Adding screw terminals to Uhlenbrock 67810

The only bad things about this servo decoder are:

1) Not Loconet communication, directly connected to DCC Loop
2) It has no terminals to connect wires coming from switch frogs. You have to attach them using a kind of plastic caps to keep the wire in touch with the decoder terminals. But this caps don't hold it properly and produce false contacts between the wires and the decoder, it's really a botch.

There is nothing to do with the first issue, but you can solder very easily screw terminals instead of using those plastic caps. For each servo decoder you will need 2 double terminals and 4 triple terminals. These terminals must be of 3,5 mm gauge.  I bought them in RS-ONLINE, and references are:

* Double screw terminals: 648-8484
* Triple screw terminals: 648-8513

That's the result with the screw terminals soldered:

Status update

That's the layout current status, more or less 70% of the twisted bone form track laid:

I also made a video to test it. It starts from the red tracks (half of the station) and comes back to the station in a continuous circulation through the gray tracks. I calculated an average speed of 72Km/h (scaled) and takes 60 seconds for this built part of the circuit:

I don't have many advances, but I spent a lot of time learning, testing and thinking about blocks, detection sections, loops, servos.... to avoid missing any future requirement!!

Servo installation

I've been installing servos in the firsts switches of the main level. I'm using an Uhlenbrock servo decoder with relays (to feed frogs). Servos (also from Uhlenbrock) are not the best by far, but they come with two different supports (aluminium angles), 3 different bars and mounting screws.

Decoder is not LOCONET compatible. It is wired to the DCC loop but it's also connected to an independent power supply to avoid the typical servo initial movement if you have to cut the power from the central station to the tracks in case of derailment or short circuit.

4 different positions can be programmed for each servo and assigned to a different red or green key. Also speed and bouncing effect (for barriers) is configurable. Decoder can be configured from the station (in CV program) or directly pressing a button in the decoder.

That's the first test, the movement can be really realistic: