Using a CTC Machine to Control Model Railroads

Why go to the trouble of a fancy CTC system? Lee said he’s always been fascinated with that aspect of railroading, and wanted to bring that sense of realism to the UCW. With a half-dozen passing sidings and numerous turnouts on his Western-inspired freelanced pike, Lee shows how the knobs, lights and detection systems of his CTC machine, which he built with the help of a friend from Oregon, help his layout run smoothly and more prototypically for the dispatcher.

Here’s a look at another modeler’s use of CTC boards.

Lee’s UCW is one of the most active model railroad operations-oriented layouts in the country, and Lee was one of the founding members of ProRail (“Prototype Railroad Operations”), a group of owner- operators who travel throughout a region and country to operate on different railroads. Lee hosted the group in 1990, and says his regular monthly operating sessions in his remote Utah home attract operations-enthusiasts from as far as 200 miles away!

In his 30 ’x 33’ layout, Lee places a great deal of emphasis on a high scenery-to-track ratio, befitting a railroad which operates in remote Rocky Mountain locations.