The Burbank Branch

[ocalicreek]

I hear that. Wiring is not my favorite part either. DCC was supposed to 'simplify' wiring, right? "Just two wires to the track". IMO it just moved the complexity from the layout to the locomotive. Then a whole host of DCC accessories have come on line since the advent of the stationary decoder, bringing complexity back to the layout! What happened? Perhaps it's some sort of Jevons Paradox for model train complexity.

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Anyway, even in DC the wiring could get plenty hairy and scary. This is why I have been excited about manual turnout controls like the Blue Point and Bullfrog. Of course, a reduction in wiring complexity has been replaced by mechanical advantage and that has it's own issues as you were noticing.

One thing that looks promising is the new 'servo motor' controls. Yes, wiring, but also a very simple application.

Galen