Wiring the signals with a control panel.

Wiring the signals with a control panel.

I decided a while ago that the station signals will be manually operated, why? It’s easy, cheap and there isn’t a need for automation on the station. I may use it for the mainlines, we’ll see, lol.
In this video, though, I go through how I made the control panel, show how the signals can be wired to an ON-OFF-ON switch, show the finished result and give my over-all thoughts about the signal project, not to forgive a lil bit of running.
BASICS SERIES
If there is something you would like me to demonstrate please get in touch, I’ll see what can be done.
If you like what you see you may wish to subscribe to the channel, it is completely free of charge, and you can be notified when I upload a video.
Piccadilly Model Railway (N gauge)
/ @piccadillymodelrailways

Find out how Manchester Piccadilly was made.
• Piccadilly Station
Layout Updates
• Layout Updates
Piccadilly Station
• Piccadilly Station
Train lift / Fiddle yard / Extension phase 1
• Train Lift / Lower Lev...
Lil bonus in case you are missing the model train shows
• Model Railway Exhibitions

[@linesided]

Love the way the station looks at night - seems to really come to life!

[@onnomulder9775]

Great update as usual John!! Thanks for sharing! Cheers Onno.

[@andrewstevenson5449]

Good stuff. Great to see the station all done. The only thing missing is the rain. 😁

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Lol, hmmm let me have a think

[@Pixie586]

Simple but effective. Brilliant! Susannah

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Bless you thx

[@dragon-junction-MK2]

Looks the biz now John. Great job ..

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

Aww John. You sounded quite emotional at the end there. Don't blame you, it's been a long road, l've watched it evolve from the early days and Piccadily looks fabulous.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi, yes I am a bit emotional, it’s been four years. I visited the real Piccadilly on 18th December 2018, with a complete rebuild around 2020/1 due to warping I was beginning to think it would never get done. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.

[@dinmorejunctionmodelrailway]

Very illuminating John

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Lol

[@colinedwards9874]

Excellent John Really Excellent, loved how it looks in the darked scene

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thank you

[@Timwellsphotos]

simple is always the best just how I like things lol fab work as always John thanks for the video

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thank you so much Tim, I really appreciate your support

[@mikeatpudhamjunction2323]

Thanks for sharing. Stay safe.

[@roystudds1944]

Fantastic achievement John. So pleased I’ve followed since before you changed from the card canopies. I feel I’ve been on the journey with you. Look forward to seeing the next project. Congratulations. Roy.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Yes it’s certainly been a journey. The station is now complete

[@ngaugefouroaksstreetstatio6932]

Great solution John, simple.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Chis, I cannot see the point in automation in this station TBH. Best simple me thinks

[@holybrookejunction4758]

Nice job panel looks great👍

[@chartwellregis]

Hi John, excellent work on two fantastic layouts, love your videos, plenty of excellent tips, and love the ambience of Picadilly Station with the lighting on, keep up the excellent work and above all Happy modelling 👍🚞🚊. Kindest Regards Dave.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thank you, so very kind of you to say. So glad you enjoy the content.

[@exehavenharbour]

Nice work John, it all looks so good mate and simple which I like! Cheers John, John

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks John, hmm yes kind of. So easy to operate. I just don’t need automation there. The board alone would quadruple the price for all switches and I’d probably need more for all 11 signals.

[@film49uk]

long haul John but a big big final result ,excellent work and videos showing process from start to finish ......

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks its has been a long journey. I really do appreciate your long term support.

[@film49uk]

@@piccadillymodelrailways always enjoy your clips John just keep them coming ...Paul

[@normanrowe2831]

Fantastic. Well done.

[@FredWilbury]

A great share John , thanks for showing 👌😎 ps I think your station is very impressive 😮

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Fred, so very kind of you. Glad you like it.

[@peterjackson-cheadleheath1182]

Hi John A very interesting video there, I do like this layout/station area and seeing it lit up in the dark is really, really good very impressive! and just like the real Manchester Piccadilly Station in my humble opinion. Thanks

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thank you Peter I’m so glad you like it. The station is now complete so there will be one more video before starting something new

[@Mav_at_Pwll-Y-Ddraig]

C'mon John, yuou know it'll never be completely finished! Before long you'll come up with something to add, something you don't like and want to change... ;) But in the meantime, what a milestone!! Cangratulations 🥳👏🍻Can't wait for what's next :) Mav

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Lol, maybe… I know what you mean, but this is a real place and that doesn’t change that often. HS2 is coming and I’m thinking about what to do. Work has not started and I couldn’t do anything until it’s complete, which could be another 10years, who knows. As for the rest, well I’ve changed bit before…

[@Elvenhome]

I think it is good to have a control panel with switches. Makes you feel as though you are really controlling things. I was just thinking how well it worked where you had it, cleverly lit by the lamps on the building, when you said you weren't sure about it staying there. It is something to think that the station is to all intents and purposes completed, a bit of P-way work to do but that is all. And it does look so good John. It really deserves to be in one of the magazines Stephen

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Stephen, in the build up to making signal I thought long and hard about control and decided the manual way is best here, as automation wouldnt really work except on PL13/14, but even then trains enter from a different zone, and most stop. When I referred to the panel ‘not fitting’ it was more to do with the garish green. The position is probably about right and the two lamps was by chance, and only noticed it when I blacked out the room. Lol

[@thegrowler-blackwoodngauge]

Whole station comes to life now the signals are working. Like the simplicity of the control panel for them. Great work as always John. Cheers Euan

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Euan Im just so relieved the station is now complete and I can now move on, lol

[@scottmarsden1643]

Such a great model, you should be really proud of yourself! It’s been a joy to follow the journey so far. Keep it up

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thank you Scott, I really appreciate your support. Piccadilly maybe complete but I start work on the new upper level very soon

[@MrVinnyh]

Looks good John, keeping a simple on/off/on adds interest to operating the layout, plus having watched Dave of Dean Park over several years his signals are often wrong (often showing green when set for the wrong line)! As a ex signalman - signal maintenance engineer on a preserved line I find this very annoying.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Vinny, I just wanted to keep things simple, and as I said in the video, I cannot see the point in automation for the station itself, When I release a train, all the tracks are set, then as the last step I change the signal. Thank you again for your continued support.

[@karlsage3064]

Great work John. Thank you for the detailed signal wiring info. The station looks fantastic, congratulations!

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Karl, Im glad the windows are now done and the station is complete. Time to move on, yay.

[@davidrauger]

I was wondering how your signals would work if they were 3 aspect - is there such a thing as an on-on-on switch, one on for each colour. Your ingenuity is always inspiring, thanks!

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Dave, thank you for your kind words. on-on-on I don’t think so, but my signals despite the odd few being 3aspect they only have red and Green. I set the road and check it’s clear, so i don’t need amber. It was an extra complication I didn’t need. The switches keep things simple. Hope that answers any queries.

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi John I thought it best to wait until it was Sunday until I watched just to keep a sense of normality 😂😂 That is a great job with the signals they really look good and that last shot with the lights was stunning. The major job for me in 2023 will be a complete requiring as it is only a temporary fix to see if things worked ok. I have been looking at the best way to do the wiring and if to use distribution boards etc. One thing I have learnt is that to label the wiring. Once the station has been finished you can sit back and pat yourself on the back . Cheers Kev

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Kev, so glad you liked it. Another out now to make you feel right at home, lol. May i ask why you need to re-wire the layout, trains do run… They way you wire depends on what the layout is for and whether it’ll be moved. Please if I can help in any way.

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi John Glad normality has resumed with Sunday videos 😀 Perhaps re wiring is the wrong phrase tidying up would be more accurate. Although everything works it is like a birds nest underneath and if anything failed as it’s not labelled I would have a job finding where it is . The bus wire / droppers aren’t too bad . But it’s the lighting and things like the watchman’s fire that I have great runs is cables going all over the place . So I was thinking of distribution boards or similar nearer to the buildings and then I connection to the power source . Also I have all my 12v stuff powered by one source so would be nice to be able to turn some off rather than all on at the same time . Your thoughts would be appreciated 😂😂 Cheers Kev

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Oh I see, I’ve separated my wiring into different colours and generally stick to it. My colours are: - DCC track blue / brown - 3v (generally lamp posts) red / black. - 12v (generally LED strip, sound units etc) yellow / grey. If I only have a short area to do but out of that colour I’d wrap the correct coloured electrical tape around that wire every 5cm (give or take) and try hard to wrap strips of masking tape around with labels on. Again lots along the wire. That way it’s easier to track down. Some areas of the layout my wiring is tidier than others. Don’t get me wrong I still have to look hard and trace things back. Couple of weeks ago I’d just installed the signals got them working, and on their own power supply. Only to find all platform lights had gone out. It took me an hour and a half to work out what happened. Personally I’d choose colours first and start with the track then 3v lighting etc etc. Get big rolls of electrical tape and just wrap that around your wires every, say, 5cm as suggested above. That way you don’t have to rip anything out. I also use cable ties with self adhesive cable tie brackets/mounts ( not sure what to call them.) I’ll try to include a small section in my next video showing this if that helps? Just use tape to label everything other wise the layout will be out of action for a while whilst you complete the work. Hoping that helps. Sorry for the essay.

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Hi John I use black/ red for DCC bus and brown / blue for lighting. Thanks for the tips re labels etc that’s most useful .😀👍🏾 Cheers Kev

[@jolliemark6294]

It looks great, your attention to all the details make it look so good can't believe you got all those details in WOW!!!!😀

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Ahhh thanks Jack, so very kind. Piccadilly is now complete, so Ill be quite happy to move on. I do enjoy making all the lil fiddly bits but modelling can get quite intense. Right back to the start next, with the start of the revised upper level

[@jolliemark6294]

@@piccadillymodelrailways I'm looking forward to see how you get along with that too!

[@IVERJUNCTION]

You are truly inspiring to watch John wow love the new signals you have installed on your layout certainly brings your layout to life having working signals well done kind regards Danny 👍🏻👀👋🏻🤩

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Bless you Danny thank you so mich

[@robertstrainset6556]

Hi John, Sometimes easy is best so this looks good and simple to use all thats needed now is the camera turned around to show the signal as the train departs. Very well done on almost finishing this impressive station and being able to move on to the rest of the layout. Cheers Robert.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Robert, I will show a few running shots with signals included. Next will be station tour and running.

[@jb6894]

Your signal control looks very effective, and it's often fun to be able to flick a switch to make something happen rather than it all be automated. I haven't decided what to do with signals on my own layout yet, but was wondering: was there a reason you went for on-off-on switches rather than on-on? I assume you'd always want each signal to be either red or green

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to comment. When I searched for on-on I was struggling to find rocker switches. I didn’t want toggle switches, purely because they are not my fav. However, if you can find on-on they will work well. Although the on-off-on does give a nice pause as the lights change, just personal choice.

[@markanderson9995]

Truly AMAZING WORK !!!!. I'd like to know how or where you got your backscene from ???. Did you take a aerial photo or something ???. There is a true lack of urban backscenes out there on the market right now, especially if you're trying to depict a more urban environment / station setting. All that needs doing to your layout is probably some small speakers underneath the station area with station announcements !!!!. Once again, superb stuff and a true N gauge benchmark !!!!

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Mark, thank you so much, very kind of you to say. So glad you like it. The backscene is Manchester and I made it using Google Earth. There is a camera that you can position. With MS Publisher. I took screen shots from Google Earth, move the cam sideways, took another screen shot. Marrying the screens together isn’t easy as you are playing with perspective to get the most convincing scene. When I extend my backscene I show this process. There should be a video on it somewhere, but be prepared it’s not easy. I have a speaker under New Mills will fill announcements. I may do similar under Piccadilly but there are thousands of announcements every day so I’ll have to be selective Hoping that helps

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

Will you do a video on the speaker/ train announcements as that is something I want to do ?

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi I will do an updated video when I get that far. In the meantime if you look in my playlists in ‘Sound videos’ there are two videos there how to use sound on your layout. One of them is station announcements. Sadly though I could not find the ‘Ann’ voice used on most stations. Hoping that helps.

[@medwaypeninsulaMR]

I will take a look John Thanks as always Cheers Kev

[@derekmurton1656]

Brilliant as always an inspiration. Forgive me for asking here but I know you are great at art. What is best to preserve card and paper models ie varnish ? Thanks in advance.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Derek, no worries more than happy to help. Yes I use Ronseal acrylic matt varnish. 2-3 coats ideally all over the models or they can start to warp if moisture gets onto any unprotected areas. I personally avoid oil based varnish as some brands have a tenancy to ‘yellow’ models , acrylic doesn’t do that. Obviously other brands of varnish are available. Hoping that helps

[@derekmurton1656]

@@piccadillymodelrailways thanks as always

[@paulhargreaves1497]

Very nice. Given your point about wiring spagetti, I'd have used 2 different colours for lighting wiring?

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi, no wiring spaghetti and yes all wires are colour coded, that was established before the baseboards: 16vac blue/brown; 12DC red/black; 3v DC yellow/ grey

[@paulhargreaves1497]

@@piccadillymodelrailways Thanks!

[@dinmorejunctionmodelrailway]

On another subject. Do you a this locomotive. Hornby R3048 Class 08 Shunter 08673 'Piccadilly' in BR Intercity Livery

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi, no. For my OO gauge layout I wanted a BR blue one, so I have 08489. In the past I did have a Graham Farish N gauge 08, and wanted the one you mentioned, but it was a very poor runner especially over so many points, I sold it and scrapped further plans to replace the 08. TBH I don’t need an N gauge one.

[@TheSonofruss]

I have a question sorry it doesn’t have anything to do with the signals they do look nice though. I am wondering if I could commission some help with a project I am working on I am trying to put an interior in my N scale Walthers Hardwood furniture building there’s a rooftop building for the fire escape / elevator core. I plan to use the core for hiding the wiring for lights but I haven’t had any luck finding any scale representation of parts for the elevator doors. I was hoping that in your design of the station you had found some files or pictures of any freight elevators in scale dimensions. Any help is appreciated thank you for any assistance with my project.

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi I really do appreciate you thinking I am a worthy candidate. Sadly my work is going to change again come January and my time is going ti be extremely limited once again. Please forgive it won’t be possible ti offer practical help. I can advise but that will be the limit I can offer. So sorry. If it’s of any help an N gauge person is approximately 12mm tall. Therefore I work on the idea doorways are 15mm tall.

[@dragon-junction-MK2]

Looks the biz now John. Great job ..

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Thanks Allan, Im just relieved they work, lol