Along with that... The only 'control panel' I have on THERR is the one for Luck Penny Yard that is behind a drop down that hides the control panel when not on use. This control panel gives me added control over my yard. Each siding in the yard can be shut off regardless of turnout routing. When I park a locomotive in the yard and flip that corresponding switch...it isolates it. If a turnout is thrown or not thrown and a locomotive tries to enter an occupied siding that is turned off the locomotive automatically stops. .
Mntrainman, how do you associate each track with appropriate turn-off switch? Do you have small physical numbers on each track on the layout? - Tonkphilip Quote: This control panel gives me added control over my yard. Each siding in the yard can be shut off regardless of turnout routing. When I park a locomotive in the yard and flip that corresponding switch...it isolates it. If a turnout is thrown or not thrown and a locomotive tries to enter an occupied siding that is turned off the locomotive automatically stops.
On my layout, I have just memorized which track is which number after having assigned them in mostly logical order. It really doesn't take as long as you might think. Doug
From the old Digitrax days, DC locomotives ran on address zero (not advisable). I have not tried a DC locomotive on the ESU system. You all know I am a bit crazy, so here goes. Not only do I use Panel Pro and my own design of LCC, I added to that voice command - "Activate Barstow Yard Track 4" and the turnouts throw for the train to enter track 4 and track 4 is then also powered. Any peering through the window would think I am talking to myself, but then again sometimes I am.
The toggles on the control panel start at the aisle track first (1) and so on back thru the yard to the back (15). After awhile it was easy to remember and find the correct toggle switch just by feel without having to look at the panel...
Mtntrainman, That is an excellent system. It kind of of feels like a Braille system, just what us oldsters with failing eyesight need! - Tonkphilip
The idea of cutting power to yard and/or engine tracks even when using DCC is prudent. One example on why to do this: someone who was operating on a friend's large layout and accidentally "Programmed On Main" about 30 engines on the layout back to Address 3... By the next operating session, that layout's holding track wiring was routed through Atlas Connectors and Selectors...
When i was building Lucky Penny Yard I hadn't isolated the ladder tracks yet. I throw my turnout switches by hand. I was pulling a train in and looked away for a second ! I had forgotten to realign a switch to a track that already had a train on it. Good thing yard limits are in place ! It still wasn't pretty when that locomotive took a hard left and slammed into the parked train... Only one busted coupler...but I learned my lesson quick...JS
I'll have to stay with DC and N for now. The DCC & HO engines don't work and thanks to others I don't have the room. Besides I am getting more mature and have a hard enough time operating my electric vehicles. Oh well! Maybe some time.
Who was it who had the signature to the effect of, "If the problem is digital, the solution is ANALOG"? I'm not even certain it was on this board...
I designed both analog and digital circuits/systems during my engineering career. I enjoyed designing digital circuits more, probably because I was better at it. Luckily during my career, more and more electronic functions were performed with digital vs analog circuitry. I also vastly enjoy using digital electronics (modern TVs, modern radios, computers, cell phones, etc.) over analog electronics, but even most digital systems have significant analog portions (power supplies, some interfaces, RF front/back ends, etc.), so I guess I like both. We had different specialists for primarily analog vs digital product design. And a few of us straddled that line. But I had millions of dollars worth of tools, instruments, computers and software to help me do that, not to mention hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of education and training. But that was work. Now I'm retired, and I want to play with my trains. If digital electronics make them more fun for me, then that's what I'm gonna use. DCC provides a lot of advantages, with additional features that use computers and software (e.g. JMRI) to make a lot easier to use. But they also bring complications. Life's like that... Enjoy the heck out of this hobby, however and to whatever extent you like!
