Mr. Beasley,
I looked at the MTS-70PC toggles (from All Electronics) for my panel. Here is a really dumb question (that anyone can answer for me if they wish)…I see three posts coming from the toggle. So, I solder the three wires onto the three posts on the toggle…but where do I connect the power from the power pack?
Here is another question. I called Walthers about replacing the controller on a couple of old Life-Like Power-Loc turn-outs that were missing (for my son’s layout). Technical Service said anything that is similar to the Atlas 56 controller will work. I later purchased a brand new turn-out and on the back it said to connect the power feed coming from the controller to the AC side of the power pack. Shouldn’t the turn-outs be connected to DC? The motor on the turnout sure looks like a DC motor…
If anyone can answer these two questions for me, I’d appreciate it.
Mike/Nightshade
The SPDT switch, of which All-Electronics’s MTS-70PC is one model, has three posts, as you’ve mentioned. The two outside posts go to the two outside posts of the turnout motor (on an Atlas, anyway.) The center post of the SPDT goes to one side of your power source, and the center post of the turnout motor goes to the other side of your power supply.
Peco switch machines have 4 posts. Wire two on the same long side together, and that becomes the center post. The two on the other side become the “outside” posts.
You may use either AC or DC for most twin-coil switch machines. I run mine through a capacitive discharge circuit, which I feed with AC. (I’ve got a bridge rectifier in there first, to turn the AC to DC.) Note that if you are using small DC relays for signal control, first of all, you will have to use DC, and second, they are polarity-sensitive, unlike the twin-coil turnout machines.
Always think of the electrical circuit you are making as a “round trip.” The current leaves one post of your power supply, and then goes to the SPDT switch. When you close the SPDT, it then travels on the selected path to the switch machine, through one side of the machine, and back from the center post to the other side of the power supply.
Many thanks! I also opened up the switch in order to re-solder the leads and it is a twin coil system too.