last week, at my used electronics shop place, the clerk pointedout that they had some momentary ON - ON center off flip switches. I didnt pick them up but im thinking of going back in the next day or so to pick some up for use on my layout. Has anyone used those to control turnout? any precaution in using them?
These switches are very usefull for twin coil machines and can be placed on your control board at the switch point of your track diagram. They also reduce wiring by not needing both positive and negative wires on bothe side of the momontary switch. Jeff
One has to remember to flip the switch back to the center “off”,immediately, or you will burn out the solenoids. If you or other operators (especially children) are to operate the “flip switches”, you’re asking for trouble. Unless, the switches flip “on” only momentarily, (which I doubt)! On my HO layout there are 96 electric switches, divided into 4 “switch districts” controlled by 4 operators that use a probe to touch either of two numbered contacts, that correspond to the numbered switches on their scale drawing section of layout. The ground wire on each switch is soldered to a common ground, which circles the entire layout, and to the wire to each of the four probes. This of course means that there are two wires from each switch connected to their numbered switch district contact pair. I, too, was considering having tiny “center off” toggles, placed at the position of the switch on the scale drawing, but find that touching the numbered probes is just as fast, and is safer! Bob Hahn
If there is a concern about someone holding the switch then you could always put a capacitive circuit on the power side of the switch. With DC power, the capacitor will charge to voltage and then discharge when the toggle is switched. The trick would be getting the value of the cap correct and possibly having to use a resistor to slow the discharge or spotty switching may occur. Parts should only be a buck or less per switch and you may be able to use it for multiple switches as long as you let the cap recharge.
Those momentary ON-OFF-ON spring loaded toggle switches are perfect for Atlas and other Slam-Bang dual solenoid switch motors. Much more reliable that the Atlas slide and push switch, which tends to stick and burn out the motors.
I use one capacitive discharge circuit for my whole layout. It takes a second or two to build up a charge after I throw a turnout, but I can live with that.
I did have a momentary toggle hang on me a few months ago. (Of course, I was showing the layout to someone when it happened.) I couldn’t figure out why my turnouts had all stopped working, but once I found the problem and wiggled the offending toggle, it snapped back, the system recharged and I was ready to go. Without the CD circuit, I’d have been ripping up a turnout to get at the Peco machine beneath it.