New Control Panel


gjohnston

gjohnston

Slow Learner
I just finished my mini control panel for the turnouts on my layout. It has a track schematic that is color coded. The turnouts are controlled by mini momentary button switches that are connected to the Digitrax input pins. The turnout positions are indicated by bi-color 3mm LEDs. The LEDs are connected to the power pins 1 and 8 on the Tortoise switch machines, and as the polarity is reversed the lights change color. The LEDs all have 1k ohm resistors soldered to the negative legs. The turnouts can be controlled via DCC commands on my computer via JRMI software or via my ipad with the ZR21 App, or via the push buttons on the control panel.

I am happy with the way it turned out.
Control panel.jpeg
 
Greg "The Rookie": Nice looking control panel and I'm sure you'll like the bi-color LED's for indicators. The panel track plan looks like it will be easy to understand. How a peak at the internal wiring?

Here's picture of the Saxeville control panel out of the three panels I have on the layout. There's more labeling of the toggle switches since the photograph was taken. The frame is a black picture frame and the glass is 1/4 Lexan plastic painted on the inside. The exterior picture frame is attached with a piano type hinge to the inner frame made of 1X2 framing.

IMG_0235.JPG


Working the mini-toggle switches can be a bit confusing at first, but each toggle switch controls two Tortoise motors for the cross overs in the Interchange and all turnouts have dwarf two color ground indicators to assist the engineers.

IMG_0234.JPG

The interior of the main control panel.

IMG_0240 (1).JPG

This panel controls the electrical power to the LED lighting, Tortoise switch machines, incandescent lighting, mine lighting and special effects. Additional labeling was done to this panel since the photograph was taken.

The red light inside the panel provide some load for the 12 voltage DC transformer that powers the incandescent lights otherwise the rheostat would not operate with the small load of the few incandescent lamps. The lamp doubles as a fuse.

Greg
 
Last edited:
Greg@mnrr said:
Greg "The Rookie": Nice looking control panel and I'm sure you'll like the bi-color LED's for indicators. The panel track plan looks like it will be easy to understand. How a peak at the internal wiring?

Here's picture of the Saxeville control panel out of the three panels I have on the layout. There's more labeling of the toggle switches since the photograph was taken. The frame is a black picture frame and the glass is 1/4 Lexan plastic painted on the inside. The exterior picture frame is attached with a piano type hinge to the inner frame made of 1X2 framing.

View attachment 33494

Working the mini-toggle switches can be a bit confusing at first, but each toggle switch controls two Tortoise motors for the cross overs in the Interchange and all turnouts have dwarf two color ground indicators to assist the engineers.

View attachment 33495

The interior of the main control panel.

View attachment 33497

This panel controls the electrical power to the LED lighting, Tortoise switch machines, incandescent lighting, mine lighting and special effects. Additional labeling was done to this panel since the photograph was taken.

The red light inside the panel provide some load for the 12 voltage DC transformer that powers the incandescent lights otherwise the rheostat would not operate with the small load of the few incandescent lamps. The lamp doubles as a fuse.

Greg
Click to expand...

Pics of the wiring???? You just burst my bubble. It is pretty much a birds nest behind the panel. I need to get behind there and reroute and organize the wiring. I used cat 5 cables and each twisted pair feeds either one set of LEDs or one switch button. There are no bus bars. It is all wired directly.

Your control panels have a nice finished look to them, very well done. You also have more accessories on your layout as it is a lot farther along than mine. At some point I want to include some track signaling too. But hey I just got my turnouts automated.

How long have you been working on your current layout?
Greg
 
Rookie:

The layout was started in 2004, but I had maybe three years of complete inactivity during that time. Then for awhile I didn't work on the laoyut other than in bursts when the cabin become my primary interest.

Thanks for the compliments.

Greg
 
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