Running trains on your layout will require you to have some kind of control board or a designated place to put your power source if you’re using DC. DCC has handhelds, but you will still want some kind of panel for throw, light switch toggles, etc.
The control panel is also a place where all your wiring comes to a central point.
My suggestion for where to put a control panel is in a centralized area of your layout—an area where you have a view of your layout without having to get up and walk around.
How to make your control panel is just your preface. Some have a standing table, some attach to the side of their layout, while others have a sliding control panel that can be pulled from under the benchwork. Whatever you decide to do, just remember that all your wires from the layout are coming to the control board, and you need to make sure you have plenty of room for them.
You will have a web of wires coming from all parts of your layout, so one of the ways to keep wires organized is to ensure each wire or set of wires is clearly labeled.
One of the things I learned over the years in setting up a control board is making sure my wires are properly marked. I have experienced too many times getting a broken wire, adding an accessory, or just trying to find a short. By not having my wires labeled, I spent hours trying to trace down what wire was what.
The best way to avoid that mistake is to actually label your wiring clearly as you are wiring it. There will be no doubt about what wire is what, and it makes it so much easier to trace down a problem or add a new light or working accessory when your wires are clearly labeled. Plus, it will save you frustration and headaches.
In order to keep my wiring organized when connecting to the control board, wire blocks come in really handy. In my current layout, I have 20 wire blocks that accommodate 24 connections. Each connection has been properly labeled, so I know where each wire or set of wires is coming from.
One mistake I made with my current layout is that my control area is too narrow. It is just wide enough for me to walk or sit into it, but because my layout is in a “U” shape, my control board sits facing the bottom of the “U.” So, in order for me to do any type of work on the layout in the bottom part of the U, I have to remove the control board.
I had to come up with a way to remove the control board in order to do anything in the bottom of the U area. So, I purchased a few packages of sub D connectors. I wired all my incoming wires from the layout on one side of the D connectors and the matching wires from the control panel to the other side. Now, when I have to remove the control board, I simply pull the sub D connectors and move the control board out of the way. Of course, all the sub D connectors are labeled, so they are reconnected to the right counterparts.
Labeling your wires as you are adding them does take extra time. The extra time you spend now doing it will save you more time in the long run, plus it will be so much easier to add new wires later as your layout grows.
Your control board should also be a close representation of your actual layout. I traced a mini version of my layout on a piece of whiteboard and then painted the traced rail lines. I made sure to leave places where my toggles were going to be added at the proper turnouts. Each of my toggles is placed on the control board where my turnouts are located. That way, there is no guesswork or trying to find the right numbered toggle to throw. I can look at my control board and know exactly which turnout I am throwing.
I also took a step further and added bi-colored LEDs to the control board. So, when I throw the toggle to change direction on a turnout, the open route will show green and the closed route will show red on my board. This has proven to be a nice added feature when I’m running more than one train. I can look at the control board and instantly know if that rail is open or closed just by the color of the light.
Your control board is the “brain” of your layout. Take your time and carefully plan out your control board. Every operation is going to come from it, so it is important to make sure you have it right.
The thing that I try to keep in mind is “K.I.S.S.” Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Kiss reminds me not to get extravagant on my layout. If I keep it simple, it’s much easier to run trains, add new features, and add lighting without having to make major revisions.
Until next time,
Happy Railroading
