turnout control from multiple locations

Using my relay approach, if turnout controls are grouped on “tower panels”, wire counts can be greatly reduced.

Once the two control power wires are present at the panel, only one wire per pushbutton, or two per turnout/route, is required. So a panel with 6 turnouts would only require 8 wires, and a duplicate location panel would only require 8 wires, all of which would come back to a relay panel located near the group of turnouts.

From that relay panel, 2 wires would run out to each switch motor.

Sheldon

I contemplated different ways of doing this on my layout. My industry / spur track turnouts are manual, but I have two sets of three turnouts each at two different interlockings that are controlled by switch machines. What I ended up doing was connecting them up to accessory decoders. I only used four, as each interlocking area included two turnouts that always work together to form a crossover, and I found one decoder would work both together. Since I use a radio-control walk around, I can throw the six switches from anywhere on the layout, so I ended up not bothering with any toggle switches or such.

Well, if you use DCC that is one approach.

I have operated on layouts set up like that and found it very cumbersome, at least using Digtrax - 5 button pushes to throw one turnout/select one route - my system does that with one button push.

Since you only have six turnouts to control, your choice should work pretty well. On a layout with 100 mainline turnouts, keeping track of turnout numbers is a job. having to look at something to remember defeats the idea of being able to contol them from anywhere.

Sheldon

In the past, I could never see the value in throttle control of turnouts. However, after the latest 600 series throttles turnout control has been considerably improved. You can still maintain locomotive control and see your turnout status in the upper-third of the screen.

I have only one DS64 on my layout for route selection through a yard so I occasionally play with its inputs using a throttle. It functions as expected and can be an asset in some cases.

Regards, Ed

There is no question that the 600 series throttle is a big step up from the old throttles.

But twenty years ago I had to make decisions about what I was going to invest in regarding a control system.

I chose not to go DCC based primarily on two factors, my lack of interest in sound and the ergonomics of the existing throttle choices.

A secondary factor was the cost and work involved in decoder installation for 140 locomotives.

All of these factors have changed, but I am not unhappy with my choice. I like control panels, and the tactile feel of buttons.

The Aristo radio throttles have proven to be very reliable and simple to use.

And my integrated turnout control, cab assignment, signaling system is very user friendly. Two decades ago I installed the same system on a friend’s layout. The DCC users in our group were amazed at how easy it was to use. That gentleman has passed away, but his family still maintains and operates his layout.

I tell new people to

Not to spin off topic here, but I don’t agree with the position many folks have that DCC and sound are kinda the same - if you don’t want sound, you don’t have any reason to do DCC. Even if I didn’t want sound - and given the expense, and trouble of squeezing a decoder and speaker into a small engine, there is an argument to made against sound - I’d still see DCC as a big improvement compared to DC.

With a comparatively inexpensive non-sound decoder, you get the ability to speed match all your engines (which really is pretty easy although some folks seem to struggle with it) so they all start, run, and stop the same. Multi-engine lash-ups become very easy. Plus they don’t jerk, they ramp up slowly to speed and drift to a smooth stop, thanks to momentum. In recent years, you can get decoders with “keep alive” and similar things that keep the engine running even if it hits a brief loss of power on dirty track or at a crossing or turnout.

You get many lighting benefits - the headlight can be on when you’re stopped, or the lights in a middle unit in a consist can be off. You can turn on each headlight, mars light, cab light, or the number boards separately.

Layout wiring becomes incredibly simple compared to chopping up track into little blocks with toggles to throw to (hopefully) assign the right section of track to the right controller. You just dial up the engine you want and go. Plus of course walkaround / wireless radio control is an option.

Agreed, but that is not really what I said. If you want sound, you need DCC. That is separate and apart from other reasons to want DCC.

And again, DCC is usually the best choice for most people these days.

But the list of reasons you give don’t completely hold up.

I use DC.

And I have:

Wireless throttles

High quality full voltag

For my home shelf switching layout, DCC offers no real advantage except sound. I don’t consist, and in 1900, precious little railroading was done at night on short and logging lines. A working headlight and some handheld lanterns were as good as it gets when light was needed. Wiring for DC is just as simple as DCC in my situation, with just one train running at a time. Which is simpler when there is more then one engine on the layout - turning off the second engine with a toggle, or selecting the first engine on my throttle? Walkaround throttles (with momentum, smooth starting, etc) are still available for DC. Or if really pinched, I could wire a DCC decoder upstream of the block toggles (with the motor output to the track) as a DC throttle run by a DCC control throttle. Would be a lot easier than installing a decoder into an 0-4-0T HOn3 switcher.

OTOH, at a modular setup, DCC is the only practical answer because of the ever-changing layout geometry.

Again, as has been said, it all depends on what you want out of your control system.

Fred W

…modeling foggy coastal Oregon in HO and HOn3, where it’s always 1900…

If anybody needs more help on this subject and has access to MR JULY 2002, VOLUME 69, NUMBER 7 edition.

Look on page 74. ‘One turnout (tortoise), two controls’. Page 75 has two diagrams (with colored coded wire), one for two control locations and one for adding dispatcher control.