DC Control Panels For Your Model Railroad (345)

Several years ago I did a 5 part video series on building control panels for my Piedmont Southern. However that series used NCE Switch8 DCC accessory decoders. In this case I am going to show yo how to build control panels that operate entirely off DC power so the can be used on a AC, DC, or DCC powered layout. And I showed how to do the DC wiring in video #209. Since I already showed how to build and wire these panels I am just going to concentrate on the final details and wiring them to the Tortoise switch machines under the layout. That way I can keep this build to a single video instead of 3-4.
For those looking for the All Electronics replacement it is www.AREtronics.com . Another similar company is www.MPJA.com plus I have gotten some parts from www.Jameco.com .
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:00 Background
3:00 All Electronics
4:09 Today’s project
5:19 The panel
7:01 Wiring for DC
11:15 Final connections
14:48 Panel installation
15:50 Wiring Tortoises
19:55 Will it work?
22:13 Wrapup

[@TheDCCGuy]

In the video I mentioned a replacement for All Electronics run by their ex-employees, and it is www.AREtronics.com . Additional similar companies are www.MPJA.com and www.Jameco.com . Let me know if you have a bad experience with any of these so I don’t promote bad actors.

[@peterjhillier7659]

Thanks Larry, great how to Video as usual.

[@kenr86]

One thing that a lot of people forget when designing control panels - red and green are the most common leds used. Unfortunately, red/green color blindness is the most common form, particularly among men. For those with that affliction, they just appear as grey....

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes, I am quite aware of that issue. However it is the traditional color pattern used in model railroading for closed vs thrown, normal vs reversed, and similar designations so I stick with it. In addition the LEDs themselves still provide the directional information just like the pattern for red and green on road signals and railroad signals.

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

Good video Larry. Very neat panel. Cheers Peter.

[@eXtremeFX2010]

Yep, I need to review your previous videos... thanks for all you do for the hobby.

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

Hi Larry. I too have used allelectronics for years and was sad to learn if it's demise. I appreciate you telling us about aretronics. I will be watching their development with great interest.

[@elsdp-4560]

Thank you for sharing. 👍

[@randydobson1863]

hello larrt it's is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks larry friends randy

[@frankneher9192]

I found remington industries as a great replacement to all electronics to get wire.

[@ColtonRMagby]

That switch panel may be on the smaller side, but it works, and that's what matters. I couldn't see the crossover points moving because the camera wasn't zoomed in enough. I was looking to see moving metal, but didn't see anything.

[@maltnz]

Heard but not seen

[@TheDCCGuy]

Yes, it was a tradeoff between zooming out far enough to get both turnouts in the image and seeing the points move, but trust me they do move fine.

[@ColtonRMagby]

@@TheDCCGuy I heard them move, and it sounded like everything was working properly, but until you confirmed it worked fine in the video I wasn't sure because it could've sounded right and still not functioned properly. I'm glad everything worked like it's supposed to.

[@chrisbarr1359]

Hi Larry. Love your videos! What gauge wire are you using from control panel to Tortoise 🐢 switch machines and then onto turnouts?

[@TheDCCGuy]

Those are 20 ga wires. You can get away with it on these runs since it is only about 15 milliamps max. In this case I started with about 8 VDC and at the Tortoises I am reading 6.5 VDC when stalled. So a 1.5 VDC drop, and 0.7 volts of that comes because of the LED that lights up on the board. A 1.5 volt or so drop in this case just means the Tortoise runs a bit slower and quieter.

[@thomasgrassi8817]

Hello Larry Great video I have been using Cobalt IP motors they work with a n DCC concepts ECP 12 12 volt power supply to control the LEDs and push buttons on my Panels. Just added 4 turnouts and need to make two panels I just saw how you angle the panel and I like that idea. Only question is how do you mount that panel on your facia?

[@TheDCCGuy]

As I said in the video 2 screws through the shelf up into the bottom of the sides holds it firmly yet are easy to back out for repairs if needed.

[@alanwhite4427]

Good afternoon Larry, I loved the video. You showed the (+) or (-) output of the s/p switch and this went to the point motor. You said that the other side of the point motor was connected to the common side of the DC power supply. Do you not get a problem if for example the common of the power supply was (-) and the switch output was (-), the point motor could not work ? Regards, Alan 👍

[@TheDCCGuy]

The common is neither + nor - it is a common return wire. I know it can be hard to wrap your brain around so get out or download a copy of the Tortoise instruction sheet which shows how this is created.

[@alanwhite4427]

Many thanks 🙏.
Alan

[@TheDCCGuy]

I thought of a way to explain how it works. Assuming you are familiar with household AC wiring where there is a hot wire and a neutral wire. In this case the common is essentially acting as the neutral and the +/- wires are the rectified output from the hot wire.

[@JohntheTrainman]

Since you use only a - and + for each SPDT toggle, why can't you use one DC supply for the power? Also, just curious as to which software program you use to create the control panels?

[@TheDCCGuy]

You can but you’d need to use DPDT toggles which are more expensive than SPDT toggles and also require much more complex reverse wiring. Of the 3 methods in the Tortoise instructions, I consider this the simplest, cheapest, and easiest.

[@brianhill2634]

Hi Larry, I sent you a comment ref 25 video regarding Kato turnouts. So same question, does this DC video work the same for Kato turnouts? Brian H(UK)

[@TheDCCGuy]

In answer to both questions, it likely depends in what you have. Some Kato turnouts have a built-in switch machine that is unique to Kato. I think they also may make some with a built in accessory decoder as well but don’t hold me to that. The method I show in this video will not work with them. However several manufacturers make devices for controlling Kato turnouts so you would be better off first finding something that works with DC and not DCC and then substituting it in the control panels I show how to make. Do a RUclips search for Kato controls and find some videos that deal specifically with them.