I am building my third HO layout and am still puzzled about the best way to set up a control panel. I would like to use Atlas switch controllers and selectors. I could sure use some advice. Thanks for replying. polyjim
PolyJim, May I bet the first to welcome you aboard our HUGE family of modelers! And to the great confusion of model railroading electronics and wiring! I'm sure the others are going to need alittle more information on your thoughts/ plans of the Atlas controlers and Selectors to help you... As of with the information given doesn't tell me awhole lot of anything about how you want to use them. This we need to know to help you.... [ 26 May 2002, 22:07: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Polyjim, Welcome to our family here at the TrainBoard! Tell us more about your control pannel.... I fought that battle several times and finally found a simple solution. I wired everything into one network, and hooked it up to one huge red button! (I also have the new square wheeled steam engines for sale. Cheap!)
Why Atlas controllers? I much prefer to use regular toggle switches or pushbutton switches, depending on the application, mounted to a diagram of the area to be controlled. That way you can see what switch you are throwing without having to figure out what Atlas controller controls what. I use SPDT toggles switches for block power, DPDT toggles for polarity, and pushbuttons for selenoid switchmachines like Atlas uses. The toggle switches can be obtained from many sources for around $1.00 each. A suggested source would be All Electronics http://www.allelectronics.com.
Wayne, What for squared wheeled steam engines do you have for sale???? I'll reinvent the wheel to make then squared ones round! And in quarterization!! HA!
I had a very complex toggle switch control panel on an earlier layout with route cab control. Didn't understand it either. Business pressures entered the picture and I didn't get back to model railroading for thirty years. Now retired and building a new layout. I want to make it as simple as possible and felt Atlas slide switches would meet my needs. I spent this weekend studying the Atlas Wiring book and think I understand better. My real confusion is - how do modelers design their control panels. Do you show a track plan on the panel? How do you set up your terminal strips? What color wire do you use? Are your switch controllers on the track plan or in a straight line? etc. Thanks for the responses. polyjim
Welcome to our family here on the TrainBoard PolyJim, we are glad you dropped in. Maybe we can help you help us, and together we can all enjoy ourselves running trains! Now on your question PolyJim, here is a photo of the control pannel on my present HO layout. On the chair is the Manual I made that instructs a stranger on a step-by-step tour all around the layout. Several have found that to be the most informative thing I have done, so I am keeping notes on the new layout I am building, so I can have one for that layout after I sell this one. Back to this one. The lower level has the dock, yards, diesel and steam engine facilities and a turn table. There is a reversing loop and crossovers to an outer mainline, and a turnout that climbs up to the two upper level mainlines. What I wanted to point out is the CONTROL illustration you see as a track plan in red lines on the left and right side of the pannel. Each turnout has a red & green light at the turnout location on the redline track diagram, and also at the cooresponding turnout. If the lights are green, the turnout is in the straight through position. If red, it is set to diverge. Each turnout is also numbered, and one of the long row of black handled DPSTCO switches on the left just below the red track plan has a cooresponding number. Up is straight, down throws the turnout to diverge, center is off. (Crossovers change both turnouts at the same time). On the right hand upper level track plan, is the same setup, and below it the three switches that operate the turnouts for those two mainlines. Both upper tracks were to have gone up into the mountains, but until then, they are just continous loops for now. There is also a reversing loop up there. The turn table is to turn the steam engines and the reversing loops are to turn entire trains around. The other switches on the control pannel controls all the lights, and isolate certain tracks for switching, and to allow changing from a single engineer operation, to allowing four emginers to each operate a train independant of eachother. (With the town lights, and all the yard and turntable lights on, the layout may be operated with all room lights turned off, since the control pannel is also lighted.) There is also, rectyfier control (that can decay for dynamic braking, and coasting), on all four mainlines, and pulse control for slow coupling in the yards and the station. It sounds more complicated than it really is. This layout is also made to tilt up out of the way, and is mounted on its own wheels so it cam be rolled through a normal doorway into another room, or moved to another house. Temptation got to be so much when I got this far, that running trains stopped me from building the mountains, so that part of the scenery is not completed, but the whole layout has been my recreation (running trains) since then. I'll run on it until I sell it, then go to the new layout. My new layout will be my last. I have decided I am most interested in the activity that goes on at the roundhouse, so that is most of the new layout. [ 28 May 2002, 05:44: Message edited by: watash ]
Jim, I'm just getting into this hobby myself, so take this for what it's worth. For my control panel, I plan to use a track plan, not to scale but a general layout. I plan to use momentary toggle switches (3 position, center off) mounted on the panel at each turnout. On the actual layout, each track block will be wired to its own pair of terminals on a terminal strip (black for -, red for +). Each switch machine will likewise be wired to its own 3 terminals (black for common, red for straight, white for divert). Use DC on your switch machines. This will give you a single common location to connect your panel and give you connection points without having to make any block or reversing decisions to start. I will use 18AWG wire for track power and 20AWG for switches. Some folks recommend bigger wire for large layouts. One tip I've seen is to use screw eyes (about 1" dia), with the eye opened up enough to slip a wire in or out, holding the wires beneath the benchwork. Once you have the bottom of your layout wired up, you can connect your panelboard one device at a time , testing at each step (as recommended on The Gauge). Use a terminal strip on your panelboard for the power connections to your power packs or power supplies. I'm sure there are other and better methods. This is just what I plan to keep myself organized and have maximum flexibility down the line.
Hey Snuffy I love your panels- very neat and logical. How are you lighting your turnout indicators?? I'm trying to use switch machines w/o contacts- can I light those indicators electronically or not as good idea?? I saw a switch in the Walther's cat. that would do this but the $$ add up. Thanx from Mississippi
I would recommend you have a diagram of your track plan on the control panel. It really helps visualize where the train is when you're flipping switches. The Atlas components are easy to use and wire, and if one gets fried, it's easy to replace. Be sure to number everything accurately on your panel, matching the switches on the Atlas components. Remember it's going to take a second or two to find the right switch, since you have to look for the switch to match the one on the diagram. I've been able to make good-looking panels using two pieces of Lexan plexiglass to make a sandwich. The top piece is clear, and the bottom piece is smoked or dark. I laid the diagram on the bottom piece with artist's tape, using different colors to represent each block. I have six different colors I use. You can use each color more than once, as long as they don't make contact with another block of the same color. Normally I drill holes for toggle switches, but I think you could use Atlas components, too. Be sure to use a drill bit designed for plexiglass, since a normal bit can leave fracture lines around the hole. A little bit of wood trip around the panel, and you're finished! Pat
Hi Jim, If this helps, here's how I made mine. I used two pieces of Polycarbonate (Clear plastic) the right size for my panel. Next thing to do is draw out the plan on a computer programme to A4 size. When finished I print one copy on plain paper and another on Photo paper at top quality to use as the finished product. The first piece of plain paper is used only to provide the places to drill the holes through for the D.P.D.T switches. Mine are 1/4" holes for my switches. (Micro switches) and also where to drill the holes for point control. When all drilling is completed, I remove the plain paper and clean up the two pieces of Perspex. Now I insert the new Photo Paper printout and I have a professional looking control panel just waiting to be wired up. For my point control I use the stud and contact method utilizing a capacitor discharge unit, which has a 16 volt output for my PL10 point motors which I use to throw the points. The reason I prefer stud and contact over momentary switches (To throw the points) is I only need two tiny nuts and bolts (Brass) fitted to each point on the control panel. Here is what my control panel looks like, notice the nuts and bolts, these are my stud and probe contact for changing point direction. You will also notice that I have two switches per block, the reason, I could only buy D.P.D.T without centre off, so I had to put in beside the D.P.D.T.'s a separate on/off switch.
My tip is to make the panel removable. In the past I did this by making all the electrical connections through multipole connectors and using easily undone fixings to mount the panel. More cost and work, but it makes it much easier to work on, especially when things need to be changed later - and they always do . My panels also held the controllers, meters and CDU for switch machines, so they were quite complex and this 'easy' access was a real boon. For testing I made an extension lead for just the power lines (low volt AC/DC feeds from the power supplies) so I could power the panel up. But now I'm going with DCC. Switches will be locally operated either mechanically, or by push button on the edge of the board near the actual switch. No control panel at all .
Hey guys Thanks for all the tips. I am well into my new control panel. I used plexiglas and striping tape to make a track diagram at the top of the panel. Then about 3/8" below the diagram I started a row of Atlas switch control boxes. I arranged them in two rows and separated into five sections. Below the two rows of switch control boxes, I have a single row with four Atlas selectors. At either end of the row I have an Atlas controller to control turntables at each end of my point to point 11' x 12' layout. So far I have five turnouts switched and controlled, one selector with three blocks controlled. I have eight blocks and plan on using cab control with two cabs. All tested out great. Thanks for steering me in the right direction. polyjim
Welcome to TrainBoard Jim. It is good to see other modelers from the Fox Valley around here. Tell us some more about your layout. What are you modeling? Freelance? C&NW??
lemur, Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I am modeling the C& NW circa 1950. I used to sit in my second floor office of Geneva Kitchens and watch the C&NW switcher work the lumber yard across the street. Then in 1970, my partner and I purchased a building and property in Geneva with the main line 90' in our back yard and half of that was C&NW easement. If we were on the telephone and a train went by, we had to explain that the Northwestern pause.I'm retired now and am lucky to be able to spend an average of 4 hours per day building my second layout. I would be glad to share more with you by email. My address is jmartin@jknet.com Thanks polyjim
Cid, my turnouts actually make contact to change the lights. If the turnout fails to throw (change), then the lights do not change either, its a safety feature, see? The lights will also change if I move the turnout points by hand. The new comtrol panel will have the switch at the turnout location on the track diagram so I don't have to hunt for the switch. Simpler as I get older.
