Just curious, as I have had several different versions over the years for several different layouts and am now starting another. I've seen a few on here but I need some fresh ideas... What's your control panel look like? Is it DCC or DC? Tell us a little bit about it if you wouldn't mind. Thanks!
What's your control panel look like?
- Thread starter TrainNut
- Start date
alexander
Member
MRC Tech 2 for home use. Our club uses MRC Tech 3 and 4's for the time that the museum is open due to using a coin operated timer for museum visitors. Our source of club income. For club use, we switch to a Lenz DCC system with walk around throttles.
The first pic shows the main panel of my former N scale layout. Trains were powered by conventional DC. I used two throttle panels (darker blue-gray in the lower corners) and the power was assigned by selector switches on the track diagram (rest of the panel).
Turnouts: They were wired in groups of 3-5, powered by a capacitor discharge unit (CDU). Their setting was preselected by switches on the track diagram. When the route was set, I 'fired' the turnout by pressing a button which activated the CDU for this turnout group.
The second pic show the panel for my underground staging tracks. The little buttons also activate several turnouts at once through a CDU, setting all turnouts for this track. The big switches simply turn the track on/off.
Ron
Turnouts: They were wired in groups of 3-5, powered by a capacitor discharge unit (CDU). Their setting was preselected by switches on the track diagram. When the route was set, I 'fired' the turnout by pressing a button which activated the CDU for this turnout group.
The second pic show the panel for my underground staging tracks. The little buttons also activate several turnouts at once through a CDU, setting all turnouts for this track. The big switches simply turn the track on/off.
Ron
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Here is another panel that functions as a Normal/Reverse set of switches controling the main line turnouts.
I'm not going to have a control panel. My layout will be operated with a wireless walk around control, and the switches will be controlled from remote controls on the front of the fascia.
MRC Controlmaster20 is what I use. I use it with two control plug ins for now, but will have four plug ins when all said and done. I do recommed this to all DC users. The handheld control is slick.
I've got a "Duke's Mixture".... but it looks OK and works good. I used brass plates for some of the switches for added pazazz. Throttle control is an EZ Commander that I can walk around with. Switches are toggles and momentary, and the lighting contol is there too, all one panel as seen below;
I was going to say a funny like High Roller or some such, especially with a dream setup like yours...I restrained myself tho 
Mine's a good plug for old school---Atlas. At a time when it was a real chore to wire for block control, Atlas came thru with their ready to wire components. This panel came with the N scale layout that was given to me earlier this year, should I ever get to build my HO layout, I don't plan on doing it much different. I'll be adding push buttons for electromagnetic uncouplers to the track diagram on the right later this year.
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Hi,
Tom...You've got too many push buttons on the "facing" switches. I've got mine set up so that when I hit the button for the diverging route on any one of the two facing switches, they'll both line up to the diverging route, since you don't want a train coming from the "through" route to run into a switch that is set for the diverging route. The same holds true for the "through" route. Try it, you'll like it!!
Gus (LC&P).
Tom...You've got too many push buttons on the "facing" switches. I've got mine set up so that when I hit the button for the diverging route on any one of the two facing switches, they'll both line up to the diverging route, since you don't want a train coming from the "through" route to run into a switch that is set for the diverging route. The same holds true for the "through" route. Try it, you'll like it!!
Gus (LC&P).
steamhead said:
Gus, thanks for the tip. I'm familiar with cascade style wiring but have mine wired so I can isolate one locomotive while I run another. I use power routing turnouts (never ws a fan of relays and extra wiring) and isolate a lcomotive by throwing the turnout against it.
Thanks.
Tom
