I am in the stages of designing my layout's electrical infrastructure, and I need help knowing how to wire my schematic panel to show how each switch is thrown? Does it matter DC vs DCC? Thanks to any who can help
Well, basically you would be connecting wires up to whatever moves the points of the turnout, not the turnout per se. Many turnout switch machines have auxilliary connections that you can connect to a control panel to indicate which way the turnout is thrown. Chooch makes a ground throw with similar connections.
Here you go. . . . .
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/signaling.htm
An example is below.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
wjstix Well, basically you would be connecting wires up to whatever moves the points of the turnout, not the turnout per se. Many turnout switch machines have auxilliary connections that you can connect to a control panel to indicate which way the turnout is thrown. Chooch makes a ground throw with similar connections.
As wjstix says, the wiring connects to the switch machine that is throwing your turnout. If you are using toggle switches or push buttons on your control panel to throw the turnout to a straight through or divergent position, you can also wire in an LED on the control panel to indicate the position of the turnout, typically green for straight through and red for divergent.
Rich
Alton Junction
I use Atlas turnouts, and I use an Atlas relay connected in parallel with each switch machine. This gives me a choice of contacts to use. Currently, I am using block signals as turnout indicators.