ESP32 · JMRI · DCC / LCC CONSIST CONTROL

A standalone panel that talks to JMRI over your own WiFi. Add, remove, and recall multi-engine consists standing right next to the track — no laptop, no menus, no walking back to the desk.

Works with: EasyDCC · NCE · Digitrax · Lenz / XPressNet · LCC (OpenLCB)

What It Does

Every change you make on the panel lands in JMRI instantly — and every change JMRI already knows about is waiting for you the moment you connect.

—    Build consists on the fly. Add and remove engines, reorder them, set direction per-unit — live, with changes reflected instantly in JMRI.

—    Save and recall favorites. Every consist address gets up to 6 saved presets, so regular lash-ups are one selection away instead of rebuilt from scratch.

—    Recent engines list. The last engines you worked with are always one tap away — no need to remember or re-enter addresses.

—    Dual OLED displays. Full consist roster and status at a glance — legible in a dim train room, no phone screen required.

—    Tactile encoder control. A quad rotary encoder with per-digit RGB feedback. Dial in an address and go.

—    Companion web page. Manage saved consists from any phone or tablet on your network when you're not standing at the panel.

Recalling Saved Consist Groups

Every consist address can hold up to 6 saved consist presets — a full saved group, not just a single engine: every lead, mid, and rear unit, each with its own address and direction, all recalled together in one press. The panel also auto-saves a consist shortly after it's built, so regular lash-ups build up their own recall history without any extra step.

To recall one, press PAGE while dialing in a consist address. The panel steps through that address's saved presets first, then its individually-tracked Recent Engines for one-off single-engine recalls. Each preset previews the full group before you commit — every engine's address, direction, and role (Lead / Mid / Rear) — so you know exactly what you're about to load. Press ADD to load the whole group instantly, in the correct order and direction, without re-entering a single address by hand.

New in v1.85

Real Slot Awareness — Not a Guess

Your command station has a hard limit on how many locomotives it can control at once. Until now, the only way to find out you'd hit it was watching an add silently fail. The panel now asks JMRI directly, live, how many LocoNet slots are actually free — and shows it right on screen as Free = N. Run out for real, and it tells you plainly instead of leaving you guessing.

New in v1.85

Know Which Loco You're Grabbing, Not Just Its Number

Dial in an address, and if it's in your JMRI roster, the panel shows its Road Name and Model right next to the digits — no more guessing which four-digit number belongs to which locomotive. It works the same way when paging through Recent Engines, on the Lead Engine readout, and in the engine lists on the companion web page.

How It Works

—    Power on.The panel finds JMRI on your network automatically and detects your command station type.

—    Build. Dial in loco numbers on the panel, or use the web page from your phone.

—    Drive. Changes sync to JMRI in real time — no separate save step, no sync delay.

—    Recall. Browse saved consists and recent engines with one button, right where you're standing.

Compatibility

The panel reads your JMRI connection and adjusts its own behavior — no configuration screens to dig through.

Companion Web Interface

Everything the front panel does is also a page on your network — no app to install. Point a phone, tablet, or PC at the panel's own address and it's all there, auto-refreshing as you work. The web page mirrors the panel exactly — build, save, and recall consists without walking up to it.

Tested Against Real Hardware, Not a Demo Bench

Every consist edge case here — stuck slots, dropped WiFi, engines that wouldn't fully clear — was found, diagnosed, and fixed against real command stations before it shipped. What you get is quiet and predictable, session after session.

—    5 command station systems supported

—    6 saved presets per consist

—    21 LocoNet slots tracked live

—    Unlimited reconnects without a reboot

What You Get

One Panel. Ready to Run.

Firmware v1.85 · ESP32 · JMRI JSON/WebSocket

In the Box

—    One fully assembled, ready-to-run WiFi Consist Master unit

—    Rotary-encoder control panel with dual onboard OLED displays

—    Pre-loaded firmware, current version

—    Power cable

—    Quick-start guide for connecting to your JMRI server

Requirements

—    Self-service factory reset — no computer required if it's ever needed

—    Web interface works from any phone, tablet, or PC on your WiFi