While completing the tracklaying, my attention turned to wiring the layout for control. I first decided that the electrical control would be through standard DC. At this time, I did not want to put the time or energy into fitting DCC decoders into all of my steam and diesel locomotives. I also had two handheld Tech II controls from my previous layout that I wanted to use. Initial power for the layout is provided by two 12 volt AC bell transformers, one dedicated to each of the throttles. Each transformer powers a bus cable that runs the length of the layout and is tapped at each town switching location, six in all. At each of these locations, the AC power is routed to facia mounted plugs for each of the handheld throttles, where it is returned to a separate set of bus cables as regulated DC power for the tracks. Also at each switching location, is a small control panel with controls for each block of track. The blocks can be controlled by either of the two throttles plugged in at any location. This allows two trains to be run simultaneously around the layout. This is plenty for this medium-sized layout of a shortline railroad. Turnouts are controlled by a simple pushrod borrowed from the model airplane hobby and featured in an issue of N-Scale (July/August 2007) magazine. The pushrod is connected to a Radio Shack DPDT slide switch directly below the turnout throwbar. This switch allows power to be supplied to the turnout frog and turn power on and off to sidings. This method is simple, but provides reliable and inexpensive control.