Mini-Panels for layout control

Charlie,

Good posting, also interested in mini-panels interfaced with main control panel.

John

A friend and customer has been working on his layout. It covers the entire basement and designed using three equipment locations for wiring and panels to handle switches etc. With a layout this large it made sense to break it up to equal areas (3).

Charlie

Give me a couple of days and I will post some pics.  Right now have one "mini" panel completed for the lower level.  It has a schematic of the track along with toggle switches to control blocks, LEDS to highlight occupied hidden track (tunnels), LEDs both red and green to indicate turnout position for a few 022 switches hidden in the subway.  Ten additional toggle switches will be for future uses such as lights, some accessories, etc.  I need to build 2 similar panels for the middle and lower levels.  A 4th mini panel will be built for the yard area and will control numerous post war and modern accessories, blocks, lighting, turntable, etc.  All turnouts are controlled by the Cab 2 (ASC II)so no need to include the controllers on the panels.

Will try to take some pics this weekend

Good luck

Accessory switch surface mounting:

More info here

As Susan has shown, you can do a lot with blank electrical plates.

You can add switches or panel lights to plywood train board deck.

Sigh . . . The only thing my layout has in common with this masterpiece is the vacuum cleaner. It's on my bucket list to see one of these in action one day.

MikeCT,

Instead of a hole saw drill, then a chisel, try using a Forstner bit.  It will make the recess, and clear out the center at the same time.

A small tip at the center keeps it from wobbling with a hand drill, but it does work better in a drill press.

Ed

I have several small control panels scattered around my layout.  They all use 1/8" masonite for the panel front, mini toggle switches and momentary pushbuttons, 5 mm LED's and automotive pinstripe tape for the track diagrams.

Here is a new staging control panel I just completed this week.

Here is a small one for the town of Summit.  Black and red pushbuttons are for switch machines and yellow pushbuttons marked "U" control uncoupling magnets.

 This panel has dpdt toggle switches to control Tortoise switch machines instead of the pushbuttons to control twin-coil machines like in the panel above.

CAUTION!  When playing trains with kids of all ages, you may want to place your turnout controls out of easy reach.

I've been re doing my panels one by one. I run Tortoise switch machines with DPDT center off switches. I found some switches at www.allelectronics.com that did the same function without the center off. I do often entertain young ones and thought these safety covers would work well with the switches seeing all the panels are mounted on my fascia board. Within easy reach of children and adults like me reaching over the layout. Found them on the same site.