CAD work for electrical control panels

> I can draw up all this by hand no problem except for being tedious and lots of erasures. Back in the day, I'd just wire something up, drill a hole, put in a switch on the panel and it was done. i.e. no planning. With age, wisdom and much more patience I'd like to do it "right" this time.
>
> Any takers?
> E.
Big E:
I can't help you with the CAD, but I've laid out and re-laid out, built and rebuilt my power and control system enough times to offer some advice.
Here's the latest iteration:

I have a total of 5 "Blocks"...separately powered sections/regions of track. I can run 5 engines at once if so inclined. The four colored looking things on the right are the main power supplies...24vdc. The fifth is for my COG line; that's in the upper left.
In the middle are four channels of control.

I got tired of buying and burning out cheap RR "controllers", which were nothing special, and didn't work very well. I built custom variable DC switching power supplies that would run at anywhere from about 5 volts to a full 22 volts and up to 2.5 amps each. You'd never come anywhere close to that running HO gauge.

Finally, the terminal block on the left is for all the I/O...connection to the track and most important, the switches. With separate power blocks, you have to be careful to implement "Block Signalling"...used on real railroads to prevent one train that might be ahead of schedule, slamming into a slow moving freight train in front of it.+o(

I did most of the schematics by hand, but did use CAD for some of the layout. One word of advice: Don't skimp on enclosure size. You'll use twice as much room as you think you will.

What are you using for power? Do you intend to run more than one train at a time? Do you have electrical switches? If so, are you going to control them manually? If so, I'd build a console that looks like your system, place the controller switches where they are on the layout (on the cover of the enclosure perhaps). Here's what I built:

If you're going to add track sensors ("Block controllers"), things get complicated fast, so take your time thinking it all through.

Post some photos soon!

Awesome work RFC!!

I'm currently running a MRC RailPower 1300 for power.
Just plain old DC around 22vDC. In a couple weeks I plan on going to full DCC.
NCE Power Cab DCC
That's what I'm going with.
The locos cost at least that much but are just too cool not to try them out.

I added 3 sets of feeder wires yesterday. For some reason when any 2 are hooked up, nothing works. Any one set by itself runs just fine. I'm at a loss at the moment. I probably won't spend much time debugging why until I get a proper terminal strip.
I'm not running a reverse loop and all the polarities are fine so I'm clueless at the moment.

Let's see if I can post a pic or two.....

This asbuilt as it sits right now. It's pretty close to scale.
Note the fancy cross-over at the bottom.

This ain't my first railroading rodeo by any stretch. It's just been a really long time. Almost 40 years. 30 at least.
I have about 70' of track on this one. Right now just one big circuit.
My last monster layout was a table smaller in size but was N-scale and I had about 90' of track on that with some 28 turnouts and 3 tunnels and 2 internal yards and 2 reverse loops and about a dozen blocked circuits. That control panel was about half the size of a coffee table complete with indicator lights. Not too bad for a 14 year old kid with no help and just improvising as I went.

On this current layout, all the roadbed in down. Only the outer loops and cross-over are fixed down and wired. I'm waiting to get some rail bumper-stops before I attach the yard lines. None of the turnouts are wired up either. I'm waiting to get some barrier strips and "proper" wire before I get into that. I don't want to have to cut any more track than necessary. Besides, I'm out of track joiners as well. I'm surprised I had enough to do what I've done so far.

I plan on putting a mountain with 2 tunnels on the east side. I may just elevate the inner loop and let it cut into the mountain side but the outer loop will most certainly be in the mountain.
E

question rfc - railroading

What gauge wire do you use for track?
And what gauge for turnouts and accessories?
Solid or braided?

question rfc - railroading

> What gauge wire do you use for track?
> And what gauge for turnouts and accessories?
> Solid or braided?

Typically, I use stranded control wire, only because it's more flexible than solid. That said, at the gauge you need for HO, you could use either. HO engines rarely take more than 1/4 amp, so you could use anything from perhaps 22 gauge and bigger. For Power, 18 gauge would be way fine enough, with next to no voltage drop at your lengths.

For power, the most important thing is to choose two conductor (Red and Black, Red and White), so that you know what's hot and what's not. Next, feed the track in multiple places! This will eliminate problems with the rail to rail connections.

The first thing to decide is whether you're planning on running the wiring above, or below the deck. Advantages to each.
Next, whether to run single or multiple pairs (like for control). Here's a photo of some 9 conductor Belden. If you choose to use something like this, don't buy any; I could send you enough to wire a layout 100 times larger than yours.

At the very least, just plan on NOT using the same color conductors everywhere for control. It will drive you crazy. You could actually use CAT 5 for the switches...it's cheap and available.

i could go on, but won't, lol.

question rfc - railroading

All my wiring will be under the deck for sure.
I already do have three feeder track lines hooked up. It's all running fine.
The most wiring I'll have to do is for the turnouts and any other accessories I hook up. Signal lights with LEDs and such is all I have planned for now.

If you have a bunch of wire laying around send it on! I'll make use of it.
I did have some CAT5 wires I already scavenged yesterday. Seems like it would be OK for accessories but a little thin for track power.

Remember I'm going to convert a lot of this to full DCC. I don't know if it makes a difference but it seems to me I shouldn't go any smaller than 22awg to the rails.

But really, if you are serious about that wire, I could use it.
E

question rfc - railroading

ails.
>
> But really, if you are serious about that wire, I could use it.
> E

Check Email:-D

question rfc - railroading

Did you email me?
Nothing here.

question rfc - railroading

Just tried again. Spam?

question rfc - railroading

> Just tried again. Spam?

Yep, you were right.
I got it and replied.
All good!!!
Thanks again,
E

question rfc - railroading

I assist with a large 2mm (n) model - 80 foot circuit - and this is set up with full dcc. In the early days there were a lot of power problems, since nobody realised how much current can get drawn when there's a short.

The guy who does the electrics has now rewired the main suppply busbars using stripped out cores from 30 amp mains cable and together with power boosters there are no more problems on 2 or 3 day exhibitions.

On a large set-up a short can pull up to 10 amps through the wiring, so hefty amounts of copper are a good investment (oh, and multiple connections from the busbars to each rail section - nothing worse than rummaging around under boards when the public are watching.)

Since this is on Surveyor Connect I'd better just say that modelling skills transfer easily into making precise fittings for survey purposes, not to mention field repairs to expensive equipment.