Toggle switch powering entire layout.

I have everything wired from the one power pack, to the terminal block used for DC, from the terminal block to the respective terminal rerailers. I have the same power pack wired to another terminal block for accessories and then to the 2 remotes for the 2 turnouts which are connected to the turnouts themselves. With everything wired like this it works great.

But there is a new problem and I think I know why and what to do to fix it, tell me if I’m correct.

Problem: With wiring running from the terminals connected to the passing siding to the toggle switch, then from the toggle switch to the terminal block connected to the DC power, the toggle switch acts as a master switch for the entire layout. Even with the passing siding isolated with insulated plastic rail joiners on both sides of the terminals connected to the passing siding.

Here is what I think the solution is: Connect a sub terminal block to the main terminal block and connect the toggle switch to the sub block along with connecting it to the terminals connected to the passing siding.

I need to isolate the passing siding and be able to turn it on an off as needed. Which is why I am using insulated rail joiners on both sides of the terminal connection.

If this is not correct, please advise.

If I follow your description correctly, then I believe you are spot on in your solution: Install the toggle somewhere on a separate wire run from the main terminal block to the siding and insulate the siding using insulated rail joiners.

EDIT:
Did a little bit of post Post searching and found this thread. It shows TWO cab control, but the basics for switching a ‘Block’ or your passing siding are there.

I like pictures waaaay more than text :slight_smile:

The siding is already insulated with plastic rail joiners. The terminal blocks I am using are 8 position barrier strips with the connections jumpered.

I am running Bachmann EZ Track, not flex or continuous, so I need a terminal on each side of the track. The terminals to the siding are a pair of terminal rail joiners.

So I under how my solution should work it will be:

  1. From power pack to main terminal block/barrier strip.
  2. From main terminal block to another terminal block/barrier strip, a smaller one, let’s call this one a sub terminal block/barrier strip.
  3. From the sub block to the toggle switch.
  4. From the toggle switch to the terminal rail joiners connected to the siding.

There’s no need for a second terminal block. First, hoom the termianl track on the siding to the existing terminal blocks like the other sections are wired. train should be able to go through the siding, just no way to turn it off independly at this point.

Next step depends on how many pins you toggle switch has. If it’s 2 or three, break ONE wire going to the siding’s terminal track, connect the side going to the trackto the end pin on the toggle switch, connect the wire going back to the terminal blocks to the other side (or middle, if the toggle has 3).

If the toggle has 4 or 6 pins, cut both wires going to the siding’s terminal track. Connect the side going to the track to the two end pins on the toggle. Connect the wires going to the terminal blocks to the other side or center two pins on the toggle.

Not sure how you could have put a toggle that acts as a master power switch, unless you put it betwene the power pack and the terminal block, or you connected it across the track power wires so it actually shorts things out when turned on. If you stand back and look, neither of those options even remotely makes sense to accomplish what needs to be done.

–Randy

Without the insulated rail joiners, using the metal ones and without the toggle switch, the train goes through the siding just fine. The toggle does not have pins. It has 2 screw connectors and is a simple on/of single pole single throw switch. The way it is currently connected is from the power pack to the terminal block, from the terminal block to the toggle switch, from the toggle switch to the terminals connected to the siding. So where did i go wrong?

Randy, I agree with what you are saying, but what I don’t understand is if SUX wired in that toggle switch the way that he said he did, that setup should have worked to cut power to the siding without cutting power to the entire layout.

So my question to SUX is: where on the terminal block did you screw down the wires from the toggle switch? And did the other set of wires on the toggle switch connect directly to the siding terminal?

Rich

Edit Note: It looks like I posted at the same time as SUX.

SUX, how many wires are on that switch you installed? You need four wires, a postive and negative to the terminal block and a positive and negative to the siding terminal.

The connection from the terminal to the toggle is a pair or wires with spade connectors. The terminal block is an 8 position with a jumper strip cut in half. From the DC on the power pack is the connection to one half of the terminal and then to the other half. As such from the terminal one spade connection goes from one half to the toggle, the the other is from the other half. I was advised by folks here how to wire the power pack to the terminal block and the from the block to the various connections in a previous thread.

SUX, I recall that thread as I provided one of those wiring schematics.

You need a toggle switch that has a positive wire and a negative wire that connect to the two sides of that DC barrier strip. Then you need two wires, a positive wire and a negative wire from the other end of the toggle switch to the siding terminal.

Or, if you want to stick with the 2-wire switch, then wire it up as Randy indicated in his reply.

Rich

I have been reading this thread about Sux trying to understand block DC wiring and I’ve come to the conclusion that he is only confusing himself more and more… I wish he would just break down and purchase a book on DC and block wiring… nuff said…

Cheers to all,

Frank (zstripe) 3cab DC block wiring for 55yrs

I came to the exact same conclusion several threads ago. For reasons unknown, he stubbornly refuses to follow convention block wiring because he feels his way is better. If Sux would have followed my schematic or others, he would have been done weeks ago.

Or he could have used toggles in place of the selector. Either way if you want to isolate sidings, yards and have 2 power pack control that is how you do it.

Buy a book Sux and start running trains instead of shuffling terminal blocks.

I can’t speak for SUX, but I believe that he is using the barrier strips as a way to keep his wiring organized and traceable.

The fact that he used those jumper plates on the barrier strips probably is the source of his confusion.

Now he needs to understand the concept of the electrical circuit with that toggle switch.

I say, kudos to him. He is asking for help and advice, he is getting it, and he will learn through this trial and error process.

In the long run, he will be better for it and a lot more knowledgeable.

Rich

Rich,

Amen,

Cheers,

Frank

If there are only two screws on the switch then it cannot possibly connect to BOTH terminals on the sidin’g terminal track.

That’s the first option I described. Put it back so that the terminal track is connected to the strips the same way the main strack is, but leave in the insualted joiners. The train should be able to run either way. If there is a short when you go on the siding, then you have the two wires reversed that feed ther siding. Get that right and working.

Once that is working - disconnect ONE and ONLY ONE wire fromt he siding terminal track to the terminal strip. Connect that to one screw of the toggle. Take another wire and connect if from the terminal strip where you just removed a wire, and connect the other end to the remaining screw on the toggle. Witht he toggle in the off position, the train should not move on the siding.

The only thing that should EVER connect two side by side terminals of anything are things like light bulbs and motors. Whenever the two terminals of anything, a power pack, terminal tracks, the rails themselves, directly connect, it is a short circuit.

And yes, it would probably be MUCH easier to wire just using the Atlas components and their book on how to hook things up. If you don;t plan to use two power packs, you cna use a different unit called a Connector. There are two terminals on the side of each one, these connect to the DC termina

I did just remember on the toggle switch, on is actually working as off and the off position is working as on. Could this be the problem?

Ok let me be clear on how this is currently wired starting from the siding to the terminal block. On one side is one terminal rail joiner that has a wire attached to it. The wire goes to one of the screws on the toggle switch. Connected to the same screw is another wire that goes to one position of one half of the terminal block. It is the same for the other terminal rail joiner. Only it connects to the other trail, the other screw at the toggle and then to the other half of the terminal block. And of course the tail joiners connect the 2 sections of track together.

SUX, follow Randy’s instructions. Connect one wire from one of the screws on the terminal track to one screw on the toggle switch. Connect another wire from the other screw on the toggle switch to one side of the DC barrier strip. Lastly, connect a third wire from the other screw on the terminal track to the other side of the DC barrier strip.

If a short occurs when a loco crosses the gap to or from the isolated siding, reverse the wires on the terminals on that siding track.

The way you wired it won’t work. Remember how a single pole switch works. In the ON position, there is a connect. In the OFF position, there is a disconnect.

Rich

i know its a crude drawing…but does this help?

That is how it SHOULD be wired. What he has, from his description, created a short circuit. That’s why the "On’ position stops everything, and “Off” lets it work - when ON, it’s a dead short!

I just don;t see what would make one think this is even remotely correct, A simple on/off switch is nothing more than disconnecting a wire, so if one side of the power supply connects to one switch terminal, and the other side of the power supply connects to the other switch terminal, when the switch is in the on position, it’s just like putting a wire between the two dc terminals of the power pack.

Please, get the basic wiring book before you actually break something. So far you’ve only created some shorts, which hopefully the circuit breaker int he power pack has handled without damage. Consider it being lucky, for now.

–Randy

Here here Randy.

I think I suggested this very thing in two other threads with links even. The OP could have saved himself a lot of time and trouble. Plus Jim was so kind as to draw out a much easier diagram of what should have been wired versus what the OP actually did.

Reminds me of a student I had. After an exam on which he had done poorly he came to me to ask about the questions he had gotten wrong. I tried to explain the the basics and the reasoning behind the questions and he replied “just give me the answers, I’m not interested in learning”.

Joe