Back on Track

I had a good thanksgiving week and weekend, got the staging control working and finished installing all mainline track feeders, installed two reversing unit and two more control panel frames.

Now I am able to run a train for the complete layout. Sorry no video as this is something I need to learn how to do (make and post here).

An couple of hours of running show a few problems, but all were easy fixes.

Here is a photo of the working staging control panel

Next up, add mainline and industry turnout control to all installed panels. Clarksville above photo (lower half of panel) is mostly done, need wiring to switch machine and program one accessory decoder.

Staging Control - Finished (almost)

Following David K. Smith circuit (Thanks David), I was able to complete the staging control with one exception. His circuit work great for controlling switch machine and setting the routes, but I had a particular way I wanted the panel lights to work and with some experimenting I thought I had a solution. Upon installing everything and testing the unknown changes for LED's work for all track but one.

I have a solution but I will not be able to make these changes for awhile and will live with the current setup.

Here are the photos of the new power supply and diode matrix board with schematic (schematic shows planned changes)

First - David's power supply

New diode matrix board

Diode-matrix board schematic

Overall staging control Schematic (note track power relay control by a 12VDC wall wart supply)

Setback on Staging Control Circuit

I thought, I was heading in the right direction, but to my discovery went making the final connections to the tortoise switch machine. I develop a feed-back problem that lid up all the LED for a particular route into staging. On further study I determine my error, the diode-matrix board is wrong and how I wired the rotary selector switches are all wrong, so back to the start.

I have presently two path:

1) Re-wire selector switches, make a new diode-matrix board and build a proper power source.

2) I am investigate another approach, see David K. Smith clinic Matrix Control for Tortoise Switch Machines

More to come.................