Keep it Simple? Lets Build a Model Railway Part 3 - Control Systems, Arduino & DCC - Dad Rail

Its the 3rd instalment in our lets build a model railway series. Do we really need to keep things simple. Sometimes when we are talking about hobbies there is no right or wrong way to do things. If we want to overengineer the layout we totally can!

Lets look at layout control using the NCE mini panel and Arduinos to control the trains, points and signals!

DISCORD LINK

[Lilyyyy]

i love the idea of a physical signalling panel!

[ashurraj]

Very Excited About this Signalling System. It sounds Absolutely incredible, innovative and outright cool. Can't wait to watch this layout be built up along with the signalling system and hopefully I will one day get to see (and possibly signal/operate it) tuning in from Perth, Australia - Ashur 😁👍

[neilharbott]

I'm from the school of simple is best, (it can also be cheaper!!), also trains don't exist in a vacuum. I like to consider my layouts to be a) part of a system, b) have a reason for being, c) have some history. You don't have to be able to get from everywhere, to everywhere; real world rail companies generally did what they needed to do as efficiently as possible. Back in the steam days you may find various freight yards along the line with either up OR down access, and arranged for trailing drops, so you didn't have to run around all of the time. It's even a good idea to look for stations that roughly map to your plan, and examine their detail through the ages, what was built, how it was updated, and what it looks like today (and where the goods yard used to be before the Tesco's car park replaced it!). In my research I've found that real world rail yards don't always allow for 100% go everywhere, do everything moves, but they do offer the moves that the company needed to do, because of the traffic and where it came from. Also from the simple school, if you cover the board with track, there's less room for scenery (which tells the story of why the trains are here).

Questions I'm asking about your layout design:
Why does platform#1 exist? Could it be a fenced off spur for the aggregate yard? (and possibly eliminate the headshunt, a crossover and a point motor!)
Why 3 tracks from the east side? with 2 you could simplify the entrance to the fiddle yard, and further cut costs on all those points and motors.
Do the sidings accessed from Platform#4 need mainline access, are they storage for trains which terminated here and that are out of service during non-peak times? Do they need to be that long?? Is the spur heading off to the middle of the board a branchline? Why not make it one, give it a fiddle yard hidden under some scenery.
Where is the Tesco's Car Park going to be? 😁

Other points:
Bidirectional tracks in the main fiddle yard are excellent idea (not so great for steam era), since you can run all of your multiple units from these tracks in either direction.
3 way points and cross overs can be points of frustrating failure, if you can do without (have the space), I'd give some consideration to something simpler.

[DavidDewis]

Your screensaver features are picture of my old flat. lol I saw it in your drone video the other day. I lived on Saint Leonard seafront for a couple of years. I grow up in the area.

[KeithJones-yqof]

You're an all-time railway legend, Mr Evans

[lestaylor]

I applaud your enthusiasm, confidence and I am sure that so many have started out this way. However I don't want to dampen you at all but let's see whether reality kicks in.

Love me hobby but it can be frustrating at times.

Best of luck, waiting for your next video's

[criminal__]

I have an idea of track plan and am currently deciding on how its all going to fit together electrically. One of my older layouts there was so much wiring with point moters, but now it seems so much easier. What you say about being able to play trains, has led me to deciding to use the cobalt signal levers, with a mimic panel of point position on a board.

While I see a few videos about them they only ever use 3 wires, yet they have about 9 in total and i aqm not sure how all this stuff wires up to use the extra funtions when sliding the switch, (extra parts needed as such).

I am interested about your board lighting up with leds along a set route so interested how you do all of that, anyway will look forward to seeing your testing area.

[paul.-jjyh]

der r different types of rail engines. Do drivers need to be trained specifically to drive different engines or is it a case of 1 size fits all ?

apologies if this q sounds a little stupid

[franzbrunner]

what is the name of the track planning software? thank you

[rodmorgan]

Stop being sensible😏! I await more good stuff.