Like yesterday, I got done with work early and finished up the control panel installation. So here's the finished unit. Compares very closely to yesterday's "artist's impression".
Here's a shot from the back showing the robust bolting that holding the lower section to the layout structure. The upper part is secured with five long screws into the white 2 X 3 that's secured to the layout edge. I can pick myself up from the scooter so it's pretty strong.
The last thing I did was drill the three holes on top to secure the plexi to the frame. I use a oval-head screws with dress-washers. I modified a small drill for plastics work as before, and the drilled the holes. I was rushing! I forgot to reduce the DeWalt's speed to the slowest and it drilled the holes very fast. So fast that on the 3rd hole the drill buried itself in the wood structure beneath the panel and enlarged it too big. When I put the screw in the hole, there was no wood left for any threads to grab.
After dinner I went down and filled the hole with J-B Weld and tomorrow I'll re-drill with a pilot-sized drill and thread the screw in again. I also took some of the epoxy and reinforced the one rail at the swing gate that was a bit shaky. J-B Weld is some powerful stuff. It's a steel-powder filled epoxy that is drillable after it cures. It cures very slowly (24 hours), but it's worth the wait.
Tomorrow I will fit the piano hinge that goes across the entire bottom of the plexi and will secure the lower portion. I haven't decided if I'm going to mount all the hardware and wiring with the panel on or off. I see advantages in doing it in either way.
I have another opportunity which is to mount the MTH DCS TIUs vertically on the back wall of the box. This would make running wires from the TIUs to the block toggles. I would have to drill vent holes in the top of the box's back so there would be convective air flow from bottom to top. I know that the DCS book says to minimize the length of wire runs from TIUs to track, but my toggles all reside here in the panel. I would rather have the TIUs here and accessible than buried under the layout tied to a leg or something. Since I'm also planning on adding Lionel Legacy, the power brick would have to go outside of the box, but it doesn't have the multitude of wires emanating from it.
I would like to paint the unit, but I haven't decided on what color. I was going to paint the fascia boards a hunter green, but that seems to dark for the panel box. I was also thinking about a UP Armour Yellow or gray, or maybe Pennsy Tuscan Red since both are roads that I feature.
I'm still researching the LED lighting question. I can get the LEDs themselves for very little money (80 of them for like 10 dollars), but it's the power supply and the current limiting resistors that may cost more money. I also have to find out when running a panel full of them if you need a resistor at EACH LED or can a resistor that feeds the bank of them. Help is always needed!
