I am considering including a "Points/Turnout/Switch" control panel on my new N Scale layout but have no idea how to go about it. I don't even know if one will be worth while as I only have 16 of the afore mentioned so may be wasting my time. The majority of my points will be at the front of the layout so I suppose a control panel for them will be mainly for appearances than anything else. Essentially though, if it isn't too difficult/complex, I wouldn't mind a "Panel" that shows which way the points are thrown as indicated by lights. Obviously (I think) I will need slow motion machines for this to work and those machines will be DCC Concept machines. As said, I have no idea how to go about making a panel or what is needed to do so; therefore, any advice will be greatly appreciated.
It isn't really what is driving the switches, but how you are controlling those machines (slow motion, stall, servos, snap coil, etc) that will determine the best way to go about creating your panel. First up - will the switches be DCC controlled? If yes, you have options from simple toggle switch/LED panels to using iPads or Android tablets as remote JMRI Panel Pro displays. If no (you simply want to toggle your motor) it then depends on which you are using. The DCC Concepts Cobalt is similar to the Tortoise, and operates on a simple SPDT switch to change the turnout direction. Put in a DPDT on your panel, instead, and now you a separate parallel circuit for LED wiring (or one can use one of the SPDT circuits built into the machine - the other can be used for frog polarity) For my home layout, I went the all DCC route, with all switch commands being monitored over LocoNet. The panels have their own DCC "decoder" (TeamDigital boards), and all switches on DS64s.
Rick, I will be using the DCC Concepts Cobalt motors, most likely the base model of that motor. My direction was to use a separate power system (MRC Railpower 1370) for the turnouts/cobalt motors. Your first suggestion, the simple toggle switch/LED Panel was what I was thinking about. What I want (if I do this at all) is to be able to manually change the points (remotely) using a toggle switch and have an LED Panel depicting the turnouts with LED's to show the direction of the points/turnout. So for a Green light (for example) on the panel to light when the points are aligned with the main track and for a Red light to show on the panel when the points are changed for the diverging track. Does that make sense?
Check out page 7 of my JACALAR build thread, you can see how I did the panels for it (wow, 8 years ago!). http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-jacalar-rr.43963/page-7 I would probably do them differently now, but I still like PowerPoint designed drawing, as it is much cleaner than I ever would have gotten trying to use tape or paint lines. For LEDs, get some bi-color red/green LEDs with three legs. You will want two for each switch, so that you can have a lamp on both legs. As I mentioned above, use DPDT switches, with one side feeding the Cobalt, the other the LEDs. Remember, you only need to direct one leg of the power (say positive); the other wire (common) connects directly to the Cobalt and the center leg of the LEDs. From the LED side of the DPDT, you need two wires coming off each pole, one per LED. Or, and what I actually did, was mount the LEDs in such a way that I soldered the opposite legs of the two LEDs together, with only a single wire feeding them. You also need to include resistors so as not to blow out the LED, a 1000ohm resistor on the center leg works fine. The real key to planning your panel is figuring out where you want it, how large you want it, and where you want to place it. All of this is dependent on the layout. Hope this gives you some ideas.
Thanks Rick, time for a Valium and maybe some pethidine to numb the pain. Either that or a Captain or three
Just looked at your panels and darn, they are superb! Don't suppose I could "con you into making mine?"
Hi Wombay457, There are several ways to build control panels, control the turnouts, and to light the indicators. Here are a few examples of control panels that I have built over the years. http://palisadecanyonrr.blogspot.com/2016/06/controls-for-wessos-double-crossovers.html http://palisadecanyonrr.blogspot.com/2015/02/staging-yard-control-panels.html http://palisadecanyonrr.blogspot.com/2015/08/evolution-of-control-panel-layout.html One of the things you might consider is if you want all the controls / indicators in one location or breaking them up in several panels to be close to the turnouts. I am sure you can get some good input here to help you develop your plan.
Brad, Thanks for the links, they too are impressive. I guess my problems are being able to visualize and understand how it all works. What wires go where and to what. As mentioned in my "Welcome Post", I am not the most electrically minded person on the planet.
It's hard to explain (clearly without confusion) something when you don't really know what it is that you want or need. Therefore, I am hoping a picture is worth a thousand words so my words don't cause confusion. This image depicts what I would like to do/have: So, can this be done when the layout (track) is DCC? In other words, can the turnout motors, AD1HP, toggle switch and panel be powered by the MRC DC Controller like for structure and street lighting independent of the Track Power (DCC)? If so, can I use these DCC Concepts Basic Turnout Motors OR do I need the DCC Concepts Cobalt IP Analogue or Digital motors? NB: I want to be able to change the direction of the points using the Toggle Switch, completely manual, no JMRI or Automation or any other hi tech methods using a cell phone etc. Lastly, how on earth do you connect those components (MRC, Motor, AD1HP thing, Toggle Switch and Panel with LED's for point direction) to each other? What sort of Toggle Switch do I need, SPST, SPDT, DPDT, On/Off, On/Off/On or some other? In so far as the Control Panel LED's are concerned: How do you wire them so ONLY the "Active Track" (the track the train will run on) LED is lit? Hope this makes what I am after clearer.
Let us start with the actual control of the turnout. You will need a DPDT switch. The two position kind which is also called "ON-ON". As you say, a drawing is worth a lot of words so I have attached a drawing showing how this would be wired between your DC source for turnout power and a turnout motor. DPDT Reverse by nscalestation posted Sep 30, 2017 at 12:12 PM I would suggest you put together this setup on your bench first.
Brad, Thanks mate and I will be sure to put it together before I actually install them. Only other thing is, how do I connect all of that to the Control Panel?
Wombat that first drawing I put up was not right and I have replaced it with the correct one. Once you have the motor doing what you want it to then the LED indicators can be connected through one of the sets of contacts that are on the switch motor.
Brad, Thanks mate appreciate the diagram and info. As you can tell, I have to trust what you guys tell me where this sort of thing is concerned so very much appreciate your correcting yourself and your integrity.
Wombat, now you have me confused. The AD1HP is a DCC decoder for the motor. So, if you want to drive the motors with toggle switches and the MRC, why do you want the DCC board? Yes, it can also be fed straight DC, but then, so can the motor. More interesting is that the board can use a push button switch to toggle motor, and has an output for LED already.
Rick, Told you I know nothing about this stuff So I don't need the AD1HP thing then - that is good for me. And I can still do the LED and Panel thing without that added bit of hardware then?
Going backwards for the moment. What you have said is one other confusing thing to me. If it were up to me I'd have a "panel" showing the entire layout; however, that isn't practical or logical I wouldn't think, albeit a very nice thing to do - visually at least. The bulk of my points/turnouts are at the very front of my layout, all of which I can touch without having switches, panels etc to change those points. The other points are located in the far left side, right side and top of the layout with two being on the left side, 2 being at the top and 1 being on the right side about 8' away from the left side and top turnouts. I am guessing that I would need one panel for the front turnouts/points (13 of them) and one for the four on the left and top side of the layout. That only leaves the single one on the right side that I don't know what to do about. Seems impracticable to have a panel for a single turnout, or could that be (some how) incorporated with one of the others? With that being said, I'd prefer to have just the ONE panel showing ALL of the turnouts/points - if that is possible. As for positioning of the panel/s. This may sound a little extreme but think would look impressive. I have box shelving built from 1" X 4" (3.75") pine about 2' above the layout. The center section of shelving is almost 4' in length (47" to be accurate). I'd love to have one panel 47" long and however high positioned on the fascia of the box shelving above the layout. Now you can tell me I'm crazy, insane, mad or whatever - but that would be my ultimate idea. Again though, I have no idea how high/tall that panel would need to be or if scale has anything to do with the panel. I guess what I'm asking then is this - would it be possible to have a panel 47" long and however high to cover the layout or would it need to be too high making it impracticable?
This is a case of Rule 0: it is your railroad, you can do what you want. Normally, most people put the toggles/push buttons on the panel, usually at the branch point for each switch. Sounds like what you are thinking is a display panel overhead that shows you the state of each switch at a glance. That is certainly doable, but requires a lot of planning for wiring. Remember, each light needs wires to it. Just brainstorming, but for something like this, I would lean to a DCC panel. Doesn't have to be JMRI Panel Pro style (but can resist putting up a 40" monitor) but something up there which can watch the DCC commands, and adjust the lights accordingly. There are LocoNet accessories which can do just that, and your panel would then only need a LocoNet cable and power feeding to it. That would mean one would also need DCC control of your switches, with the option of push buttons or toggle inputs. Lots of alternatives for those, too. To answer your other question, you do not NEED anything more than a power supply, switch motor and a DPDT toggle switch to change motor direction. Everything else is embellishment.
Rick, Thanks mate and sounds like a little too much work for little return then, especially if it would be better to go DCC. Think I might just stick to the basics of the turn out motors etc and a small panel (of some type) incorporated down the track a little. Or just forget about the panel idea and "pay attention" to what is going on I believe you Sir and have ordered a couple of the motors to play with and get the feel of. Odds are that once I do pay with them, it will be as easy as has been indicated.
