Signaling System - Marias Pass HO Scale Layout EP03

New episode next Tuesday (7/18/23)!
This weekly video series will cover every step of transforming the BNSF Marias Pass HO Scale Layout (formerly the Plains Division). In EP03, I install block detection, switch machines, and signals.
Track: "Boardwalk", GUM
Music provided by slip.stream
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Listen on Spotify: go-stream.link/tk-t-pain
Track: "Keep Er Goin"
Music provided by slip.stream
Free Download / Stream: slip.stream/tracks/22759375-9...

[@skywatcherca]

Great video - thank you. Oh yes, your layout looks to be excellent.

[@webbstrains]

Incredible work! The Cat 5 cable is a fantastic idea for many things in model railroading. Its usually cheap and you can find it nearly anywhere.

[@tftrainman]

I would absolutely love to operate a Marias pass layout. Train simulator was my inspiration for visiting Montana back in 07 and I absolutely loved the area and railroad scenery. If it wasn't for my love for the line that I grew up near I would most definitely be modelling the Marias pass.

[@jovetj]

This is excellent! I'd say this is exactly how I'd want to do it if I were gonna.

[@SD45-ET44AC]

Knowledge is power, thanks for sharing!

[@pkilznah5353]

So hardcore and so rad!!!!! 🚂🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✊✊✊

[@andrestone1849]

Awesome video! Where were you 15 years ago when I needed help on my layout. Keep up the great work!❤

[@railfan220]

Haha, thank you! -Cam

[@averageguy7136]

Very Cool. Love your setup.

[@cprtrain]

Well done.

[@brian102256]

Hey Cam, this was an incredibly informative and well-explained video. The wonders of modern electronics and control systems have certainly added realism to the hobby that was not possible back in the day. Thanks so much for posting and great work on your layout! - Brian

[@railfan220]

Thanks, Brian! It really is crazy that there are off-the-shelf solutions for any of this sort of stuff. -Cam

[@npnorthwindsub4193]

I'm super happy to see you back. I hope to see more operations too!

[@railfan220]

Thanks for the comment! I actually uploaded 4 short layout railfanning videos last night that will eventually be a part of a larger operations video. -Cam

[@rhythmrailroad1101]

I love what you're doing with your new/old layout! Your work is extremely precise and clean with maximum efficiency. I'm really loving your videos. Our layouts are very similar in many ways and it really helps to compare our work since you do everything much better. LOL. Thanks for inspiring me throughout my entire build. I have always used your layout as one of my primary references for excellence and concepts. Keep it up and I'll be watching. =-)

[@railfan220]

Haha thanks for the kind words! I really love the layout, and you've got some great equipment. What is your room size? Just subscribed. -Cam

[@rhythmrailroad1101]

@@railfan220 thanks for the sub man. My room is 33’x24’ but it’s a bit awkward because the stairs are in the middle of the room and there’s a laundry room that takes 1/4 of the room roughly. Thanks again!

[@johnbanicki7232]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing. And the wiring looks very good. Not a rat's nest like you see with many layouts.

[@bnsfmontanadivision]

CATS is a great dispatching program. We use it remotely on the BNSF Montana Division.

[@andersholt4653]

Brilliant layout and a fantastic and instructive video. Thank you for sharing. Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪.

[@dcctrain]

Nice work!

[@randygates364]

Probably the best wiring video I’ve watched! You did a super job of explains how all this comes together.

[@ssgogeta29]

That’s awesome! You did an amazing job with your layout!

[@railfan220]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. -Cam

[@joelshank3666]

Terrific!

[@vanhenry3601]

Well done. The only confusing part is the BDL168 is an occupancy detectors, not a decoder.

[@randydobson1863]

hello railfan220 it's is randy and i like yours video is cool thanks friends randy

[@bnsfbuff]

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@railfan220]

Thanks, John! I'm glad this is all the wiring I had to do...can't imagine what the Fall River Division's wire budget was. -Cam

[@Ausmerica]

Great video. Regardless of system, doing this signalling in this way sure does use a lot of wires, to get this effect. I'm currently building and doing mine, on my new layout using the NCE system. After seeing this video, I know that yeap I go have lots of wires too like you.

[@railfan220]

Oh man, I totally underestimated how much wiring it takes. I probably took like 4 trips to the hardware store thinking each one would be my last. That's also where a lot of the cost is, and I wasn't expecting that. -Cam

[@Ausmerica]

@@railfan220 lol yeap.. I kept getting lengths of 50' with multiple trips. The guys at the store kept asking me as I walked in the door.. "How much this time?" At the end I just told them to give me the full industrial roll, can get expensive. But end result will be worth it. I'm also doing eventually an old manual switch panel. Arty

[@markhayes6407]

Your wiring is fantastic. It's an art to have such a great setup. I like the jig for the switch machine to the turnout. Slick!

[@railfan220]

Thank you! Glad you like it. -Cam

[@TwoRailfans]

Great video. I will be adding tortoises and signal lights to our layout soon and this was very helpful.

[@railfan220]

Glad this is useful information for you! -Cam

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Wow! That is a lot of work but worth it in the long run. You have explained it well.

[@chuckleeii8355]

Simply AMAZING what you have accomplished on your layout!!! A fascinating and very well produced video. I really enjoyed seeing how extremely organized all of the wiring was done. You Sir, are a genius! V/R Chuck

[@railfan220]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed. Those are very kind words, Chuck. -Cam

[@YourFavoriteSCPguard]

Fantastic

[@johnbutler8388]

Thank you for the video naats video

[@FirstnameLastname-tp4zw]

420👍 Really Squeezed That One in There.🤣

[@unpasaro]

excellent work, very enjoyable

[@railwayjade]

I would love to see how you connect it to JMRI/CATS. Love Marias Pass (first learned of it from MSTS lol). Looking forward to more vids, greetings from South Africa)

[@railfan220]

Well, I "conveniently" killed my last computer, so I have to reinstall JMRI/CATS on my new one and get it all hooked up. I'll try to take the time to document how to do that. The only reason I wasn't planning on sharing all of that info is because I honestly forgot how to. But now I have no choice it would seem, haha. Thanks for the comment! -Cam

[@Vman7757]

Thank you for sharing. Now can I do it. LOL

[@AbelG8781]

Seems difficult, sorta easy honestly lol

[@Vman7757]

@@AbelG8781 I want to do this. Not sure where to start?

[@AbelG8781]

@@Vman7757 layout, isolate tracks, install detectors, get JMRI or some sort of program to control CTC, wire it up, good to go.

[@Vman7757]

@@AbelG8781 LOL. Ha ha ha. I am at to point of what should I buy. I have a digitrax system. But looking at TCS "Train Control Systems" as a possibility. I'm also considering LCC "Layout Command Control" It's almost paralyzing on what I want to do.

[@chatanugadotorg]

And I thought I was the only one using Cat 5 cable on my layout.

[@RailserveJohn]

Great video Cam. Signals fascinate and scare me at the same time lol. I am working on a very basic version of this for my layout but am very intimidated lol looking forward to the next update. -John

[@railfan220]

Thanks, John! I'm right there with you. This was both a rewarding and very un-fun task. It took a lot of time and money, and in a way I think it did it just to prove to myself that I could. And while the signals are cool, I'm not sure I really want to mess with them for future layouts. -Cam

[@helocast]

I think you've settled on a good combination of products which interact well together. Can't say I've tried "all" the ones/methods on the market, but expensively close to all over 15 years.

[@railfan220]

Good to hear! I definitely considered using other bits and pieces, but given that this was my first attempt, I thought the compatibility of the Digitrax components with my Digitrax command system would be pretty fool-proof. -Cam

[@tczephyr3665]

I pretty much understood how you pulled the red wire from the spool to the other end of the room. The rest of the stuff, not so much 😊. That being said, a very impressive job. Your organizational skills are first rate

[@railfan220]

Haha thank you! It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense until you start plugging stuff together. Then you're almost shocked that anything even works. -Cam

[@HumancityJunction]

I did not realize that the turnouts should be on a separate detection block on either side of the passing sidings, but seeing your video, it makes sense. I am still in the planning stages, so I have not messed up yet :) Why use CATS and not just use JMRI Panel Pro? What are the advantages of CATS over JMRI PP?

[@railfan220]

Haha true, you can't screw up what you haven't started. I definitely was trying to find ways to save on detection blocks and was hoping to combine turnout detection with an adjacent block...but I did not find any shortcuts. Anyway, I honestly forget all the reasons I chose CATS, but I think mainly that it has appearance defaults that resemble modern CTC screens. I almost remember messing around with Panel Pro and just having less luck getting it to look the way I wanted. Other than that, I think they're probably pretty similar to set up the sensors and logic and all of that. -Cam

[@HumancityJunction]

@@railfan220 I have fought for longer than I should with Panel Pro, maybe I need to give CATS a try. I dislike the panel editor in JMRI. Looks like I need more block detection devices, or I just need to remove block detection from areas that really do not need it.

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Very impressive, question you used 3M tape to mount your switch machines, no screws correct, like the the way you did the offset for throw bar, I am using Walthers switch machines

[@railfan220]

Correct! No screws, and they've stayed up. -Cam

[@CSXEK]

All my main line switch’s I wanna control them with my phone

[@neilschwerdt3493]

Hi my name is Neil schwerdt in west valley city Utah. Do you use digatrax for your lay out?

[@railfan220]

Hi, Neil. Yes, I have a Digitrax DCS100 as my command station and DB150 booster, each supplying 5 amps of power. -Cam