Supplementary switches and track contacts.

Garden Railroading
1

I found out about these things by accident bought them by mistake on ebay actually.

I have now done some terrific things with them and my railway is doing things i never thought it could.

Has anyone else done much with them with or without MTS?

Rgds ian

2

What are they?

3

I use the LGB supplemental switch to control my siding power.

I use the Aristo 55475 to control 5 switches and the sidings have automatic power control from the EPL supplements. Siding is only powered when I select the siding. To insulate the rail, I rewire the bottom of the switch, i do not use the plastic joiner, I clamp my rails.

4

Been using them to control yard tracks for years. The new part number 12070 contains two micro switches. The original part number 1203(0) contained two miniature toggle switches and presented quite a load on the switch motor. These make great stand alone SPDT switches consuming little space but unfortunately have no center off.

Other postings have mentioned using a switch motor 12010, not attached to track, with EPL supplementary contacts to act as a remote reversing switch for bi-directional track.
Art

5

http://www.trainingdutchman.nl/home-Tips.html

There are some good diagrams with the use of the EPl drives/contacts and reed switches for many applications here.

I would suggest the LGB booster be added for more robust operation of the EPL drives.

6

For somebody like me who has the tracks down only during the winter holidays, having a separate higher voltage transformer to work the switch motors makes sense. The comon wire of the switch control can be attached to the track common wire so that only a single wire need be run to the individual motors. This can’t be done when using the typical transformer that powers both track and switch motors as it usually has but one secondary winding.

Of course a jumper wire from the common rail must be run to each motor but that’s practically invisible, although a little more work, but the end result gets rid of the phrase often heard “can’t you hide all those wires somehow; this looks like a rat’s nest!”. She likes railroads but likes neatness bestest.
Art

7

I am glad some one else holds these units in as high regard as do I. I have been using them to automate points (switches) of which i now have 4. 3 of them can be operated off MTS or track contacts and the other is only automatic operation.

I do agree that the new supplementary switch with two microswitches is a big improvement and i hahve 3 of them two are just operated by switch drives and operate really as relays so that i can switch beteween MTS and track contract control as i wish. However the other operates off S15 and controls the operation of S12; ie when S15 is on divert it works off MTS and when on straight through they operate off track contacts which suits the rest of the operation.

Rgds Ian