WIth all the myriad of devices needed to power a model railroad, what is generally done to turn everything off at the end of a session? A master switch of some sort?
BB
I use a standard 110v wall switch, wired in between the plug to the house current and all the rail road devices.
For me… Yep. I have a light switch at the head of a circuit controlling all 12 outlets into which layout-related items are plugged (except room lights which have their own). So flipping two light switches will shut down the entire layout and darken the room…
Hmm, all that I’ve got to power my layout is an MRC Controlmaster 20. It has an On/Off switch. [:D] However, to ensure that I haven’t left something, such as a soldering iron, plugged in, I’ve also put all of the layout room receptacles on a separate circuit, controlled from a wall switch located with all of the switches that control the layout room lighting.
Wayne
I have all my power hooked up into a surge protactor, when done for the day simplw turn off the surge protactor. All I have to do is remember to turn off the ceiling fan and the room lights which I have forgotton befor. Mike
[#ditto]
All my power from the train transformer to the Union Switch & Signal, CTC machine are hooked up to a power strip. Just have to turn off one switch then.
I have one switch to control the room lights, and another to control the room’s outlets. I also have a switch between the outlet and the layout’s power supplies, so I can cut power to the layout, but still have power for my tools, soldering irons, etc.
Nick
Yep, power strip with surge protector. Turn off the strip and everything shuts down.
Tilden
I have a Power Bar as well with a surge protector. I just turn it off when I’m done.
Same here!
When I built my new basement last fall, with a house on top for my wife, I had the contractor install a dedicated 20 AMP circuit for power to the layout with a wall switch by the basement stairs.
For overhead lighting I had the contractor install electrical outletts which currently have florescent shop lights. This is on a dedicated circuit too. I have unswiched power outlets around the room and dedicated lights and outletts where my workbench is located.
JIM
[8)]Gee, I have stuff plugged into a surge suppressor power strip. I just pull the plug!.[:D]
(Then the cats cant “accidentally” trip something when they shouldnt be up there![:)])
My Layout is in a Shed which plugs into an outlet in the garage, so I unplug the shed if I need to. the Layout Power supply, and the Radio and the Soldering Iron usually get plugged into a power strip, I turn power off at the throttle, Booster, Power Supply, Power strip, and unplug it in the garage. just to be sure. Usually I only unplug the shed if there is threat of severe weather.
The railroad room has breaker in the main house breaker panel, which is wired to a smaller 4 breaker box at the railroad. All we do is flip off two breakers and all power to the layout and the outlets is cut. The room lights and layout lights each have their own breaker (And wall switches) in the 4 breaker box.
Additionally, all the electronics for the railroad are housed in an enclosure that is surge protected. We had a close lightning strike take out a few delicate components in some electronics on the layout one time, so we put in a good quality surge protector/lightning arrestor for the electronics.
It was a lesson learned the hard way. It wasn’t expensive, but it was a pain to crawl around and desolder, remove, and replace a particular transistor in every circuit board for every block in the signal system under the layout.
That’s the best reason I can think of for mounting ALL the electricals (including electric switch machines) in behind-the-fascia electrical panels. The only things under the layout are direct runs of wire from the panels to rails, lights or animation devices (and mechanical linkages from switch machines to turnout points.) Some of the electricals are fronted by control panels, while the rest are covered by removable access panels in the fascia.
On the original topic, my room lights are on the standard switch-by-the-door house light circuit. My utility (work light and power tools) outlets are on a separate GFI - protected circuit (which also powers the rest rooms in the house, so I’d better NOT turn it off!) All model-related power (trains, structures, signals, animated devices) is on a separate circuit (intended for the garage door opener that isn’t there,) through a master switch close to the door, to a pair of surge protectors inside the fascia-edge electrical runs. Two switches kill everything, or I can turn on the lights for, “Work not including train operation.”
Chuck