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Homemade Train Controller Systems

Achieving some dreams can be complicated, as any successful dreamer can attest. Although model trains circle the tracks and the real ones go from Point A to Point B, controller systems can easily become a model project in itself. From the original vision down to the final wires in the tracks, hobbyists must consider the complexity and practicality of any train control system. After all, trains do what their controllers and conductors tell them. Building a train controller system is as much as hobby as running the train itself.

Vision
- Write out your vision. Model enthusiasts must arrive at fundamental conclusions: track size, layout, how many and what kind of switches, materials and circuitry. Each decision leads to step-by-step plans. Given the model's multiple dimensions, homemade train builders do well to investigate the trickle-down tasks for multiple configurations under consideration. Consider it a lazy afternoon of visionary sketches. Once determined, however, any home-built system requires subsequent research and planning.
Plan
- The schematic is a representative drawing of the track work involved in the layout. At this stage, one needs not concern about track shape. Rather, schema indicates tracks locations: switches, rail sidings and where the track ends conjoin. At this stage, the dream demands logical thought and planning. This is where the initial vision, wildly creative as it may have been, meets its tasks. Many hobbyists make model railroads a family project whose contributors get to learn planning, basic carpentry and history. Homemade rail models even involve economics. Good planning helps to produce a good result.
Frame
- The frame is an actual plane for the hobbyist's dream to take shape upon. It's actually a large piece of plywood made to mount the control panel. Most train enthusiasts use wood 1-inch thick, according to the National Model Railway Association (NMRA). Then, sheet metal, used for heating ducts, must be cut to the size required for mounting the control frame. As with many projects, good preparation pays off. At this point, the schematic is placed on top of the sheet metal, so builders can drill all of the holes for the electrical switches. A well-done schematic ensures that all the switches will be in their proper places.
Wiring
- Now the electrical work: switches, wires and lights. There are several ways to connect wires to rails. Those who are mechanically inclined build electrical connections by soldering the feeder wire to the outside of the rails. For those needing a little help, many local hobby shops sell rail joiners with wires already attached. It is wise to allow plenty of time for this delicate stage in the process because mistakes can cause short-circuits and breakdowns. It is important to ensure that wires for positive and negative electrical connections are color-coded. This way, builders can easily figure out which rail joiner goes to which rail.

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