Control Panel - LED Dilemma

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I am setting up a control panel for a 5-track ladder with LEDs as route indicators. These are bi-polar LEDs, green for a straight through route, red for divergent route. This would all work fine if the four turnouts forming the ladder were all RH turnouts, as shown on the diagram below. The diagram illustrates the LED indicator for routing track 1, 2, and 3. The LED indicator turns red when the point rails are thrown for track 2 or for track 3.

However, for space reasons, I am using RH turnouts only for tracks 4 and 5. However, I am using a 3-way turnout to control routing to tracks 1,2, and 3.

If you look at the diagram below, the route to track 1 is indicated by a string of green LEDs. Then, look down to track 3. To achieve the desired routing, I throw the first set of point rails on the 3-way turnout. If you look to the right of the track ladder, the corresponding LED turns red, as desired.

The problem arises with track 2. To achieve the proper routing, both corresponding LEDs turn red, so it appears that the route is set for track 3, not track 2. But the route is correctly set. The problem is that the first of the two LEDs should appear green, as shown on the second track ladder in the diagram.

The only time that the LED for track 2 turns red is when the track 2 route is set. That being the case, is there a way to wire the setup so that when the track 2 LED turns red, the track 3 LED will turn green.

To my mind, it seems impossible, but I am an electronics lightweight. I am hoping that someone with more expertise can show me a way to do this.

Rich

2

Hi Rich

I have nearly an identical situation. It should not matter weather the turnout is left or right. You are more concerned with Normal or Reverse as in the points direction. So all the points lined for track 1 (if you want to call that the “main” or the “runner”) then all your led’s should be green. as soon as you throw one set of points to “reverse” THAT led will be red and that would be your route. I wish they made green/amber bicolor LEDs

I put my LEDs farther down the sidings not exactly at the switch, that seemed too confusing. When I get a chance I’ll get a photo up of my panel. It has been a few years since I wired it and by the nature of the beast it is not perfect.

What my operators have to do is look at the first RED led and the track BEFORE it is the one you are lined for.[:-^]

There may be better circuitry using diodes OR I think I have a way that a four pole six position rotary switch can be used. Just dial in the track you want and the route lines to it. But I never got around to wiring that up.

Take care, Ed

3

Mr Rich.

I built the pictured control panel to control turnouts and monitor two hidden staging areas.

On this panel:

  • green LED lights (red LED extinguished) when the turnout is set ‘through’

  • red LED lights (green LED extinguished) when the turnout is set ‘divergent’

  • pushbuttons set all turnouts to the selelcted track via routes programmed in SRC-16

  • yellow LED lights when occupancy detected in that block

Technology used:

  • Team Digital SRC-16 boards drive the control panel (outputs to LEDs, pushbuttons to inputs)

  • SRC-16 routes utilized to create routes for selected tracks

  • Digitrax DS64s used to drive turnout motors. Feedback from each turnout returned through each DS64

  • Team Digital BlocD8 boards used to detect occupancy in hidden blocks

  • Digitrax Loconet provides communication between various elements

I admit this will not solve the dilema you’ve described, but it does give some insight to how others have approached the issue of turnout control.

Keep your stick on the ice. Go Team Canada!
Dwayne A

4

do you want to indicate route or turnout position?

here’s a panel from a club layout. LEDs near the turnouts indicate routing and LEDs in the middle indicate occupancy. LEDs don’t always have to be on. (You simultaneously press two buttons to select a route).

5

I am assuming you have a double throwbar 3 way turnout.

6

Here’s the “model board” I use for the west end of my yard. The other end is all hand throws since they’re easy to get to but this end is under a bridge so I have to rely on the LEDs.

The system is simple… the UPPERMOST GREEN LED is your route. That’s it! IGNORE any green indicator beyond the first green one. They could ALL be green (except 4 & 5 since ONE of them has to be “reversed”)

LINED FOR TRACK FIVE:

LINED FOR TRACK ONE, The Runner (through track)

LINED FOR TRACK THREE ignoring the green on track 5…

Etcetera… These are only bicolor LEDs in series with the Tortoise. I’ll bet you could get busy with the auxiliary contacts on the Tortoise that would cut out the LED power beyond the set track? Or you could set up a fancy diode matrix deal… but I did this with five 10¢ LEDs and it works for me…

Hope this helps you out. Let me know if you need any more photos or info. Ed

7

what if you add another LED to track-1 (shown in gray below) and only illuminate the LEDs up to the track that is routed for.

with Track-5 selected, only the top right LED would be green. track-4 would have 2 LEDs lit, track-3 has 3-LEDs, …

the SPDT on the tortoise would route power to the subsequent Tortoise’s providing power to the LEDs

8

I appreciate all of the replies. Interesting stuff.

Part of my issue is that I have momentary push buttons on the control panel to control the Tortoises.

So I am not using toggle switches. To power the LEDs, I run two wires from each Tortoise to a 3-leg bi-polar LED.

I am planning to use the LEDs to indicate the position of the turnouts. That will show me which track has been selected.

Rich

9

I found a solution to my problem, thanks to some of these replies that got me to thinking about my track configuration. The fact that I use a 3-way turnout to control tracks 1, 2, and 3 requires that my control panel reflect that specific track configuration. I drew up a track diagram, shown below, that reflects the 3-way turnout configuration and then the LEDs work, as desired.

Rich