HO layout, all Atlas Customline #6’s
In an ealier post, I asked what I would need in terms of a toggle for the control panels to control these switch machines . I was told I needed SPDT single pole, double throw momentary contact toggle.
What I found was minature (which I wanted) SPDT (on)-off-(on) Momentary. When I throw the toggle either way, it pops back to center. It also has three lugs on the bottom. Is this the right one?
Thanks, DON
Yes, that is what you want. I thought about using the toggle but was afraid of them getting stuck so I went with the small push button ones from Radio Shack. Mike
The center lug is the common wire or power in. With most makes if toggle is thrown up, the center and bottom lug are making contact
The lever popping back to center is what makes the contact momentary. If the electrical switch stays in one position too long, the switch machine will heat up and cause all sorts of damage. (We had a fire from one at our train show a few years ago).
The only drawback to this system is that there’s no indication which way your turnout is thrown.
Easiest way to avoid that is use a capacitor discharge power supply. Even if a lever or button gets stuck, the current is limited and won;t burn out the switch motors. When I had an N scale layout way back I used the standard Atlas control boxes that cme with my turnouts. They had a tendency to stick, and the smaller N scale switch motors would burn out very quickly. The HO ones can take a little more abuse. I built a capacitor discharge supply and after that NEVER burned out another switch motor. You get a nice solid jolt when you first press the button which pretty much guarantees the switch will operate, but if the button gets stuck the only continuous power flows through a relatively large value resistor, limiting current enough that the switch motor doesn’t even get warm. This is a good investment for anyone using twin-coil solenoid type switch motors, be they Atlas, Peco, os some others. It’s a very simple electronics project, or you can buy them ready to go from companies like Cicruitron (the Snapper). They aren’t expensive, and if it saves just a couple burned out switch motors it pretty much pays for itself.
–Randy
I’ve found that push buttons can often stick because they were abused while soldering the wires on. I use stud and probe method – a contact (brass screw or similat) placed in the track diagram and a wire with a pointer on it is touched to it. I also have a CDU to give it a good kick.