Model Railroading > Dispatcher Panel Questions

Hello all, 

I am about to create a panel for block indication lights and it will look like a dispatcher board. I'm planning to paint it black and have the track represented by white lines. What do you use for your track lines on these boards? I don't want to paint the track lines using white paint. Is there a special type of tape you use? I'm wanting it to be 1/4" or 3/8" wide. 
I've seen some very good looking ones out there.

Thanks in advance!
  -Caleb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 05:21 by Trainatic.

automotive pinstriping tape or Vinyl tape for remote control airplanes etc., etc.

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

If you're modeling an older CTC panel (1930-70s) you'd be better off painting it a dark olive green  Most panels in that era were green, not black.

Art House

The case was green, but the panels were black anodized aluminum with etched lines that were more a silver color than white. The photos below are of a Santa Fe US&S machine that controlled the SF's tracks from Barstow towards Tehachapi where they entered the Southern Pacific's track via trackage rights at Mojave. 

It would be better to paint the panel a silver or light gray color first, attach tape where the lines are to be, apply black paint, then remove the tape, creating the contrasting colored lines. That would be much more durable than adhesive tape which could eventually start to come loose. 

aehouse Wrote:
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> If you're modeling an older CTC panel (1930-70s)
> you'd be better off painting it a dark olive green
>  Most panels in that era were green, not black.
>
> Art House



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 09:06 by 4thDistrict.

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My project was not a CTC board but rather a tower board. I drew mine up in 3rdplanit and converted the file with some free software and than made some adjustments with Microsoft Paint (free also). The PDF was given to a digital sign painter and printed in whatever colors I wanted. My board was rather large, 2-1/2 x 5 ft. and cost about $120. You should have an easier time finding the smaller CTC indicator lamps but I couldn't find the correct tower lamps so made them from scratch.

​I have a friend who has drawn up a panel completely with the Paint program.

Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublicatons.com

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/19 19:23 by wabash2800.

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Where was that panekl installed? East Mojave or Barstow? I also recall seeing a small panel in the Mojave Depot years ago but couldn't get close enough to see any detail...
Thanks for sharing.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

It was located in Fresno, or so I have been told by the curator of the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. It is now stored in my shed after being reconfigured for use on my own layout. We are currently in the process of putting it into operation, a long and expensive project.

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Where was that panekl installed? East Mojave or
> Barstow? I also recall seeing a small panel in the
> Mojave Depot years ago but couldn't get close
> enough to see any detail...
> Thanks for sharing.

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Where was that panekl installed? East Mojave or
> Barstow? I also recall seeing a small panel in the
> Mojave Depot years ago but couldn't get close
> enough to see any detail...

Mojave controlled the eastward track between Mojave and Cameron. The eastward track was interlocking limits (like CTC but slightly different rules). The westward track was single direction ABS.

TAW

I had custom 3/16 white decal striping printed by Rail Graphics and then used Microscale lettering

twl

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Here is the board we used on the Inland Pacific on Terry Gilmores layout.  It is now defunct, having been taken down a few years afo.

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Thank you!!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

As others have said most CTC machine model boards had silver track and lettering.  My approach is to paint the entire panel silver, then mask the track and spray black.  Lettering is silver decals or dry transfers.

Barry Draper

barrydraper Wrote:
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> As others have said most CTC machine model boards
> had silver track and lettering.  My approach is
> to paint the entire panel silver, then mask the
> track and spray black.  Lettering is silver
> decals or dry transfers.

That is correct for US&S machines. GRS machines were black with white lines, accomplished by a laminated panel that had white as a second layer.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?18,4053630,4053635#4053635

TAW

How do you all allow for changes?  Whether model or prototype, railroads change.

Larry

Larry020 Wrote:
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> How do you all allow for changes?  Whether model
> or prototype, railroads change.
>
> Larry

With tape, black paint, whatever is handy to remove, cover up, or add new lines. Parts will be removed or added, or moved around as necessary. The photos are from Overbrook Tower in Philadelphia, Penn. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 18:12 by 4thDistrict.

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http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2367741,2367741#2367741
Maybe these links will help out...
Todd Montgomery
Springfield OR  

 http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1704284,1704284#1704284



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/16 00:57 by coosbaytoday.

TAW wrote:

> Mojave controlled the eastward track between Mojave and Cameron.

The Mojave operator also controlled the junction between the SP and Santa Fe at East Mojave.

I sort of vaguely recall that the Tehachapi article in the January 1977 issue of Trains had a photo showing the operator's board in the Mojave depot (can't look up the article right now.  Will make a later correction if necessary).

johnsweetser Wrote:
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> TAW wrote:
>
> > Mojave controlled the eastward track between
> Mojave and Cameron.
>
> The Mojave operator also controlled the junction
> between the SP and Santa Fe at East Mojave.


tnx - forgot about that.

TAW