And how do I get started most easily?

The most cost-effective way to start with CTC is with a single locomotive or turnout. Then you only need a suitable CTC-Loco-Module or CTC-Turnout-Module . For communication, use your home WiFi or an old WiFi router from the basement shelf. Power and tracks are provided by your existing model railway.

To get to know the fascinating possibilities of CTC, especially the train protection, you need a bit more. For this, you need a locomotive with IR or NFC reader, a signal and two beacons. Our starter sets are exactly tailored for this. If you want to use your own WiFi, simply take the corresponding extension set instead of the starter set.

In a starter set, the CTC modules are already registered in the WiFi of the included router. How easy registration is can be read in Chapter 3.1 of the user manual .

In addition to the offered starter sets, we are happy to put together a starter set that is right for you. If you wish, we can also install the CTC modules in your locomotives and turnouts for you.

Scenarios

We hope that among the scenarios described here, you will find one that matches your situation. If not, please describe your situation to us and we will add to our scenarios.

The three scenarios we consider most fundamental are:

The two articles on switching also cover (initial) parallel operation with CTC.

Frequently asked questions and their answers can be found in our FAQ section

Let's get started

You have your first delivery of CTC in front of you and are now wondering what to do next. This section will guide you through the process.

Step 1: Installation / Conversion

The CTC modules must be installed in locomotives or connected to turnouts, signals, etc.:

  • For locomotives , you will find a general introduction in the "Locomotive conversion" manual and links to numerous photo galleries of conversions we have carried out.
  • For turnouts , the "Turnout conversion" manual contains a table with most common turnouts including article numbers. On the page, you can simply search for your turnout's article number using your browser's search function (Ctrl-F) and then open the corresponding manual. If your turnout is not listed, please feel free to contact us and we will provide the missing instructions.
  • Connecting semaphore signals and light signals is described in the "Turnout conversion" manual .
  • Assembly and connection of IR beacons are explained in the CTC-IR-Beacon datasheet .

Step 2: Power supply

Basic information on power supply for CTC modules and systems can be found in the "Power supply" basics document .

For commissioning a newly converted locomotive, a rolling test bench is recommended. It is best to supply turnout modules with power outside the model railway layout at first.

Note: When using a laboratory power supply for power supply, remember that it only limits the current in case of a short circuit. When testing a newly converted locomotive or turnout, check the power supply's current display and switch it off quickly if it shows unexpectedly high values. The CTC module itself requires a maximum of 50 mA, but the connected locomotive, turnout or signal naturally also needs some power.

Step 3: Registering in WiFi

If you have purchased a CTC starter set, CTC router or the WiFi registration service, this step is generally not required for you. The CTC modules you purchase from us are delivered pre-configured for your model railway WiFi.

The easy way to register is via the CTC app. You can find out how to install it in Chapter 2 of the user manual . The actual registration process is described in Chapter 3.1 of the user manual .

Note: Between firmware version 20250806 and 20260113, some CTC modules had problems registering in WiFi. Sometimes a successful registration could be lost and re-registration was no longer possible. If you have such a version, please make sure to update to the latest version 20260311 (CTC app 4.49) .

Information on how to update the firmware of a CTC module that will not connect to WiFi can be found in Chapter 3.7 of the user manual .

Step 4: Configuration

Configuration of locomotives, turnouts and signals is described in the respective installation manuals (see Step 1).

General information on configuration can be found in Chapter 4 of the user manual .

Help from the community

If something is not working and the documentation does not help, it is worth taking a look at the CTC community .

As a CTC customer, you should be registered there (if not, please let us know). You can post a question there, which will first be answered by our AI. If the answer does not help you, you can publish the question so that it can be answered by other community members. The CTC team is also active on the CTC community.