Hi. I am wondering if there is a standard for naming (labeling) turnouts for identification on a control panel schematic. I guess they can be labeled 1 thru xx, but that seems kind of simplistic.
Also, is there a standard for wiring colors? I seem to recall reading about one somewhere.
If the control switch for the turnouts is located on the schematic panel, there would be no need to label them at all. I am assuming that you are putting the switch where the turnout is on the control panel. If not, a simple numbering system starting from the left and moving to the right (like you normally read) would work well.
As for a color scheme for wiring, there isn’t any standard that I know of, but I can suggest the following:
Main track bus and wires: Red and Black.
Switch machine wiring: White for the common, Red for one side and Green for the other.
You may want to look on the NMRA web site for wiring color codes. If there are any, that’s where they would be.
You say “it seems kind of simplistic”. Why make it complicated?
They can be “named” for the area they serve {such as Southside Dolley Company Siding"} or yes, simply by numerical order, or by both {as in a yard}, or by no name, just location on your schematic.
As far as wiring, you can use a vaiety of wiring to wire them up, so as long as YOU keep your colors, or wire numbers in order for ALL turnouts, you should be fine.
Atlas, for example, does have a color coded wiring harness that is about 4 feet long that comes with their turnouts, but you can use other wiring if you like that is pink and purple and striped orange!
So think simple and you will do fine.
[8-|]
Name or number your turnouts with a system that makes sense to you. The system I use may not be appropriate for your layout.
Any wire color code works as long as it is consistent throughout the entire layout.
LABEL EVERYTHING
I have names for locations such as sidings, spurs, etc on my layout, and from that come name for each track. This control panel for a portion of the layout is for old-fashioned DC, as evidenced by the “loco cutoff” switches at far left, but you can still use soime of the principles from it. Most of this section is for hidden and open staging at the back of my layout.
I have given names to each turnout hich do not show on the panel necessarily, but they are on my wiring documentation and on wire terminals, etc.
Note that the tracks in Demara Yard (open staging) are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. This happens to be from back to front but this is just because track #1 is the closest to being a straight-through of the lead. Therefore the track switches for these tracks are named Dem-1, Dem-2, Dem-3, etc and those names and or their abbreviations are marked on my wire terminals, etc. inside the control panel and under the layout. Actually, I used an ordinary Peco turnout for Dem-1 and most of the rest of this section, but I used a 3-in-1 Shinohara ladder switch for the switch ladder into tracks 2,3,4 and 5, and powered the track switches with tortoises-- which require a DPDT toggle to throw the switch. So those switches are Dem-T2, Dem-T3, etc. keeping the same number but adding the T to designate tortoises.
The switch at “Demara Junction” is called Demara GATE because it is a :gate" between staying on the staging tracks or being allowed to make a sneak-through to the port terminal railroad, “KK Wharves” which allows a continuous run.
Mallory is hidden staging for passenger trains, but one siding needs to be kept open to get through to Demara for staging freight trains. I call the s
On my switching layouts I name them after the industry.
Examples National Plastic Pellet track,Pillsbury lead, etc.
For my runaround switches-RW or RE with stands for Runaround West or Runaround East.
The transload switch is simply TL for yup,transload…
I haven’t labeled turnouts by name or number on my control panels, but naming them can be fun as well as informative. I think of my turnouts by name, e.g., South Yard Entry, East Lead, etc.
As far as wiring goes, the standard that I follow is to match feeder wires to bus wires by color. I use blue and yellow for that purpose, blue to the outside rail and yellow to the inside rail.
Rich
Mine are a mixture of manual and DCC controlled. The manual ones are named for what they are for, Beer store siding, Pebble Creek industrial siding etc. The DCC controlled ones are numbered, beside each one is a mile marker post saying what number it is. I think it makes it easier for people running the layout that way.
Realroads do both. It depends.
Out in the sticks they are named: “Taylor-North” and “Taylor-South” or “Red Trail North” and “Red Trail South” or just simply “Richardton” OK, these names are on the timetable (maybe?) Sometimes, I Know “Taylor” is marked. Of course the Taylor siding is not in Taylor, but several miles south of town. But for purposes of the railroad that is Taylor.
But on more complicated plants, they are indeed numbered. You have a tower with a row of levers, and these are numbered. The switches and signals have corresponding numbers. It a train approaches a RED signal and it does not clear, the engineer can call on the radio for the correct signal number. Of course he is not going to get the signal if the plant is aligned for a different train, but the the leverman is asleep at the switch, at least that will wake him up.
LION likes the old GRS Model-5 machines. He built one for his layout. the signal levers are painted red, the switch levers are painted black. The levers are numbered from left to right, and the model board above the machine has the location of each switch and signal by number. Signal levers are to the right and to the left of the row, the switch levers are in the middle. Trains moving from Left to Right have all of their signal levers on the left on the machine. Trains moving from Right to left have all of their signal levers on the right of the lever row.
LION thinks it would be real cool for a modeler to mount red and black switches after this manner.
The only wiring standard I’m aware of is for the internal wires for a DCC locomotive. The standard is here http://nmra.org/standards/DCC/standards_rps/RP-9.1.1%20200801.pdf
Some people extend the red / black to the external bus as well, but that’s a personal choice. Personally, I use white / black for the main bus because I have some house wire that has those colors. My feeders are red and black because that’s what was available, so black to black and red to white works there.
As others have noted, be consistent.
Enjoy
Paul
Thanks to all who replied. The info was extremely helpful. You guys are amazing.