Staging Yard Controller Home Page

SYC2 Staging Yard Controller

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ!!
Some of the items listed on this page and the order form are currently not available. In June 2007 I suffered a stroke which left me with limited use of my left hand, so I am not able to provide assembled products. I regret the inconvenience; hopefully I soon will recover more functionality in my left hand.

SUSPENDED
All electronic kit parts have been packed-up in preparation for a move to a new house in mid-2009. I am unable to fill any orders until then.

LAST RUN!!
The cost of PC boards has become prohibitive, so the SYC2 will be discontinued when my stock is exhausted. I currently have in stock 10 SYC2 boards and 10 relay boards, but only 1 rotary switch board (needed to use the SYC2).

Interest in my SYC2 staging yard controller article in the May 1999 Model Railroader has been gratifying. Please refer to that article for complete information about the SYC2.

The SYC2 attempts to solve the basic bugaboo of running trains into and out of hidden staging yards when the trains can't be seen. It helps in three ways:

Aligning the turnouts to select the correct track, so the train crew doesn't have to throw multiple toggle switches.
Monitoring the train's progress through the yard throat, and signaling the crew. The LOC2 dual laser occupancy detector connects directly to the SYC2 and monitors two independent yard throats.
Switching track power on to the designated track only when a train is moving on it. This prevents runaway trains should a crew not set the speed to zero after staging a train. (The TPR2 track power relay board kit and RLY relays are needed to switch track power. Refer to the order form for more information.)

Controls and Operation
SYC2 control panel

This photo shows the SYC2 controls. There are also red, yellow, and green signal lights, not shown, that you may install in a control panel or in a trackside signal for more realism (you also could have two sets of lights - one trackside and the other in the control panel). Select a track with the rotary switch, then push the round button to start the process. When the turnouts are aligned, the green light comes on, telling you to proceed into or out of the yard.

The yellow light turns on when your train enters the yard throat. After the train clears the throat, the red light turns on (green and yellow turn off), and power to the selected track is shut off - the movement is complete.

Important! Please Read
Rotary switch circuitry

The original SYC2 written-up in Model Railroader had a "thumbwheel" switch, where you dialed the track number with your thumb. These switches have become very expensive and difficult to get, so I no longer supply them with the kit.

Instead, I am pleased to offer a rotary switch that has 12 positions, the SYC2's capacity. It's designed to connect directly to the SYC2, replacing the standard thumbwheel switch, and comes with its own circuit board and microprocessor. You get a small kit of parts with the PC board, switch, and knob shown here. Complete instructions are provided, and assembly is quick and easy.

Since the microprocessor was needed anyway, I added some "smarts" that help you design your control panel. If your staging yard has fewer than 12 tracks, you can "offset" the switch numbering to get a balanced design.

For example, the Roanoke panel photo above shows an eight-track setup with the Track 1 offset two switch positions from normal, allowing a symmetrical layout. You can use this same feature with smaller yards (4-6 tracks) to have all the numbers on the left or right side of the switch. The assembly instructions include a few sample switch dials.

Double-end and Reverse-loop Yards
Some people have asked if the SYC2 can handle double-end or reverse-loop staging yards. The answer is "possibly."

With its 12-track capacity, a single SYC2 can control both throats in a double-end yard of up to six tracks. You assign two numbers to each track and use one set of numbers for movements on one end of the yard and the other set for movements on the other end. If your yard has more than six tracks, you'll need two SYC2s, one for each end.

The same scheme can be used on a reverse-loop yard of up to six tracks. Again, each track gets two numbers, with one set being used for inbound movements and the other set for outbound movements. However, since both ends of the yard tracks feed the same throat, the SYC2's 12-track capacity limits a reverse-loop yard to six tracks.

I put together a document that shows how to use the SYC2 with double-end and reverse-loop yards, and includes other useful information on wiring the switch machines and track power. It's in Adobe Acrobat format, so you'll need the Acrobat reader to open the file. Click to download the SYC2 tips (97K).

Order form

LOC2 laser occupancy detector

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Updated on December 10, 2001