Project 16 - Control & Wiring

Control is provided by a Hornby Zero 1, an early form of DCC from the1980s. As with all DCC, isolated tracks are not required; every track is live - well almost. The Peco Single Slip and Asymmetric 3-way turnouts whilst having live frogs also have dead sections that require switch control.

Usually switching is integrated with the point motor setup but, I am adopting finger control of the turnouts. I need a separate control panel of on/off switches. (The push buttons on the panel shown here are for semaphore signals - more on that later.)

The Single Slip and 3-way turnouts are supplied with drop wires already installed. Holes are drilled in the baseboard close by and the wires pushed through. The drop wires are quite short and are taken to a multi-way terminal block for each drop wire group underneath the baseboard.

The baseboards are modular and therefore, electrically isolated from each other. Each baseboard has a D type connector mounted at the front of the frame and its mating connector brings power from the controller. Back under the baseboard power wires from the front connector are taken to a mult-way distribution terminal block. Wires from here connect to the drop wire terminal blocks. Straight track sections also have drop wires where needed.

 A and B are power feeds. Switches shown in 'Slip' position.

Switches shown in 'main' position.

To Part 5.

To Part 1.