CONTROLS

[claycts]

The project has 46 turnouts. The size is 22ft x 18ft. Question Using a stationery decoder for control of a tortous unit is this BETTER than a facia mounted pushbutton. (will use ground throw on the edge ones). Old school was an atlas switch control and run the wires.
IF i go DCC how much of a pain is it to bring up the address? (Digitrax system 100%) At the wiring design stage and would like input. Wither would work for me just looking for th best in the long run.
George P.

[mcouvillion]

George,

I operate on a layout that has decoder control of all turnouts, Digitrax equipped. I am not familiar with the part number of the electronics, since I was not involved in the installation, but it is a Digitrax part and controls four turnouts per module. Control of Tortoise Switch Motors is excellent, and there is the provision for fascia-mounted pushbuttons, if you care to do that. I use a DT-400R throttle and I can operate any turnout on the layout from the throttle. The biggest thing is you will need to label each turnout with its number (use a white thumbtack with the number printed in black permanent ink next to the turnout), because if you don't, you won't remember the turnout number. It takes a little getting used to, but is really nice. You can also control routing of turnouts with WinLok, Digitrax's software program.

Good Luck.

Mark C.

[rrinker]

I personally don't think throwing turnouts from the DCC controller is very practical or user-friendly on ANY system. It's not that the steps are difficult - any DCC system that can control turnouts have a SWITCH or ACCY button, you key in the address, and push one of two buttons. But how do you indicate the address of each turnout to the user? That topic was a whole other thread the other day.
My preference is for buttons or toggles on a schematic that is linearly part of the fascia - so the operator can simply glance down and right there is the control for the required turnout. I've altered this a bit and made more of 'station' panels where turnouts are clusted, but the concept is the same.
You can combine methods - a lot of staionary decoders support local control buttons. When I was thinking of going that route, I was planning to use NCE Switch-Its, they're about the most economical stationary decoders out there, plus they allow two buttons for each switch motor, so none of that silly 'toggle' action button stuff - press once, throw, press again, close. Yes, even with an otherwise Digitrax system. DS54's would be too expensive - mainly because the DS54 is more than just a switch controller, it does just about anything you can imagine. But for simple turnout control, it's hard to beat the Switch-It.

--Randy

[claycts]

THank you Mark and Randy. I like the track plan on the facia Idea. The keeping track od addresses of a turn out does osund hard for a visitor to the pike. I owulld like to research the Switc-it. Back in 1971 when I last did this Atlas had a Miniature Switch that looked like a Switch Tower Control, I thought that was very nice and looked good a a Master pamel. The Push Button on the Facia is probably the easy route for a visitor. I was thing of a Switch Stand at the turn out with a ID on it. DO they make a rotating switch stand now? THe old one was plastic a fixed.
Again Thank you both for you input.
George P.