Control Panel

[AHRJMR]

Is there anything on-line about building a control panel and the best way to mount it? I have been looking, but haven't found anything.

Thanks,

Jim

[Jim Banner]

Here is one style of control panel that looks good, is easy to make, and can be mounted on a wall like the one shown or on the edge of a table or any other way you like, including ones that slide under the table when not in use.

I make mine using simple track diagrams printed out on the computer.  They are just on regular paper.  Then I sandwich the diagrams between a piece of 1/16" thick Lexan sheet and 1/16" thick aluminum sheet.  With the cover sheets taped together, I drill holes for push buttons, switches, LEDs, or whatever else I want on my panel.

Sometimes drilling the paper ruins the diagram, but no matter - it is quick and easy to print another copy.  Back inside the sandwich, I cut the holes in the new paper with the tip of a #11 Xacto blade.  Once things are looking good, I mount the switches, push buttons, etc..  These hold the sandwich together while I add wiring.

To mount the panel, I use 1 x 1 under the outer edge.  In the photo, you can see two of the screws which hold the panel to the pieces of 1 x 1 (which you carpenters will know is 3/4" x 3/4" in cross section.)  The decorative outer frame on this one was 1" wide strips of 1/8" hardboard with one edge sanded round.  This placed all around the panel and glued only to the 1 x 1 so that when the screws are removed, the panel drops out of its frame.  A coat of paint matched the frame to the woodwork in the room.  In this instance, the wall forms the back of the panel.  But a back of hardboard, sheet metal or plywood all work too.

In the part of the panel shown, the pairs of push buttons control the turnouts on the table.  These are Normally Open push buttons controlling normal dual coil switch motors, just like on Bachmann turnouts.  I colour code mine - black buttons for mainline, red buttons for sidings.  If you use Tortoise machines, you can use DPDT toggle switches or even SPDT with suitable wiring.  These are nice because the position of the handle shows which way the turnouts are set and on a large layout you can have an auxiliary panel with pairs of lights or bicolour LEDs so that you can tell from across the room which way the turnouts are set.  And you can even have remote readouts on a dispatcher's panel.

One variation on this type of panel for the people who like operating night scenes is to sandwich the diagram between two layers of 1/16" Lexan and use a few small bulbs behind the panel.  I find green ones give a particularly nice effect in the dark.  Another idea is to include at least one bicolour LED on the panel to show if the tracks are live.  Even with DCC this is an asset.  With blocked dc, a bicolour LED for each and every block that the panel controls, along with the block toggles and possibly reverse loop switches, can all be mounted on a larger version of the panel.  Just remember that as the panel becomes higher and wider, the amount of wiring increases and you need to leave more depth behind the panel as well.



This particular panel control the turnouts in one of the four towns on the H0 layout.  There is one different style of button on the left side of the panel.  It controls an electromagnetic Kadee uncoupler under the mainline through town.

Jim

[jward]

any of the layout plan books published by atlas will have instructions on building a simple control panel.

[mabloodhound]

Jim,
There is one forum that I know of that has a lot of info on control panels.
Look at these and I'm sure there are more.

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19539&whichpage=2
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23795
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=5291
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23450
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10397

The members of RR Line are terrific and very helpful, so just ask.

[Jim Banner]

Those are some really nice panels.  I particularly liked the layered one finished to look like aged cast bronze, shown in mabloodhound's last link.  I noticed they all used toggle switches, either center off or regular, even though the gentleman who produced the bronze look panel hated them and would have preferred push buttons.  Fortunately, the choice is ours to make.

Jim

[the Bach-man]

Dear Jim,
Try this:
http://www.micromark.com/SearchResult.aspx?deptIdFilter=0&searchPhrase=control+panel
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[AHRJMR]

Thanks everyone for all the good information!!

Jim

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jim,

I agree, the laser cut panel looks superb.  On the other hand, I prefer your description for a panel that can be easily made with simple tools, and easily changed when the layout is modified.

Best Wishes,

Jack