METHOD TO TURN LAYOUT ON?

Lot's of smart receptacles on the market that can be controlled via wi-fi.

https://www.safewise.com/resou...outlets-buyers-guide

Old school on my layout...

A dedicated 20 amp feed to four outlets....

The outlet is switched, with a pilot light. This is at the top of the stairs; on my way out of the room.

I keep having ideas of doing it old-school, but just the low voltage side of course...

I have two methods.  Luckily our new home, the downstairs former "man cave?" family room, now layout empire, was wired with split outlets so the layout is turned on with a wall switch (also turns on four Aladdin caboose lamps around the room for night time running ).  I also have a home built switch pedal that kills layout power, saving walking to other end of room (and convenient when troubleshooting or testing, or worst case an EMERGENCY power kill).

Gilly@N&W posted:

Old school on my layout...

The outlet is switched, with a pilot light. This is at the top of the stairs; on my way out of the room.

Gilly where did you find the switch/pilot light?  The big box stores associates gave me the deer in headlights stare when I described what I wanted.  Several electricians said these were hard to get but could order them for $25-30 each (no thanks).  Wanted this for status of remote garage lights from house (sorry, not layout).

Kill switch.

When we designed our home three years ago, we had the chance to add separate 20 Amp outlets for the train room power controlled by a wall switch with a pilot light:

Why would you want to be able to turn the layout on via wi-fi?  Certainly, you don't want the layout to turn on unless you're at it, just in case something goes wrong, and it's easy to throw a switch.  I use a power strip with a built-in switch.

This is what I use to turn on my layout:

Rusty

Buy it flowers and take it to dinner

RJR posted:

Why would you want to be able to turn the layout on via wi-fi?  Certainly, you don't want the layout to turn on unless you're at it, just in case something goes wrong, and it's easy to throw a switch.  I use a power strip with a built-in switch.

In the room where we have our trains the wall sockets our mostly at one end of the layout and positioned under the table. We use a couple of power strips to turn everything on and off, but before buying 2 wifi plugs at Best Buy, you had to crawl under the table to hit the switches. The wifi is awesome. Tap an app on the iphone and press on to start and off when done. Doesn't get much easier and I don't have to get on my knees to hit the switches on the power strips.

When technology fills a need, it's awesome. If you don't have a need, no need to buy. 

I turn mine on and off with Amazon’s Alexa in coordination with an Insteon power switch.  Very handy when you are away from a kill switch working on the layout and need to turn off the power quickly.  Plus the wow factor is through the roof when I have guests over and ask Alexa to turn on the trains and the whole layout comes to life.  

-Pete

I favor the pilot-light rocker switch Stangtrain used but unfortunately I mounted it where my hip bone or love handles knocked it off. So, back to the snap switch. However  it works great for the back deck lights.

I have a 6 plug power strip with a 8 Ft cord plugged into a remote for Christmas lights with a Remote Fob.

Steve

I discovered the three-button device at a local big box hardware store.  The "remote fob" is a handy device for use as a master control switch for my train layout. Much simpler than installing creating a 110v master AC switch somewhere. My fob has three on/off buttons on the hand-held transmitter. I keep it at the layout control center. It controls three separate receivers at AC wall outlets:

1)  provides power to a power strip for two track power "bricks," a TMCC Command Base, a PowerMaster, a 14v circuit for constant power to 10 switch motors, and a DC power supply for three upper level trolley lines

2)  provides power to a power strip for about half of the DEPT 56 North Pole Village porcelain lighted buildings, plus several lighted O-scale kit buildings in a neighborhood

3)  provides power to a power strip for the other half of the DEPT 56 buildings (35 total), a few action accessories, and some lighted pre-built buildings.

It works great. Visiting kids like to see the layout "come to life" when the fob buttons are pressed, and it's simple and easy to shut everything down with the fob at the end of an operating session.

Mike   (ritrainguy)

I keep the "remote fob" on a clip that slides onto my belt, always right there no matter what I'm doing in basement.

Quiker than a wall switch, and the DCS remote has an emergency off button.  

I ordered a remote like that to reset the breakers on my PH180s. Need to wire up some relays to make it work

BFI66 posted:

I turn mine on and off with Amazon’s Alexa in coordination with an Insteon power switch.  Very handy when you are away from a kill switch working on the layout and need to turn off the power quickly.  Plus the wow factor is through the roof when I have guests over and ask Alexa to turn on the trains and the whole layout comes to life.  

-Pete

 

I just read this reply aloud to my wife, and our Alexa chimed in that "you don't have any devices connected". I have nicknamed her "Voldamort" for when I want to talk about her "secretly", but forgot.

This is a clever idea!

I found a really manly way to turn the power on.

Chris Sheldon