Suggestions on mounting control panels for modular layouts?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Greetings!

Background:

I’m a member of a modular layout group in the Puget Sound area of Washington. We don’t have a permanent location, but set up 4-6 times per year at various shows and/or special events. Thus, our needs tend towards 1) portable, 2) sturdy, 3) easy to set up, and 4) reliable.

Project:

In conjunction with the turntable I’ve been scratchbuilding, I’m working on improving the control panel setup for my three modules. There will actually be two control panels:

  • Main control panel for operators, to be located inside the loop of modules. About 12"x18".
  • Very simple small auxiliary control panel on the outside. About 8"x8". This will have two very prominent LEDs, and two pushbutton switches: LEDs labelled “Sorry, the turntable is in use by a club operator”, and “Go ahead and run the turntable”, switches for “Clockwise” and “Counter-clockwise.” Hoping to give the kiddies a little thrill by letting them actually interact with the module, so long as the turntable is not actively in use.*

As you can guess, both of these will need to be sturdy. In particular, I want to make sure that the “public” control panel will not fall off the front of the layout under the “influence” of little hands. :slight_smile:

Query:

So, I’m looking for suggestions as to how to attach these control panels. I spent a period of time in the hinge and cabinet hardware aisle of a big-box store this morning, and have a couple of ideas based on barrel locks, but am wondering what else is out there?

I had toyed with the idea of hinges, with the pin being removable for transport, but I didn’t see many (if any) hinges at the store where the pins weren’t captive (non-removable).

It would be particularly nice if the inside control panel were able to fold down when not in use (clearing more space in the a

2

Sounds like you’re set on doing it as an add-on? I’d build it so that it would slide in and out like a drawer and using locking door slides.

On the other hand, is it possible to build it into the side of the module’s fascia?

3

Our HOn3 Free-mo module sets have to be reversible - can be rotated 180 degrees and still link up. Therefore, there is no “inside” or “outside” of a module.

To allow module reversing and to avoid issues with transport and breakage at shows, all controls must be dual (on both module sides) and either recessed or flush with the fascia. Typically this is done by mounting a short piece of PVC pipe with a cap at the back, and installing the toggles into the cap. Or mount a square of 3/4" ply with a large hole cut into it and the fascia behind the fascia. At the back of the hole in the 3/4" ply, mount a thin sheet of whatever, and mount the toggles into the thin sheet. Turntable modules have the toggles for the turntable mounted in this manner.

Any LEDs used as indicators are mounted flush into the fascia. Being narrow gauge, we use very few LED indicators - you look and see if the turnout is correctly aligned. [:)]

We use DCC with walk-around or radio throttles, so the toggles recessed in the fascia are strictly for turnout (most use Tortoise machines) or turntable or structure lighting control. The plates for plugging in the DCC throttles are flush-mounted in the fascia.

Another possibility is to mount the controls on top of the module, perhaps in a small box. We do have a few modules that use Caboose Industries ground throws for the turnouts, and this seems to work fine, too. Our modules are 50" high, so public operation of the controls is not a priority. But we do let selected members of the public operate on the layout under supervision.

my thoughts, your choices

Fred W

4

Yes, this is a retrofit, sort-of. The modules have been under-construction for several years, and I’m finishing the engine servicing area with the new turntable.

There are no fascia, only skirts on the front. Modules need to be kept portable. The “Auxiliary” panel needs to be mounted on the front, either to the modules themselves or to the legs, and be sturdy-enough to withstand “little hands”. I’m tending towards solidly bolted to the legs on this panel. It can’t be slide-out, it has to be as “hands-off” for the owner as possible. (Especially since I generally can’t participate in every day of every show).

As the thickness of the module frame is about 4" (of which the top 1" is insulation foam into which scenic features such as ditches, culverts, and a small pond are cut), there isn’t a significant amount of space for a slide-out drawer. That would be quite challenging even if this was not a retrofit of existing modules.

In theory, I guess I could make a slide-out section hanging UNDER the module for the main operating panel. I’ll give that some consideration. It will have to be sturdy-enough to carry the weight of the entire module, though, Just In Case it gets set down. That, in turn, will make it heavier, and potentially less portable.

Because my son is about to hit his teenage years, I am already kinda losing his interest in shows, and so my emphasis needs to be on individual setup. While there are generally club members who can help out during setup, the individual differences in how modules are constructed often means it will take as long to instruct them in how to set up, as it would take to do it myself. I tend to simply aim at one-person setup- then, if something breaks, I know who to blame. :slight_smile:

5

Let me further clarify.

https://skydrive.live.com/#cid=D394AF7C805D1456&id=D394AF7C805D1456!

The front of the modules get clear plexiglass attached (via 3" wide velcro), and the back of the modules get the backdrops attached (via bolts into the back of the frame of the module).

The main control panel I’m talking about for the club operators will show the entire track layout of all three modules (12’ worth of width, with 40’+ worth of trackage, ten turnouts, the turntable, and switches to control power to individual tracks (for engine storage). There is no way to incorporate something of the scale I’m talking about into just the 4" high backside of the modules. This is a modern intermodal terminal (created out of an old short line yard, hence the remainder of the engine terminal with the turntable).

The control panel will be an estimated 12" x 18". I’m asking for suggestions how to attach this to the back of the modules- I suspect that attaching to the backdrops would not be sufficiently sturdy, and would likely lead to screw/bold heads in the front of the backdrop that would have to be concealed.

6

I think what will work best is to build up a frame, with the side rails extending out the back. Let’s say make them 1x2, as that or 1x3 is a pretty good size to build a frame for the control panel. The extended rear rails will slide into a receiver that is the size that is the size of the siderails. You can then have holes drilled through the rail and the receiver to secure them.

Doesn’t sound like your goal, but the receiver could be duplicated on the other side in case it was necessary to make it work on both sides. If the umbilical is set up right, then flipping it to the other side will be easy. When removed, there will be no odd things sticking out, the panel is carried seperately. This method will also work with multiple panels.

7

I wonder how I can describe what I’m looking for more-clearly.

I’m well-versed in furniture and construction of things with wood.

What I’m having trouble with here is actually identifying if there is a particular type of hardware that I haven’t remembered/recognized that would help me to do the quick-connect of the control panel to the module structure.

Ideally, this hardware would be something that could serve a dual function as both connector, and as a pivot, to enable the main control panel to be folded up for use, or allowed to hang vertically to be out of the way.

For example, in the first post, I mentioned barrel locks. I obviously forgot the name- this particular link from HD shows a “windows bolt”, but there were a number of other names:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Window-Bolt-13519/202950138#.UVt-UFd5fgI

Using two of those, IF I arrange the hardware correctly (one at each end, with room to pivot), might be used to hold the control panel, and allow it to tilt.

But, is that the best solution? I don’t know, and I’m trying to see what ideas people have.

So, please: what HARDWARE might people suggest? I didn’t see anything obvious this morning, and all of the suggestions right now seem aimed at helping me design the framework itself. Thanks, but not what I need.

Oh, and our modules are ONLY designed to be set up with the dual mains towards the audience/public, and the backdrops on the back side (towards where the club members work, set up trains, have lunch, etc. While I appreciate people’s thoughts toward making the modules bi-directional, that’s irrelevant for this application.

Does that help people aim their thoughts? :slight_smile:

8

Most public display layouts I have seen have a safety fence around them to keep little (and big) hands from getting too close to the action. If yours does, having controls on the face of the layout will put them out of reach or the public in the safe zone.

Thought came to me that you could build a stand for the “public” operator to stand on, just outside your fence. Have your control switches and lights on a the stand. To wire it you could have a wire coiled up on the stand, to be unrolled and plugged into the module, covered with tape were it is on the floor, just like all the other wires on the floor. If your operators operate from the inside of the layout, no one would be walking over them. This would mean you would not have to mount a second control panel on the layout. Also, when the layout was not on public display the second panel would be stored with the rest of the safety fence.

Having a special place for the public operator to stand should eliminate some of the possible conflicts of who is operating and who is watching.

Just a thought.

Good luck,

Richard

9

If this is a link to show something, I can’t get it to open.

10

Most door hinges have removeable pins: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-1-2-in-Oil-Rubbed-Bronze-5-8-in-Radius-Door-Hinge-15004/202558090

Or are these too big?

11

Let’s try this again:

Cross Section

12

Hmmm… yeah, that does say they’re removable. Wasn’t clear at the store- I tried “mildly” (i.e., fingers-only, no tools) removing one or two, none seemed loose-enough to remove.

Which makes me wonder if there is something that will have a) a positive connection, with b) easy to remove. That’s the idea I’m aiming at… something that I can hold the control panel in place with one hand, and latch with the other. If these pins go in easily-enough, it might be suitable. Ideally, though, it would be something that is entirely captive (i.e., a latch that I could close to make the connection.)

If nothing else, I may go that direction. I may see what else appears on this thread, though: I’m still working through some of the circuits, so I’m likely at least a week or two from starting physical assembly.

13

Problem with door hinge pins is that they are designed to be tight, removable yes, but generally with a hammer and punch. Smacking them on a regular basis is gonna be hard on the framework of the modules.

bpickering,

Nothing like a slick, do-it-all that covers both mechanical and electrical connections comes to mind. In fact, I’d suggest keeping the two things separate. The electrical part should be easy, just use electrical connectors like on the rest of the modules.

As for hardware, my suggestion on the rails that slip into a receiver on the module was specifically meant to avoid hardware. If there was a simple hardware solution, I’d think it would’ve risen to the top by now. I have used the rail-and-receiver method on several things over the years and it is a robust solution unlikely to break or require adjustment. YMMV

14

No, they don’t normally come out “by hand”, although I have a few around the house that do. Yes, a small drive pin and hammer are required for removal. But not that much force is necessary.

If the pin came out too easily, then it would be falling out when you didn’t want it to. Some of them are cheap enough that you might want to invest the $3 to get one to try.

15

Given the answers (i.e., no-one else has thought of a “magic bullet” solution), I’ll likely do something like the receiver built into the module. The hinge pins being too tight to easily remove during setup/takedown has been a concern of mine from the beginning- and the proximate cause of my perusing the aisles of HD, as well as posting this thread.

Electrical connections will be either trivial, or almost-trivial, depending on how some ongoing experiments go (failure last night, but that was code problems, not necessarily electrical problems).

  • If I can get the CAN-BUS interfaces working, connections will be a single RJ-45 (i.e., Ethernet) cable which will carry both the power and the signal. I’ve been working on this as potentially electrical- and transmission-protocol compatible with a system that we’re using on some of our newest modules, to be announced sometime Real Soon Now by a major DCC manufacturer (but not DCC).
  • If I can’t get the CAN-BUS interfaces working, I’ll fall back to simple Ethernet, which I know I can make work, but is a heavier-overhead solution than I had hoped (as well as not directly compatible with the other system in use in our group). In that case, connections will be a RJ-45 (actually using Ethernet this time), plus a 12V barrel power connector.

So, once I actually assemble things, is anyone interested in my posting the results to this thread? (It will be 2+ months until that happens, as I’ve got some surgery coming up at the beginning of May that will put the kaibosh on any woodworking for several weeks to a month.)

Thanks for all the input,

16

We built our inside panel on a box that sits on a small fold up table set inside the layout. It electrically plugs into the module through four 12 pin Molex plugs and is free standing. We have cable ties of various colors to match the four plugs and sockets. We also varied the male and female plugs and the male and female sockets so that only one plug will plug into one socket. This table also holds our power supplies etc. which either plug into the control panel or directly into the layout. The control panel ships loose in our garbage can. The table when struck down it sits on a combination work table and storage cabinet that sits inside the layout. This cabinet is on wheels and rolls right into a spot on our trailer. During shipping it also holds our legs, stools, jumper tracks, and so on.

For outside I would suggest leaving part of the back open and using a C clamp to clamp it to the layout with a plug for the electrics. This is surprisingly secure. Be careful of stuff that sticks out of the surface of this panel, people walking by will either brush it and break the switches or claim that they got hurt by protruding toggles or lights. This will also make it less likely to be damaged in storing and shipping.

Alternately, use at least two T nuts on the panel so they make a blind threaded hole and bolt it on from the layout frame.

Keep it simple and keep it safe for the public. There are too many people out there who remember the train layout from the Adams Family…

17

My turntable control panel is hinged to drop down for wiring and servicing. The actual panel is .080" aluminum. I use cabinet magnets to keep it in the up position but plan to use a barrel type lock in the future. The magnets are quite strong and most who try to pull it down give up thinking it doesn’t come down. The second photo was taken before most of the wiring was done. Note the labeled terminal strips, very convient. The last photo is with the facia installed around it.

-Bob

18

farellaa,

Nice work on that TT panel.

Brian,

Yes, I’d be interested in seeing pics of what you come up with. It’s always good to trade ideas around, as you never know when someone else’s solution can come in handy for a problem.

19

While shopping for a home improvement project at Lowes last night, I had something of an epiphany- I think I may have found the right part.

My thought is to mount the main hinge portion firmly to the module (those included screws are NOT sufficient for what I want. [:)]), and the swivel lock to the back/bottom of the control panel. Arrange it so that gravity can pull it vertical. I’ve got some ideas regarding keeping the panel at a usable angle when in-use, but they aren’t as fully-fleshed-out; I also saw some pieces of the type that hold a cabinet top or desk-top open.

Regarding protecting the outside control panel from the public, and vice versa, I think I’ve addressed most of that in my design. Here’s a cross-section of the panel. The outline of the panel will probably be 1x3s (that gives me sufficient depth inside for the electronics.) The back will be tempered hardboard (one of our favorite substances as model railroaders, it seems!), and the front is two pieces of 1/8" clear plastic. Why two? Because the lettering, drawings, etc. describing the panel will be printed on photo paper, and locked in between the two pieces. I’ve gotten quotes from a local plastic supplier, each of the approx. 8x8 clear acrylic, with four holes (two pushbuttons, two LEDs) will come to around $8 apiece, with the holes drilled. The back and front each are held in routed grooves. Since the grooves are inset some from the front of the boards, the will also make the pushbuttons and LED bezels inset to be roughly even with the front surface of the boards. Relatively little to get snagged on (no big toggles sticking out). The panel will likely be mounted vertically on the front of the module, so again, not sticking far out into the public area (which, BTW, goes right up to the modules… we don’t use a roped-off area, relying on the clear plexiglass member vigilance to k