When first designed, the electrical connections were provided by one single 37 pin cable, which connected to the first front board, with male & female connectors between each board and the rear sections were connected via 9 pin connectors, due to the fact that there was only track power being transferred from front to back. When designed, it was envisaged that the layout would be operated from behind and it was pointless having electric points if the manual ones were within reach.
The idea of running from behind was binned on the first outing - the height of the layout, coupled with the back scenery meant that it was impossible to see anything at the front. So the layout quickly became side-operated (which is actually far better) and the fiddle yard was modified due to issues with all the reverse curves and crossovers, so electric points started creeping in to the rear boards, which required further electrical modifications. Nothing too major, to get the additional power all I needed to do was install a double 37 pin connector in the rear, power was still supplied from the control panel via one lead but now plugged into the rear board first, with the original lead plugging in from the rear to the front.
The wiring design I used for the points control mechanisms means that whereas if I'd used a CDU mounted in the panel, I'd need two wires to control each set of points, my system uses only one wire for each, these go to relay PCBs that I've built and installed in the boards and a simple on/off switch opens and closes the points as required, saving on wiring and space within the 37 pin connectors.
As we continue to use the layout, we learn what runs well and what doesn't, what areas could be improved etc. The new fiddle yard layout is a vast improvement on the previous design but the only downside is that the sidings are very long, storing something like a five car Brighton Belle wastes lots of storage, so it would be handy to install isolated sections to allow parking of two complete trains. This is where the DCC system - if it had been more successful - would have been of benefit as it allows multiple locos to be parked on the same track section.
It would also be handy to install more electric points at the end of the fiddle yard, we run locos from the turntable sidings, through the turntable and into the fiddle yard, so the ability to control the rear sidings that connect to this at the back would be of benefit.
So to install eight isolated track sections and three more points means that I need to add eleven more wires and switches from the panel, and the 37 pin connectors don't have enough spare capacity. So a solution is required.
I've had to install a second 37 pin connector block in the control panel...
The original connector will now power the front three boards, the second will work the rear section. No additional connection leads required, the front section will now plug directly into here rather than into the rear board.
Thankfully I kept a wiring diagram and pin configuration list, so it was a reasonably easy task to identify which wires in the original connector needed to be swapped to the rear.
The control PCBs for the track isolation and additional points motors have already been made, just waiting for some more switches to arrive.
There are now more electronics involved in the fiddle yard than in the front of the layout!
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