //Now we turn it off
}
}
/**********************************************************************************/
void HighToLow(){ //This runs the light from the top to the buttom
for(int i = 11; i >=2; i--) {
digitalWrite(i, HIGH); //Turn the LED on
delay(delayTime); //Wait a little
digitalWrite(i, LOW);//And off again
}
}
/****************************************************************************************
* loop() - this function will start after setup finishes and then repeat
* we call a function called oneAfterAnother().
*****************************************************************************************/
void loop() {
// read the state of the switch into a local variable:
int reading = digitalRead(buttonPin);
// check to see if you just pressed the button
// (i.e. the input went from LOW to HIGH), and you've waited
// long enough since the last press to ignore any noise:
// If the switch changed, due to noise or pressing:
if (reading != lastButtonState) {
// reset the debouncing timer
lastDebounceTime = millis();
}
if ((millis() - lastDebounceTime) > debounceDelay) {
// whatever the reading is at, it's been there for longer
// than the debounce delay, so take it as the actual current state:
// if the button state has changed:
if (reading != buttonState) {
buttonState = reading;
// only toggle the LED if the new button state is HIGH
if (buttonState == HIGH) {
ledState = !ledState;
}
}
}
{ // run over and over again
oneAfterAnotherLoop();
}
}
yes I know that the button dos'ent do anything now, but I need to go to bed now.
I will have a PC on at all time and the tivoli will be in a place that is not possible to se from where I will turn it on.
Think of it as if your modern car tells you that your tail light is broken.
You could see for yourself, but it's more convinient to have it on the display in front of you 
What do you want to print?
That LED number# is dead
What test do you want to apply ? You could write something that set each of the pins HIGH in turn and read the output using another pin I suppose. If a particular pin does not produce LOW and HIGH outputs at the appropriate time then report it. But how do you know that the pin used to read the output is working ?
Really that is my big question, how do you do it??
Maybe in a later update there will be more Arduinos to drive the whole tivoli and 1 to keep track of everything and time it all
The idea is to test everything before starting and report to the "Master" Arduino and that will in turn tell the PC if something is wrong.
The "Master" will also have some sensors, so the lightshow will alter depending on, if it is day or night or if a train passes.
Yeah I think you get the picture