Marshelling Panel

historically, the term comes railroad marshalling yards:

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/52087/Marshalling-Cabinet

Good answer Carl_E (like your previous posting in answer to this question).

According to the 'Concise Oxford Dictionary' the word Marshal when used as a verb would mean 'arrange in due order' or 'take up positions in due arrangement' as in a railway marshalling yard where goods trains are arranged and assembled on arrival or before being dispatched. (your example). Origin French 'Mareshal'

As far as the OP's question goes re the functions and uses of a Marshalling Panel -

Function : To provide one location (e.g. in a control room) where all field wiring may be terminated before being re-routed to their control boards which simplifies the wiring and also makes it easy to inter-connect various control wiring (e.g. interlocks between panels etc.)

Uses : When testing, fault-finding, monitoring, connecting or replacing cabling between the control equipment and the field equipment, a marshalling panel provides one access point which enables one to have access to the control wiring terminations without having to open up a whole lot of different panels.