I ordered the two new relays with sockets from Jameco Electronics on Friday and they were at my door step today. I started to make the transition. The sockets are too big for the piece of plexiglas that I was using as a base for the interlock circuits, so I cut a piece of hardboard and screw-mounted the relay socket to it. I didn't have much time today so I just started rewiring the new sockets. At least now, if a relay fails I just pull it out and plug in a new one. It had screw terminals so I'm using spade lugs instead of soldering everything. I also did a test run of my largest diesel (turbine) engine through the tunnel portals to make sure it cleared. It did.
The wiring behind this is frightening, isn't it. That's the kind of complexity that cab control brings needing 6 wires to each DPDT toggle switch; three wires to route the power and three more to activate the red and green pilot lamps. If I was to have used DCS, you'd only need a pilot light on the yard tracks, all the rest would be tackled by the DCS. Oh well...
Tomorrow I'll finish reconnecting the interlock. Can't afford to chance running the trains without this safety feature. If the normally open points did freeze closed, I wonder what did that and what to do about it in the future?
