Jump to content
 

Control Panels - show us yours


250BOB
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi all

 

I've only just found this thread and, as I'm building a new 0 gauge DCC layout, I thought I'd contribute with what I have done with my control panel.

 

I'm building a layout based on West Kirby (Merseyrail) in the late70s/early 80s, but without the 3rd rail electrification. The track layout and signalling follow the prototype pretty closely, although I've added in an extra siding which will, eventually, form a preserved railway site. I've named it "West Kirby Town" to differentiate it from the real thing! I've had a lot of help from signalmen in planning the layout and signalling - all on this thread :

 

http://www.rmweb.co....__fromsearch__1

 

As a result of that help, I decided I'd try and replicate a signal box feel about the layout, so I had a signal box diagram drawn for me: this is what it looked like after it had been framed and hung on the wall above the layout: It's a bit paler than actual due to the way the light has fallen on it.

 

post-7571-0-36443500-1344246173_thumb.jpg

 

I then had a sort of signal box lever frame made at a local signwriters: this is what it looked like when I got it:

 

post-7571-0-16863900-1344244379_thumb.jpg

 

I got the diagram framed and the panel fitted in a hinged lid and when it was all fitted, the layout looks like this - unfortunately, I've not got all of the diagram in , but it can be seen hanging above the layout:

 

post-7571-0-15489500-1344244526_thumb.jpg

 

The points are operated by Tortoise motors which are themselves operated by DPDT switches on the control panel/lever frame. The signals are to be operated by servos and by SPDT switches: I only really need SPST switches but I had a lot of SPDTs left from the previous layout so I've used those. The inside of the panel looks like this:

 

post-7571-0-02324000-1344244737_thumb.jpg

 

The wires lead to chocolate blocks behind the baseboard framing and from there to the points, signals, etc. (there are LEDs on the signals and buffer stops and I'm aiming to have platform lighting, too. That's long term, but I've provided for it now!!) This is how I've set up a couple of the chocolate blocks: I've tried to make sure I label everything so I can trace faults.

 

post-7571-0-35121500-1344244937_thumb.jpg

 

I m planning for the layout to extend to a fiddle yard in the garden, under cover, and I've got a control panel for that, too. The points there will be operated by Peco motors and push buttons firing a CDU - mainly because I had a lot of motors and the CDU left from the old layout. The fiddle yard panel can be seen in the foreground of the 3rd picture above, together with the locations of the DCC throttles.

 

The layout has progessed a little since the photos were taken (and I've got the shed a bit tidier!!) but I just thought I'd add this. I hope it's of interest. A link to my layout thread is below.

 

 

Rod

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Not quite in the same league as some other panels on here but have recently installed three panels like this on a large 'O' gauge layout for a friend. The purpose was to upgrade 3 Kent Panel Controls controllers from a mix of DIN and 4 way QM connectors to a common connector alowing any controller to be plugged in to any panel easily.

post-13054-0-36745400-1346085409_thumb.jpg

4 Way XLR connectors have been used and, whilst more expensive, are more robust and easier to wire with the wire gauges involved. Each 4 way panel socket is terminated on the back of the panel in a screw connector block for connection to the existing wiring and is fed from separate transformer windings. The LED provides local indication of the presence of ac power from the transformer. The LED is wired in inverse parallel with a 1N4148 diode and current limiting resistor.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

As with some others shown my panel is computer based, but because my storage sidings are hidden below one of the scenic sections it also has to show me where each train and loco is.

 

The other reason to go to automation was that while I like to drive my train it is nice to have the computer do the signalling and running other trains automatically, so although it is a large layout I can run as if other operators are present while still on my own.

 

post-327-0-23089800-1349533751_thumb.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

As with some others shown my panel is computer based, but because my storage sidings are hidden below one of the scenic sections it also has to show me where each train and loco is.

 

The other reason to go to automation was that while I like to drive my train it is nice to have the computer do the signalling and running other trains automatically, so although it is a large layout I can run as if other operators are present while still on my own.

 

post-327-0-23089800-1349533751_thumb.jpg

 

Awesome Mike...wish I had the skills to to something like that....brilliant.

Bob (OP)

Link to post
Share on other sites

As Two Tone says, it is actually easy, once you have wired one block and one point the rest are simply a repetition, some familiarisation of how to set up the signal logic is probably the only complex learning curve.

 

Interestingly although the layout was DCC from the outset points and associated routes were controlled by stud and pencil and diode matrix for the first two or three years; there is a great deal of satisfaction in building one's own “real” control panel, it does also allow you to fully understand what is going on electrically on the layout.

 

The concept of trying to remember the address of 90+ points and changing them using buttons on a DCC throttle is one of my definitions of hell, so I stayed stud and probe till the mimic diagram could be screen based using RR&co.

 

Some of the examples illustrated in this thread are outstanding and should rightly be a source of pride, by contrast my early “real” panels were simply two sheets of hinged plywood with a mimic diagram on one side with brass screws as the studs with the diodes directly soldered to them on the back side where required, photos below, very crude compared to many illustrated in this thread but they worked and proved very reliable.

 

post-327-0-85234500-1349690404.jpg

 

post-327-0-79065500-1349690522.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi MIke,

Thats nothing to be ashamed of Mike......look where you are now.!!

 

The reason I started this thread is so that I could see lots of peoples attempts at a control panel.......I too am DCC, but have no desire to control my points by that method. I really fancy the analogue method of pushing buttons, not the stud and probe particularly.

 

This winter is point motor fitting and control panel making.....and the associated wiring......the computer control panel will have to wait for another day.

 

Thanks for your input and pictures and your interest.

 

Bob.

Edited by 250BOB
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi

I use a NCE minipanel to control my dcc points vai a center off switch this makes my control panel look like and operate like normal dc i can also do route setting via 1 switch per route, using the same equipment

it works well and i dont have to remember any addresses

JOHN

Link to post
Share on other sites

This is my first ever attempt at building a control panel, it's about as basic as it gets - 7 switches operating 9 point motors. The switches are RTC on-off-on switches, fed with individual power supplies and sending individual feeds to each point motor. Hopefully when time and funds allow I will add some kind of nice panel, until then a simple drawing in marker pen on the board will do!

 

post-16914-0-39062600-1349981835_thumb.jpg

 

Mark

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Since you ask - front and rear views, DC cab control:

 

8131486333_ee92452621_b.jpg

 

8131515728_67bf465d4c_b.jpg

 

and from the top side:

 

6165949049_f639664a69_b.jpg

 

One of five panels used to control the layout, power from Gaugemaster Inertia Controllers.

 

One controller operates over the entire layout the second feed to each panel is from a local controller.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Edited by Silver Sidelines
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

HI

I have just finished this one for my MR Clubs OO layout.

Auto selection of dc or DCC layout operating modes.

dc control via the panel mounted GM series UD controller or via hand held controller options.

All points are analogue operated via a built-in CDU and push button selection.

All dc track sections can be switched between either of the two dc controllers or to Off.

For DCC operation these switches are left On to either position.

Turntable rotation motor operation (which is still to be obtained) is via a variable voltage regulator and direction of rotation switch with central Off position.

 

post-281-0-74749600-1351509497_thumb.jpg

 

post-281-0-52085800-1351509522_thumb.jpg

  • Like 4
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Brian

 

Very neat and tidy especially the internal wiring! Silver Sidelines neat and tidy underneath as well!

 

Have attached a couple of pictures below for general interest of a control panel I designed and built for a customer about 2 years ago. (I know the date on the panel says 2009 but it didn't really get off the ground till 2010!) Unfortunately I don't have photos of the wiring on the back of the panel.

 

post-13054-0-68749500-1352135565_thumb.jpg

 

post-13054-0-06045400-1352135575_thumb.jpg

 

The panel was drawn up using CAD to the customers requirement, reverse engraved on 3mm white backed perspex and filled in black. The case was again designed using CAD, manufactured in 1.6mm mild steel and painted inside and out. Transformers and power supply PCB modules are fitted to the base, individually fused and fed from a single fused & switched IEC mains inlet. All connections to the layout are via 25 way 'D' connectors on the rear of the enclosure with individual cable assemblies terminating in pluggable screw terminal blocks under the layout. It sits on a slide out shelf under the fiddle yard which dictated its maximum dimensions.

 

the panel replaced the one shown below which, although it worked and gave good service, was starting to fall over! It's shown sitting on the same shelf now occupied by the new panel.

 

post-13054-0-36340300-1352136288_thumb.jpg

 

Mike

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

The control panel for my newest layout contains 5 switches, four are SPST switches which are used to control the section feeds, yes I know, four section feeds in less than two foot. the last is a DPDT sprung switch. one half controls the point motor, the other sets the signals in relation to the point motor. theses are mounted on a 4mm ply sheet, along with four 'phono' female connectors. two are the controller feed and the others are the CDU feed. I made the CDU myself from a circuit diagram on http://www.talkingelectronics.com/te_interactive_index.html. ( look for CDU 2 or capacitor discharge unit - 2). the controller that I use is also homemade and is taken from Roger Amos' book.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Gosh as a newbie I hope this posts OK!

 

post-17585-0-65749000-1354480324_thumb.jpg

 

I built this portable, detachable panel for my Japanese "N" Tohoku City high level station, (which is also served by city trams at ground level). The panel handes platform line select/isolation, station approach point control, and signalling. You can see on the schematic that the (upper) Shinkansen bullet train tracks are separate from the (lower) local commuter lines. The right hand portion of the panel shows the storage sidings which are separated from the exhibition section by tunnels. The panel front is clear 4mm perspex/acrylic painted white on the reverse side which gives a nice flawless finish to the front. The lines are 6mm black self adhesive vinyl tape supplied for car customising. The panel box is mdf base & hardboard sides covered with self-adhesive black leather-effect vinyl.

 

post-17585-0-11788400-1354480428_thumb.jpg

 

Inside, the left hand veroboard handles station track isolation/activation, the middle board accommodates eight latching changeover relays driving the panel LEDs and layout colour light signals. The Kato point motors have no auxilliary switching and rely on single pair polarity changes unlike the usual 3-wire common return method, The latching relays "remember" the last momentary button press for each point or slip. And the right hand board has 16 DPDT relays switched by momentary push-buttons to set the double slips and points by changing polarity on the wired pair supplies. Note the remnants of my experimentation with resistance values for colour LED brightness on the left hand board!

 

Paul.

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

Gosh as a newbie I hope this posts OK!

 

 

Good effort Paul........very neat and tidy.......we hope we are going to see more of your work.....I dont think you will be down on 3 posts for very long.

Bob.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I dont have decent photos of the wiring, but here are the control panel instructions for our one at my folks' place. When I say control panel, I really mean the loose collection of boxes and switches roughly geographically co-ordinated.

 

It's not over either. Current efforts centre on running lighting around the place, meaning more wires and more small boxes.

 

Layout switches upper

Layout switches lower

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The "real signalbox" feel of my panel with Hornby levers (which power Peco point motors) and a hand-drawn diagram using laundry marker on a melamine-coated board.

 

post-3305-0-20266700-1355028389_thumb.jpg

 

Close-up of the "western" end of the panel. Confusingly this is at the east in real terms but represents the western end of the layout. The two short sidings are known as the East and West Sidings based upon actual geography rather than the model. "Church Loco Sidings" are concealed beneath the church scene at one corner of the layout and hold one loco or bubble car DMU (two, or a 2-car DMU, on No.3) apiece.

 

post-3305-0-10723800-1355028403_thumb.jpg

 

The fiddle yard - which lies behind the low-level backscene partially visible in the upper image (and which also shows the road where it forms a bridge over the yard) is represented by the upper tracks on the diagram. The lower tracks are the area around Treheligan station.

 

No two tracks have exactly the same name. The abbreviations on the track diagram mean:

 

UBL = Up Back Loop (because it's right over at the back!)

UTL = Up Through Loop

USL = Up Short Loop (doesn't hold as long a train as the others)

ES = East Siding

UT = Up Through

DT = Down Through

DTL = Down Through Loop

DL = Down Loop

DSL = Down Short Loop

WS = West Siding

 

Through the station we have:

 

Up and Down roads (as distinct from Up and Down Through which are the tracks via the yard)

Down Platform Loop

St. Agnes Bay

St. Agnes Loco Spur

 

To the right of the station are:

 

Up and Down roads

No.1 and No. 2 Carregylp Sidings (No. 2 serves the dries)

Down Goods Loop (which also feeds the freight branch off to the right - shown as "Down Loop" on the plan but that designation is used in the fiddle yard)

 

Levers are grouped more or less in numerical order but in three distinct sections. Those levers at the left hand end relate to points to the left of the station area; those to the right operate points lying to the right of the station area. Levers in the centre of the frame operate points within the station area. This means that the major junction at points 51 and 52 is controlled by the two levers at the far left of the frame, the double-slip at the station by 38 and 39 in the middle of the frame and at the opposite end the return junction from the Through tracks is worked by levers 68 and 69 near (but not quite at) the right-hand end of the frame. Points in the fiddle yard have levers positioned in the frame according to their location so levers 80, 81 and 82 are left of centre but 60, 61 and 62 are over to the right.

 

It's all very easy and logical once you've worked it for a session.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

This very simple public facing panel built for my 16mm Narrow Gauge line at our Padiham exhibition this Saturday 1st Nov allows visitors to “be the signalman” – yes, this is something you CAN touch ;-)   4 electrified lower quadrant signals are powered by vertically mounted SEEP PM4s which also provide feedback to the panel indicator LEDs.   My (normally out of sight) CDU uses a 24 volt transformer.  Charged output peaks above 30volts offload, pushing the SEEP motors to the max!   The black pulse box repeats the charge/discharge cycle at 1 sec intervals whenever a panel button is held down.   The drilled out signal post lamps are illuminated by 5 volt GofW filament bulbs which IMHO look more realistic than LEDs.   These lamps serve a dual purpose in confirming the 8 way connector is fully attached and the signal is "on-line".

 

The yellow buttons operate the 2 sets of points.  The point switching feature won’t be enabled on Saturday although the panel also supports a wired remote for the operator to override points settings whenever necessary.   All locos on the line are radio controlled.

 

post-17585-0-90454600-1414251383_thumb.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

A bit of an old thread, but since someone else has resurrected it...

 

The current (though temporary) panel for my N gauge out-and-back layout Plymouth Citadel.  Loosely based on #9 from CJF's N Gauge Track Plans.  Fully signalled and interlocked with panel repeaters, all driven by a small microcontroller-based circuit board.  Point motors are Peco with a mini-CDU for each point.  Control is by an uncommon form of DC cab control with one cab switch per controller rather than one per section, due to be replaced next year with one slaved to the signals.  The out-and-back is set up as an automatic queue holding up to 5 trains with 4-aspect signals with junction feathers.

 

DSCI0138_zpsc4338c7d.jpg

DSCI0134_zps0969b3e9.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
  • RMweb Premium

Hi,

 

Been awhile in the making but finally got a working unit. It's a piece of thick foamboard supported at the edges be pine timber.

 

The diagram is from an Anyrail plot of the layout, scaled to best fit the bi-colour LEDs, this was then laminated in A4 sections and stuck to the board with double sided tape.

 

The points switches are centre off sprung loaded, these are also connected to 2 PPI boards from http://www.blocksignalling.co.uk/index.php/points-position-indicator-ppi1, no connection just a satisfied customer. When the CDU fires the boards detect the pulse and give an output to the bi-colour LED's. They show Red for a blocked route and Green for a clear route.

 

There will be other switches on the RHS of the board for controlling signals and layout lighting. 

 

Rob

 

post-7197-0-42452300-1450437328_thumb.jpg

Edited by mezzoman253
  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Here is the control box for a small portable 2FS layout.

 

 

post-7014-0-71640400-1450438964_thumb.jpg

Red switches: points (the two without red caps are spare)

Black switches (sprung): un-coupling magnets

 

 

post-7014-0-25888700-1450438982_thumb.jpg

The two DIN sockets are for controller and electromagnet power, the 15-pin  D-socket connects to the layout.

Coloured wires are stripped out of multi conductor electronic cable which is cheaper than buying them separately.

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

daveblueozzieI had the same idea as you!! Add the LED's later...... This is what happens... :lol_mini2: I am the creator of this wonderful project....... It is my parents' layout "Pfaffenbrucke", first of all, let us start with the original 'semi' neat version of the panel....attachicon.gifDSC00459.JPGHere you see the front side, which was produced on a laminated A3 sheet of paper by our local printing shop. This was then attached to the Perspex lid of the panel using aerosol photo adhesive.attachicon.gifDSC00460.JPG Here you see the underside....attachicon.gifDSC00461.JPGAnd finally, here you see the inside.....BUT............Then I decided I wanted "Pretty lights" !!!!! :whistle: :yahoo_mini: :rofl_mini: OOOOOps.......... That was not a bad idea......but it certainly spoiled the aesthetics of the panel.....Now let us see the result of adding LED's......attachicon.gifDSC00066.JPG Here we see the 'new improved version' of the panel lid..... attachicon.gifDSC00070.JPG However the depth of the panel did increase almost by double to accomodate the extra circuitry to drive the LEDS :rolleyes: :excl: So now we move on to the inside of the panel...... attachicon.gifDSC00074.JPG Not looking quite so neat now.... And finally the overall view of the inside of the panel....attachicon.gifDSC00073.JPG There is however 1 positive aspect of such a scary looking panel........and that is.....it disuades would be wannabe faultfinders from 'dabbling'!!!! :biggrin_mini2: :rofl_mini: Incidentally, for the LED's alone, was an additional 96 wires in this case.........And to conclude this story, there is further work currenly underway to make this layout a 'one man' operation, as we are currently adding the fiddleyard control panel onto the main control panel....... Of course this will also include the necessary 'pretty lights'!!So you see, there is no "right way" or "wrong way" to build a control panel......So long as it does what you wish it to do.......That is all that matters....I wish you well with your future projects...

I would be concerned that the layout wiring might catch on the mains terminals on the trannies.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

A quck iPhone snap of the panel I'm working on.  The basis is an A4 certificate frame with acrylic glazing.  Graphics are MS Word printed on high quality photo paper.  Simples.post-5868-0-70759200-1452885677.jpg

  • Like 9
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

........ and the back view.  This signal box has two analogue train controllers associated with it.  Each isolated section has a 3 position switch: Up for the upper controller, middle off, and down for the lower controller.  Note also two track circuit lights (3mm LEDs) for the tracks out of view beyond Coombes Road bridge.

 

post-5868-0-15814800-1453208618.jpg

 

Stevo

Edited by 28XX
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...