Railway control

Run your trains
through your own world

Locomotives, turnouts and signals can follow one plan. Start with manual driving, then add routes, track occupancy and timetables to your layout in PRO.

07 / 08Locomotives, routes and timetables
DCC railway controlModel scene

The train runs on the main line. Choose the route for its next journey.

From a single locomotive to planned operations

What you can do

Railway operations
under your control

Combine locomotive driving with route setting and information about what is happening on the tracks.

Locomotive control

Change speed, direction and available functions through a supported DCC connection.

Turnouts and signals

Include infrastructure in railway operations and layout actions.

Routes and stops

In PRO, plan route variants, stops, direction changes and actions along the way.

Track occupancy

In PRO, use supported LocoNet feedback, positions and reservations on the track plan.

Timetable and model clock

Plan services for the week, copy days and use timetable templates in PRO.

Test before running

In PRO, simulate your timetable, analyse conflicts and use measured journey times.

Ideas for your project

How will you use it
on your layout?

01

Shunting at a small station

Drive a locomotive and set turnouts manually. This is a starting point for getting your first layout running.

02

A train running to a timetable

In PRO, plan departures, stops and successive route sections. Track occupancy provides information about traffic.

03

Railway display

Combine a passing train with platform lighting, signals and sound. The whole scene tells one story.

Devices and connections

From command
to motion

The DCC command station sends commands to decoders. In a PRO installation, a separate feedback path from occupancy sensors lets operations take the layout's current state into account.

Signal flowDCC model railways / 04 stages
  1. 01Control

    App

    Driving and routes

  2. 02Command station

    DCC command station

    Supported connection

  3. 03Transmission

    Tracks and decoders

    DCC commands

  4. 04On the layout

    Locomotive

    Speed and functions

What to prepare

Materials and wiring

Command station and interface

Check compatibility for the specific model and how it connects to the app.

Decoders and infrastructure

Locomotives, turnouts and signals require devices suited to the installation.

Occupancy sensors

For automatic operation in PRO, set up supported feedback and divide the tracks into sections.

Connections and documentation

Prepare your setup

The command station in the architecture

See where DCC fits into the connections between the app and your layout.

View the architecture

Turnout mechanism

The servo and PCA9685 diagram can help you set up the mechanism. It does not show DCC track wiring.

View the servo diagram

Connect tracks, decoders and sensors according to the documentation for the specific devices. The architecture diagram does not include electrical DCC wiring.

Additions for your project

Expand your layout

Hardware, effects and files from the catalogue. Match them to the devices and scenes you are working on.

For museums and exhibitions

A railway presentation with a defined sequence

Example scenario

On a museum station layout, a show could include a departure, a run along a visible section and a platform stop. Lighting and commentary explain the purpose of the displayed elements. Before building a longer timetable, start with one locomotive and one route to test how the actual rolling stock behaves.

What to prepare

Prepare a track plan, command station and interface details, a decoder list, and information about turnouts and signals. Movement based on track occupancy needs compatible section feedback. The project defines speeds, stopping points and conditions for the next journey. Trials should also cover electrical pickup, turnouts and the behaviour of the complete train.

Scope and limits

DCC compatibility does not automatically mean support for every command station interface or feedback system. The connection scope must be confirmed for the specific equipment. Simulation helps prepare a timetable but does not replace trials on the track. The control concerns model railways, not transport infrastructure outside the model.

Questions before implementation

Can an existing DCC command station be reused?

Its model, interface version and available computer connection need to be identified before the control scope can be confirmed. Occupancy feedback and accessory compatibility are checked separately.

Does an automatic route need occupancy sensors?

The requirements depend on the planned movements. If decisions depend on a train’s actual presence in a section, appropriate feedback is needed. A departure time alone does not confirm that a track section has been cleared.

Explore control for museums and exhibitions or discuss your exhibition implementation. An implementation can be scoped and quoted now. The standalone Maqster app has not yet launched.

Enlarged view. On a small screen, scroll the diagram horizontally.

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