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Terminal strip model train wiring

Bob’s been back in touch with some more details on terminal strip model train wiring.

He’s been kind enough to write a response after all the comments on his last post, which is here.

“Alastair,

In response to comments on my last post here is some info on my terminal strip model train wiring.

First off I am not an electrician. I spent 14 years in the Infantry and 38 years as a programmer and systems administration.

The wiring looks daunting, but it is quite simple if you take your time and do not rush.

I have found that ‘Spaghetti Bowl” and “rats’ nest” wiring come from rushing.

Right now, my track wiring is looks messy because I am testing to make sure everything is working. The key is to make sure I clean it up once I verify the everything works, and I will. I am taking my time this go around.

The first picture shows my track plan. There is a double main that has four signal blocks on each main. The first block of each main is at the top between the tick marks. The outer main blocks are numbered counterclockwise 1,2,3,4 and the inner main blocks go clockwise 1,2,3,4.

I am using Arduino to read the IR sensors and to control the signals.

There is an IR sensor at the beginning and the end of each block and a three head signal mast at each end of each block.

The second picture shows how I have mounted an Arduino and wired it to three terminal blocks. Each is wired to communicate with the next block(Block A) and the previous block(Block B) and an intersecting tack(Block C).

There are three places where there are tracks that allow access into the block between the sensors.

Note in the upper right quadrant there are tracks entering the mains.

At the bottom of the layout there is an access track for the turntable.

In the upper left quadrant, the track from the yard joins the inner main. Each is wired for three sensors and three signal lights because of these four mid-block access points. These four tracks are the Block C respectively. That is enough about the blocks. On to the wiring.

This picture shows the wiring of one of the eight main blocks. The Block C sections are controlled slightly differently but have the same wiring setup.

Terminal strip model train wiring 1:

Pin Connection

1 Positive connection 5v

2 Positive connection for Sensor1 (Black wire)

3 Positive connection for Sensor2 (Black wire)

4 Positive connection for Sensor3 (Black wire)( Note: This gets use when there is a spur in the middle of the Block: e.g., yard entering the main , track from turn table connecting to main.

5 Positive connection for Signal 1 (Black wire)

6 Positive connection for Signal 2 (Black wire)

7 Positive connection for Signal 3 (Black wire common on the signal) (Note: This is used when there is Block C)

8 GND connection from Arduino

9 Common GND for Block A

10 Common GND for Block B

11 Common GND for Block C (Note: This is used when there is a Block C)

12 Not Used

Terminal strip model train wiring 2:

Pin Connection

GND connection
Sensor1 data connects to analog pin A0
Sensor2 data connects to analog pin A1
Sensor3 data connects to analog pin A2
BlockARec connects to analog pin A2
BlockBRec connect to analog pin A3
BlockCRec connects to analog pin A4
Red – Signal 3 connects to digital 4
Yellow – Signal 3 Connects digital pin3
Green – Signal 3 Connects digital pin 2

Block A send connects to digital pin 8
Block B send connects to digital pin 9

Terminal strip model train wiring 3:

Pin Connection

Red Connection for Signal 1 – Connected to digital pin 4
Yellow connection for Signal 1 – Connected to digital pin 3
Green connection for Signal 1 – Connected to digital pin 2
Red Connection for Signal 2 – Connected to digital pin 7
Yellow Connection for Signal 2 – Connected to digital pin 6
Green Connection for Signal 2 – Connected to digital pin 5
Red Connection for Signal 3 – Connected to digital pin 13
Yellow Connection for Signal 3 – Connected to digital pin 12
Green Connection for Signal 3 – Connected to digital pin 11
Block C send Connected to digital pin 10
Block B send Connected to digital pin 9
Block A send Connected to digital pin 8

Maybe too much info but I hope it is useful and convinces some to take the plung.

Bob in Virginia”

Now on to Keith – and I absolutely love what he’s done, particularly the scene of the men working:

“Alastair:

I have not seen any British narrow gauge railways in your blogs so I thought your readers might find this of interest.

The Sibford Quarry Railway is a 4mm scale narrow gauge layout set in the British Cotswolds.

There is no railway in the Sibfords where I live but you can find Sibford Gower and Sibford Ferris on the map either side of the river Sib (at its widest about 3feet).

The quarry however is real although worked out before the Second World War. See the black and white photo.

This version is the latest in several built over the last twenty years, is portable and fits easily in my SUV. It measures 2ft 6in by 6ft and comes in two sections that clip together.

Since last year I have been converting all my locos to radio control; quite a challenge considering the size of 009 locos. To date I have completed four. This means I have no problems with track cleaning or electrics. The points (turnouts) are controlled through a ‘wire in tube’ method.

The majority of the structures are scratch built and are based on buildings in or around my village.

The scenic structure uses 5mm foam board which is strong, very light and easy to work with a craft knife. This, where appropriate, is covered with plaster bandage dipped in a dyed water solution to take away the whiteness.

I enjoy the scenic side of the hobby most but have running sessions when the grandchildren come (not since March of course)!

Keith”

A huge thanks to Bob for sharing his terminal strip model train wiring, and to Keith.

Bob frazzled my brain, and Keith put a big smile on my face with that workman scene from the photo. Loved it.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

Don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to join in with the fun.

Best

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here

Weathering locomotives

Kaustav’s been in touch again with a ‘how to’ on weathering locomotives.

He shows us how he turned a clean looking toy train into a dirty gritty workhorse:

“Hi Al,

Typically I like a challenge when it comes to model making as you already know, but at times it’s OK to take it easy and just be on the ‘relaxed’ mode!

That’s what I did when I weathered my Atlas VO-1000 – a tiny little N scale locomotive that not only runs well, but boasts a lot of fine details.

I feel it is comparable to my all time favorite N Scale switcher locomotive Kato NW-2, except the blocked cab – if only they could make it a proper, see thorugh cab it could be on the top of my list!

Anyway, I wanted an easy, fast, over the weekend job for my next how-to, but I also wanted to do something uncharacteristic of me – really heavy weathering without relying on rust.

Even the most manhandled and poorly maintained locomotives in service didn’t have a lot of rust unless they landed on the graveyard, but they did have other aging like crud, grease, grime, dust, dirt and chipping.

I focussed on these elements for this locomotive to give it a very weathered, ill maintained, yet a revenue earning work horse look. And of course there was the right amount of rust and streaking as well.

I was also lazy enough to set-up my airbrush for this, so I did a a classic wash-pastel-chalk weathering that is within the grasp of almost everyone without any special tools or even skills.

The methods are not only easy, but also forgiving, meaning if you mess it up, it’s easy to ‘wipe’ it and start over.

And as always, a quick video showing how I did it.

Hope you and the folks enjoy this.

Cheers!

Kaustav”

A huge thanks to Kaustav for sending in his weathering locomotives ‘how to’.

I do love his stuff – his models have such character. His vids are just as good too.

If you missed his barge post, it’s here. It really is worth a read if weathering is your thing.

Kaustav’s post also reminded me of Sam’s post: Weathering rolling stock.

That’s all for today folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And don’t forget the Beginner’s Guide is here if you’re tired of everybody else having all the fun.

Best

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

MRC railpower 1370 overheating?

Gary has been in touch with an electrical power problem with his layout – could it be the MRC railpower 1370 overheating?

Have a look at the comments below and make your own mind up.

If you’re unfamiliar with his layout, his last few posts are here and here.

If there’s one thing I have learned over the years of doing this blog, is that all layouts present a whopper of a problem at some point.

But they are nothing a bit of thought and shared experience can’t overcome.

So let’s see what we can do to help Gary.

“Hi Alastair:

I need some help and guidance from you and/or your many railroad modeler followers.

I have a major electrical problem. I have been using a MRC railpower 1370 to provide AC power for building lights, Atlas switches and LEDs for the signals on my layout.

I have 33 switches, 55 LEDs for my dwarf signals and 13 LEDs in my buildings for lighting.

All my track power is DC from a separate MRC railpower 1370 transformer.

For my Atlas switches, I am also using Peco DL-35 C.D.U.s (Capacitor Discharge Unit) for additional initial power to throw the turnouts.

Electrically, everything has been working ok for over a year that I finished the engine yard. The switches in the passenger yard have been working for close to two years. All off the one transformer which I only use for AC.

I have 3 DC buses from a Railpower 1300 and 3 AC buses from the MRC railpower 1370 that run under the layout providing power. The wires from the transformers go to distribution blocks which then I turn goes to the different accessories.

This past Friday as I was trying to make a video of the layout that some of the modelers ask for from my last post. The layout was on for about 20 minutes and then all my lights dimmed and went out and switch power was lost.

I switched the power button on the AC Railpower 1370 transformer on and off a few times and nothing worked. I waited a few minutes and turned the power back on and everything worked and lit up and then dimmed and went off after about two or three minutes.

I have found out that the longer I leave the power off, when I turn it back on, the longer it stays on but never last more than 20-25 minutes.

It does not act like a short where it goes right off; it works ok, and then dims out.

I am not sure if it is an overload because it has been working fine for a long time.

Yesterday, I added an additional New MRC railpower 1370 and started moving the AC buses off the first 1370; same problem until I move ONLY AC bus 1 to the new transformer and the problem happened with the new transformer with only the first AC bus which has most of the accessories on it.

I still don’t know if it’s an overload or a short.

Has anyone ever run across this?

I am going to call the manufacturer, MRC (Model Rectifier Corp.), here in New Jersey, U.S.A., tomorrow morning and see if I can speak to one of their technical people.

I have so much wiring under the table, I don’t know where to start. Everything has come to a halt with this issue. I dread having to go under the layout and follow every wire.

I know this is not going to be easy.

Here are the power packs. The 1300 is the one I am having the problem with.

I hope someone can help with some knowledge or experience about this.

Gary M from Long Island”

A real head scratcher – could it be the MRC railpower 1370? Or a short? Please do leave a comment below if you can help Gary.

Now on to Tony:

“Hi Al,

Thanks for posting pictures of my combined layout of both 00 gauge railway and micro scalextrix.

I have moved on since those early days to a “finished lay out” as of today.

I am happy for you to share these photos and welcome any comments members may wish to make.

I modified the first layout by extending the area in front of the window to first situate my controllers and extended the area to the right so that I can have a return loop back to the main board and extend the micro scalextrix.

After a few months I decided to change again and further extended the window area to situate a village scene and completely changed the right hand side to place sidings for all my other locos etc.

This now was the first time I attempted to use point motors and after a couple of trial runs – see photos, I managed to set up a neat control panel of switches next to the power units.