# SWITCH/CONTROL BOARD TIPS/TRICKS



## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

I have a rather complicated manually controlled rail yard named after a man who lived in our neighborhood, was an engineer for one of our local railroads, and drove a switcher past the tracks that ran behind our backyard on a daily basis. His name was Ray Barr, so we're talking about the BARRLINE. Every time I'd hear him blow his horn, no matter which was he was going, we'd run out back and watch him go by. Turns out, the only thing that spur was used for was to deliver a box car full of furniture to one of our cities largest furniture shops. Now, that track is a spur for a TRAX train that carries people to that part of our city. 
I want the BARRLINE to be manually controlled because it's going to be a puzzle for the experts to do and see who gets the fastest time. With switchers and small locos on all spurs, the players must move loco #1 from point A to point S, loco #2 from point C to point M, loco #16 from point R to point B, and loco #13 from point U to point A. You get the idea. The entire thing resembles a top view of the space shuttle with a few extras thrown in. The game will start with all the spurs filled with locos & switchers so a loco will have to be moved before any of the locos listed above can be moved out of their spur. 
Now the problem. I don't know where to look, or what to enter to find the information I need. I plan to draw the BARRLINE on a piece of wood, or plastic, or metal, and at each switch, have a light which will be on or off? And as the switches are thrown, then the lines between the switches that now connect, that show where the loco will go if that switch is thrown one way or another will go on. It's not enough for just the lights to go on and off, I'd like to have the lines between the switches turn on if they will be used, or off if they won't; on if its powered, or off if its not. I hope all this is easily understood. If someone can point me to an article, or a website that tells me how to do it, or a dealer that sells what I need, I'll be good to go (I HOPE.) I can imagine it in my head but have no idea where to go to get the items I need. I've seen them. Home Depot has the switches I need (I think) but who has ribbons or wires that glow if that track is powered? 
So I put the switch for each switch in the proper place on my board, next to a light, then different lines will light up or go off when each flip is switched, or each switch is flipped, eh? I imagine how much fun this will be when times are announced, and posted. Even kids will have fun with it; and I'll help them all if needed. This is just around the corner from my yard bridge/railyard and entrance. YOUR HELP WILL BE APPRECIATED. The BARRLINE ought to appear below. It's all 4' curves and switches. The size is about 11'X28' Oh, and my gauntlet will be in the first vertical length of track below the top, but will be turned off for my games. Or should I leave it on for a random problem? FESTUS


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Todd! 

This is your baby! 

(I could do it with DCC and JMRI, but that's also assuming electric switch machines) 

The switch throws need to move a toggle switch, and then some simple logic can light up the paths. 

I'd probably do it on a computer. 

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I don't entirely understand what you are getting at, and your figure doesn't show up for me.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Weird, the image info (right click on the image) is unlike anything I have ever seen, it does not show a link... it's more like the graphics are embedded in the html code... 

Greg


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

[No message]


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 10 Oct 2011 06:31 PM 
Weird, the image info (right click on the image) is unlike anything I have ever seen, it does not show a link... it's more like the graphics are embedded in the html code... 

Greg Data URI scheme[/b]


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

If I could do it all on a computer, then I'm fine with that. I had no idea I COULD do it it that way. I'll still be happy to do it the old fashioned way though if necessary.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

so todd, if you are using ie, you have to run version 9 most likely.... fine on firefox... 

Greg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You need a passing siding somewhere . You have to be able to park a car on the siding and then run your engine around to the other side. That way you can put cars on the spurs that are on the back side of the engine. 
JJ


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

JJ, The point is to make it hard, it is a puzzle... it's supposed to be difficult to move cars... 


Without a "runaround" or "escape track" it's harder, but he also mentioned that there are multiple locos.

Greg


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

From day one, this has just been a puzzle, for kids and grownups alike. In the grand scheme of things, it connects to the mainline at both ends so you COULD go around. The bottom entrance/exit is the top spur on the left side of center, or the line that goes all the way up. And one of the two top horizontal spurs also goes to the mainline. With kids, There will be 2 or 3 switchers and perhaps 6 or 7 cars. And all they'll have to do is connect 2 cars to each end, then park it on an empty spur somewhere. With adults, it'll be full on purpose. And if nothing else, I can just fill it up with pieces that are a bit rare, or whimsical, or both. It fits, and I have space, and I like it, I just want a board that will show what's powered and what's not. Or where the switchers will go and where they won't. A board for the kids to see and work with. I think they'll learn a lot if someone can help me figure it out. Is there software that will work with this? Or must I do it with a board, switches and wires?


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 12 Oct 2011 01:09 AM 
so todd, if you are using ie, you have to run version 9 most likely.... fine on firefox... 

Greg 

Too many reported problems with IE9 and Windows7. God knows the problems with Windows XP-SP3. I certainly don't need to find out.

Festus, find a way to post your graphic and we'll see what we can see/do.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

XP sp3 is way better than win7, or win8 so far... 

but this problem has nothing to do with the operating system... so where is your comment coming from? 

it's the browser as I stated (or you can research it yourself) ... IE is a crappy browser... 

You can download Firefox on most anything... 

(in fact, it's wise to have 2 browsers installed, because if one is attacked, most people need to get to the internet to download a repair program, and if your only browser is kaput, it becomes more difficult) 


Greg


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Festus' graphic.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 12 Oct 2011 10:17 PM 
XP sp3 is way better than win7, or win8 so far... 

but this problem has nothing to do with the operating system... so where is your comment coming from? 

it's the browser as I stated (or you can research it yourself) ... IE is a crappy browser... 

You can download Firefox on most anything... 

(in fact, it's wise to have 2 browsers installed, because if one is attacked, most people need to get to the internet to download a repair program, and if your only browser is kaput, it becomes more difficult) 


Greg 

You inferrred that I should download IE9 so see the graphic (have IE8) and I don't know what conflicts IE9 may have with the XP operating system. Sure IE is a lousy browser and I always preferred Netscape Navigator when it was around. Of course I also perferred WordPerfect to MSWord.

I have Firefox on the E drive if I need it.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks Steve.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Festus, what is your skill/comfort level with basic electronics and wiring? Are you familiar with the LGB/Piko turnout motors and supplementary switches? What turnouts will you be using and how do you intend to power them?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Nope, I did NOT infer you should download IE9, how about quoting what I said?? 

"so todd, if you are using ie, you have to run version 9 most likely.... fine on firefox... " 

if there is any implication there, it's what I just posted, get Firefox... 

I suspect you have a chip on your shoulder if you misinterpret such simple English... I know you're smart, so that's not the reason. 

I was trying to help.. now I've helped derail this thread... I'll not try to help you in this department again. 

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 13 Oct 2011 08:48 AM 
Nope, I did NOT infer you should download IE9, how about quoting what I said?? 

"so todd, if you are using ie, you have to run version 9 most likely.... fine on firefox... " 

if there is any implication there, it's what I just posted, get Firefox... 

I suspect you have a chip on your shoulder if you misinterpret such simple English... I know you're smart, so that's not the reason. 

I was trying to help.. now I've helped derail this thread... I'll not try to help you in this department again. 

Greg 

You are missing the big picture. If I couldn't see the graphic, most other people couldn't see it either.

How is Festus supposed to get help if people can't see what he is getting at? And as you know, most won't ask, but if it's there to see, they may comment/contribute.

And I don't believe that many will switch browsers just to take a look and possibly comment.

Finally, it shows a level of committment on Festus' part. He is the one asking for help and could spend a bit of time to get the graphic posted for all to see (but that's been taken care of). You know very well that that would take far less time, then I would spend pouring over schematics of switches, relays, diodes, and capacitors.

I've spent way too many hours (and lost too much sleep) designing and outlining circuits for people who then say "forget it, too complicated," which is why I ask about skill level and committment before getting into the nitty gritty.

But, there have been several people who "follow through" and I'm only too happy to help them.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Festus, 
It is certainly easy enough to put red and green LEDs on your control panel that indicate which way a turnout was thrown (theoretically) using relays that will “latch” the light on. It is also easy to install the LGB turnout motors and supplemental switches (they attach to the motors) to make a section of track or spur dead or alive. 

I suggest that you look into the LGB literature that explains how these devices work and how they are used to set up a “spur” situation where one track goes dead as the other goes live. 

My question is how do you intend to set up the route? Do you want an operation to trigger a light indicating the next operation, or will this be in printed format? If the former, you will need to add some form of sensor to detect when a train has completed an operation and possibly relay this information back to the panel. For the level of track you’ve shown, this could get quite complicated, especially at the beginner level.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I think this is how I would do it.

Decide on some sane number of sidings (e.g., 8)

Use Dual In-line Pin (DIP) switches with that number of switches (e.g., 8) set up in two columns. The first column represents the start point and the second represents the finish point.

For each operation you want to perform, have a pair of DIP switches. So if you wanted to have a maximum of 8 movements, you would use 16 DIP switches arranged in the two columns of 8 switches in each column.

So for the first movement if you wanted a train to go from 1 to 7, you would select 1 on the first DIP and 7 on it’s counterpart. If the second movement was from 2 to 4 you would do similar, etc., on down through the columns.

On each siding on the control panel I would have a bi-color LED. All of the LEDs would be off except that the starting point would show a red LED and the end point would show a green LED. People are on their own to determine the best way to get there and what turnouts to throw.

When the train completes that movement a track sensor, either a magnet/reed switch, or Bump A.S.S. gap, sends a signal back to the control panel, the first set of LEDs shut off and the second red and green LEDs light up. This could continue through the number of DIPs in the column.

First one to extinguish the last set of LEDs, timewise, wins.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

Let me start my saying thanks to all who have responded. I'm a new guy and need all the help I can get. 
I plan to wire my mainline the old fashioned way; with 14-2 Romex beneath the track, and run wires to the switches as well. After reading Garden Railways magazine since 2004, and wandering through the internet, downloading files to help me with my planned projects, I decided I want to wire it just like I did my old Lionel layouts on a 4X8 sheet of plywood to start with, but I also want some form of automatic control. Keeping in mind, all I want to do is sit and watch my Koi and gold fish in my 3,000 gallon pond and my G scale trains too, without having to get up to do anything but feed and watch the fish, watch the trains and the dragon flies hovering over the pond, and the hummingbirds feeding at my feeder, and picking off the gnats one at a time, just wanting a relaxing place to just sit and enjoy it all. I decided against DCC. I'm happy with my trains just taking their turn going around each loop of track, and I have many separate tracks: Mainline, Inner-Mainline, Back and Forth, Trestle Level, Wishing Well, BARRLINE, Barrel, O Scale Barrel, and Busline. I may have missed one or two, but those will all have at least one train, and some will have two. Those with two will have one passing siding, and RR Concepts controller will allow the trains to take turns going around the loop. On the mainline, things get a bit more complicated. In one place there are two passing sidings, but I also have a passing siding in another place, plus access to the BARRLINE if I want. I'd also like to get into battery power too, simply because everyone who has done so, that I've read about, loves it. 
According to Curtis, at RR Concepts, after I wire everything for manual control (and I have LGB switches and controllers), all I need to do is wire in a switch that will allow power to either go to manual or to the RR Concepts controllers, and I can either run it all manually or sit back, relax, and allow their stuff to rotate the trains. On the mainline I'd like things to stay on automatic nearly all the time. The inner mainline too. The Busline will just be a back and forth, but can rotate three buses, or handcars. And the BARRLINE will be wired for manual control only. What I wish I could have is a map of the BARRLINE on a board. And each switch could be red or green, and that might be enough, but I also wish I could have the tracks that become powered when each switch is thrown light up so the kids will know how far they can go and on which tracks as they try to switch the cars and locos around. Oh, and I added a wye at the top of the BARRLINE so if you want to turn around, you'll have to go to the top of the layout to do so. 
With RR Concepts, all the tracks can be either set on automatic or manual. The beauty of that is I can have a number of them on manual and that will allow the kids to play too. Again, I don't want to be bothered with manually controlled switches, or sidings to pick up and drop off freight cars, and a lot of back and forth. I just want to relax and watch all my rolling stock and locos go by. And if I want to try and put my 2-6-6-2 Mallet to the test with 40-50 cars behind it, then I'll put the mainline on manual and watch that for an evening as I feed the fish and trim the waterlilies. I want what Winnie the Pooh has.................a thoughtful spot. No bothers getting up and down to load and unload or drop off box cars and add box cars. 
What I need to know is, how many wires go to each switch? And what size? Two? My 14-2 wire will be beneath each track, but to cut power to all the passing sidings, I do what? Add an isolator, or plastic insert at the ends of one track on every siding? But I still just need a pair of wires going to each switch motor? Or will I need extra wires for the isolated tracks on the passing sidings too? I've read the LGB instructions and it's all gibberish, just because they have everything in many different languages. I spend more time looking for English than I do figuring things out. I have electronics experts at my beck and call, so they can help me figure out the wiring. Plus I was in electronics at school for a couple of years, so I understand the basics. I just want to be sure I run enough wires to start with so I don't have to dig it all up again because I forgot something. 
I hope this is all easy to understand. I apologize for the problems with the layout drawing. That's the BARRLINE; manual control only.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Umm.. since you are going to use the RR Concepts hardware, I would make sure they tell you how to wire your layout and approve your schematics. 

If you did it Todd's way, I'm sure he would support you. 

If you wanted to do it with DCC, I'd be happy to help. 

By the way, everything you have mentioned can be done "Todds way" or certainly with DCC and JMRI software, I saw 2 Z scale layouts running about 8 trains each the other weekend using this. 

The safest bet is fully drawing it out and having Curtis approve it and draw up the parts list for you. 

Regards, Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Festus on 15 Oct 2011 03:55 PM 
Let me start my saying thanks to all who have responded. I'm a new guy and need all the help I can get. 
I plan to wire my mainline the old fashioned way; with 14-2 Romex beneath the track, and run wires to the switches as well. After reading Garden Railways magazine since 2004, and wandering through the internet, downloading files to help me with my planned projects, I decided I want to wire it just like I did my old Lionel layouts on a 4X8 sheet of plywood to start with, but I also want some form of automatic control. Keeping in mind, all I want to do is sit and watch my Koi and gold fish in my 3,000 gallon pond and my G scale trains too, without having to get up to do anything but feed and watch the fish, watch the trains and the dragon flies hovering over the pond, and the hummingbirds feeding at my feeder, and picking off the gnats one at a time, just wanting a relaxing place to just sit and enjoy it all. I decided against DCC. I'm happy with my trains just taking their turn going around each loop of track, and I have many separate tracks: Mainline, Inner-Mainline, Back and Forth, Trestle Level, Wishing Well, BARRLINE, Barrel, O Scale Barrel, and Busline. I may have missed one or two, but those will all have at least one train, and some will have two. Those with two will have one passing siding, and RR Concepts controller will allow the trains to take turns going around the loop. On the mainline, things get a bit more complicated. In one place there are two passing sidings, but I also have a passing siding in another place, plus access to the BARRLINE if I want. I'd also like to get into battery power too, simply because everyone who has done so, that I've read about, loves it. 
According to Curtis, at RR Concepts, after I wire everything for manual control (and I have LGB switches and controllers), all I need to do is wire in a switch that will allow power to either go to manual or to the RR Concepts controllers, and I can either run it all manually or sit back, relax, and allow their stuff to rotate the trains. On the mainline I'd like things to stay on automatic nearly all the time. The inner mainline too. The Busline will just be a back and forth, but can rotate three buses, or handcars. And the BARRLINE will be wired for manual control only. What I wish I could have is a map of the BARRLINE on a board. And each switch could be red or green, and that might be enough, but I also wish I could have the tracks that become powered when each switch is thrown light up so the kids will know how far they can go and on which tracks as they try to switch the cars and locos around. Oh, and I added a wye at the top of the BARRLINE so if you want to turn around, you'll have to go to the top of the layout to do so. 
With RR Concepts, all the tracks can be either set on automatic or manual. The beauty of that is I can have a number of them on manual and that will allow the kids to play too. Again, I don't want to be bothered with manually controlled switches, or sidings to pick up and drop off freight cars, and a lot of back and forth. I just want to relax and watch all my rolling stock and locos go by. And if I want to try and put my 2-6-6-2 Mallet to the test with 40-50 cars behind it, then I'll put the mainline on manual and watch that for an evening as I feed the fish and trim the waterlilies. I want what Winnie the Pooh has.................a thoughtful spot. No bothers getting up and down to load and unload or drop off box cars and add box cars. 
What I need to know is, how many wires go to each switch? And what size? Two? My 14-2 wire will be beneath each track, but to cut power to all the passing sidings, I do what? Add an isolator, or plastic insert at the ends of one track on every siding? But I still just need a pair of wires going to each switch motor? Or will I need extra wires for the isolated tracks on the passing sidings too? I've read the LGB instructions and it's all gibberish, just because they have everything in many different languages. I spend more time looking for English than I do figuring things out. I have electronics experts at my beck and call, so they can help me figure out the wiring. Plus I was in electronics at school for a couple of years, so I understand the basics. I just want to be sure I run enough wires to start with so I don't have to dig it all up again because I forgot something. 
I hope this is all easy to understand. I apologize for the problems with the layout drawing. That's the BARRLINE; manual control only. 

Everything you mention here can be accomplished using the LGB components. To kill a spur or siding you use an LGB supplementary switch that rides piggyback on the turnout motor. Put an insulator on one rail at the turnout and run a wire through the supplemental switch to a point on the spur past the insulator. When you throw the turnout toward the spur, the spur comes alive. When you throw the turnout back to the mainline, it goes dead.

Similarly the trains can be made to "leap frog" at a siding using the LGB components and a magnet attached to the bottom of the engines. However, manual control is also available just by toggling the turnout. Essentially the manual control and automatic control wires both come to the turnout motor in parallel and which ever one powers up, powers the turnout. I would think the same could be done using the RR Concepts modules, but can't gaurantee it.

I do everything that you allude to (7 trains run on 600 feet of interconnected track), and more, on our railroad without any of the RR Concept devices, but I do my own circuits up using 555 timing chips and relays rather than using the LGB equipment, for the most part. But my track is separated into 23 separate "blocks" each addressable by any of three wireless controllers. Do you have a basic understanding of electronics and what is your soldering comfort level?

BTW, there are several on this forum who use the LGB method and have posted the LGB diagrams for the leap frog, loop control, spur control, in English so that they are understandable. I would bet its in the archives, or one of the Moderators could bring them up for you to see. Once we're looking at the same thing, you can post your questions.


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## Tom Bray (Jan 20, 2009)

As far as doing what you originally asked for, if your manual switches or the controls have micro switches in them you could do a little magic to make the correct light light up. Assuming that the switches have a frog that is powered, you can detect which way the switch is thrown by tying the frog on one side of two lights and connect one to each side of the the rails feeding the frog. Make one red and the other green. It is pretty simple. 

Now if the switches don't have powered frogs, you are stuck with adding a micro switch. The switches that Train LI sells have magnets that activate a reed switch, this could be modified to also control the lights. 

Of course there is always the mechanical mechanism that sits on top of the switch machine that you can use to indicate direction if you don't need it to be on a remote location.


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## Festus (Jun 28, 2010)

So many choices, so little time. So much help, Thanks again. Now I have several more winter projects. FESTUS


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Festus,

I'm not trying to put you on the spot here, but gauge your level of expertise. If you were presented with the included schematic and told what parts to order and where to order them, could you wire this up? Never mind trying to understand the function of everything. Just could you comfortably wire up what you see in the schematic? (Many here wouldn't be able to.)


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

What is wrong with Relay 5? the rest are 4PDT, that one shows 5PDT... and why not remove the second half of the DPDT "turnout toggle"? 

Just a bit of cleanup if you are asking a non-electrical guy to interpret the drawing. 

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 25 Oct 2011 10:08 PM 
What is wrong with Relay 5? the rest are 4PDT, that one shows 5PDT... and why not remove the second half of the DPDT "turnout toggle"? 

Just a bit of cleanup if you are asking a non-electrical guy to interpret the drawing. 

Greg 

Relay #5 has a typo (note the pin is not in alignment), but the connection goes nowhere, so I never bothered to correct it. The second half of the "turnout toggle" is actually used to power the turnout, that is not shown here.

I'm not asking anyone to interpret the schematic. I only asked if Festus could comfortably wire it up. The schematic for what he wants to do would bear little semblance to this, would use _far more relays_, and most probably include lots of diodes. I'm only trying to assess his level of expertise in reading wiring diagrams and soldering.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

What I envision is that each turnout/siding will require two (but maybe four) relays and each "operation" will require two relays. So 8 turnouts would require 16 relays, and 8 operations would require an additional 16 relays. The relays would be diode matrixed to the DIP switches so your looking at a minimum of 64 diodes for 8 turnouts with 8 movements.

The LEDs on the control panel would be red/green common cathode and you would need 8 for the 8 sidings (1 per siding). You also need the DIPs and probably a toggle at each operation stage so you could terminate operations at less than the total number of available stages and have the system reset to the first operation for the next player. Each siding would require a magnetic reed switch or a pair of insulators (in addition to the insulator for the siding itself) to serve as a detector when an operation is complete and signal the control panel to move to the next operation.

It would take some thought, and this is all basic wiring, but there will be a lot of it to do.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sorry Todd, was not trying to nit-pick, but those little things might confuse someone doing exactly what you asked, follow without understanding. Those "loose ends" would not be able to be understood and discarded if you just want to be able to hook things up. 

Understanding the circuit would of course come to the immediate conclusion of typos, or missing wires. 

So, I was actually trying to be helpful. 

Regards, Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 26 Oct 2011 09:20 PM 
Sorry Todd, was not trying to nit-pick, but those little things might confuse someone doing exactly what you asked, follow without understanding. Those "loose ends" would not be able to be understood and discarded if you just want to be able to hook things up. 

Understanding the circuit would of course come to the immediate conclusion of typos, or missing wires. 

So, I was actually trying to be helpful. 

Regards, Greg 

Tell you what...

I've done some thinking and I am pretty sure that this can be done with *just one* 4pdt relay per "operational stage" and _*just one*_ spst relay for each siding. But it will require twice as many diodes to ensure proper operation. So 8 turnouts and 8 operational stages requires 8 4pdt relays, 8 spst relays, and 128 diodes (plus the 8 bi-color, common cathode LEDs), and 8 or 16 resistors to limit the current through the LEDs. (Eight if you don't want to adjust the relative brightness of the two colors to each other, and 16 if you do.) Luckily diodes and resistors are only a couple pennies a piece. Because the relays are not switching any real current (just LEDs and relays) cheap, small, 1 amp relays (typically well under $2 each) will suffice. For 8 sidings and 8 movements, you also need 16 sets of 8 pin DIP switches and a toggle switch after each stage to select the next stage, or go back to the beginning. You also need a momentary spst switch to start the system, a wall wart to power the relays and LEDs, and maybe a switch to turn it all on/off. The "detectors" can be 8 reed switches, or 8 Bump A.S.S. track gaps.

To alleviate any "typos" or "missing wires," I can describe the the circuit and let you do up the schematic. With your background, this should be easy for you. My electronics training is limited to one summer extension course at a community college, learning to fix electric organs 35 years ago, so this should be a piece of cake for you. (Actually, this whole thing should have been a piece of cake for you and is not really a "track-power" question at all but more of a "logic" problem.)


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 26 Oct 2011 09:20 PM 
Sorry Todd, was not trying to nit-pick, but those little things might confuse someone doing exactly what you asked, follow without understanding. Those "loose ends" would not be able to be understood and discarded if you just want to be able to hook things up. 

Understanding the circuit would of course come to the immediate conclusion of typos, or missing wires. 

So, I was actually trying to be helpful. 

Regards, Greg 

Hey Greg, how's that schematic coming along? You said that you wanted to help out.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Quoting my first post:

Todd! 

This is your baby! 

(I could do it with DCC and JMRI, but that's also assuming electric switch machines) 

The switch throws need to move a toggle switch, and then some simple logic can light up the paths. 

*I'd probably do it on a computer. *

Greg 


Yes, being helpful for specifically what I said, and it's all there in print for people to interpret and apparently misinterpret. 

Todd, you do relays and diodes and enjoy it. I don't. I already gave my opinion on how I would do it.


Bait not taken. 

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 29 Oct 2011 01:38 PM 
Quoting my first post:

Todd! 

This is your baby! 

(I could do it with DCC and JMRI, but that's also assuming electric switch machines) 

The switch throws need to move a toggle switch, and then some simple logic can light up the paths. 

*I'd probably do it on a computer. *

Greg 


Yes, being helpful for specifically what I said, and it's all there in print for people to interpret and apparently misinterpret. 

Todd, you do relays and diodes and enjoy it. I don't. I already gave my opinion on how I would do it.


Bait not taken. 

Greg 














Great! Then show us how to do it your way! I'm always willing to learn something new.

Remember that we only want to light/extinguish the lights on the panel and we are not throwing turnouts. Also, the next set of lights need to come on and the existing lights extinguish when an operation completes. Programming must be intutive (e.g., flip #7 DIP switch switch for #7 siding) and such that anyone can do it "on the fly" by merely flipping a switch or two without other means (e.g., a computer) or learning "code."

Oh, and let's keep it all under $50 including the detector circuits and do it without ANY relays or reed switches (e.g., mechanical devices that you are so adverse to even though they are used quite commonly in DCC applications).


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Read the quoted text again.I was not unclear. Also the OP did not impose a $50 budget, you made that up yourself. 

Anyone can make up additional restrictions to restrict the possible solutions. 

Again, baiting me won't work. 

Greg


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 30 Oct 2011 07:55 PM 
Read the quoted text again.I was not unclear. Also the OP did not impose a $50 budget, you made that up yourself. 

Anyone can make up additional restrictions to restrict the possible solutions. 

Again, baiting me won't work. 

Greg 

Fine. Describe your system for doing it with any reasonable budget. I'm all ears (or eyeballs as the case may be).


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