Progress at last - cab control

At last I can report some progress. After coming back from holiday ready to get going again in early September, a lengthy virus and a couple of exhibitions (n-gauge and Peterborough) blocked out too many weekends. For a while I never got going.

The cab control is however now complete. Four sections, each one of which can be controlled by one of two controllers.

I had for some time considered reviving my minimal carpentry skills to make a control box. After a few days working out a design in my head, considering nice wood veneer, a laminated track diagram and a removable access panel, I stopped and asked myself why? All I need is a lightweight, robust box that I can drill holes in! I had a couple of suitable plastic boxes in a cupboard. So out came a storage box with a semi transparent lid through which an internally mounted track diagram could be viewed. A bit of drilling and soldering, a diagram with Photoshop and some 3M tape and I had this:

I only need four section switches as I intend to use the trusty Gaugemaster integrated controller. Power from the controller comes in via two phono sockets to the left. Power to the layout comes out from a 5 pin DIN socket at the back to a matching 5 pin DIN socket at the front or back of the layout. The track diagram is taped to the inside of the lid. Point control will be wire in tube at the front/back of the layout so no point switches to worry about in the control box.

I can store emergency spares in the box and it has a convenient carrying handle. To my surprise it worked first time. I wish I could say the same of all my efforts.