toggle swithes

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

hi, i want to be able to control my swithes in this one main command station i have, but i also want to be able to control them around the layout.
is there a type of toggle switch i can get so that i can wire 1 turnout with 2 different toggle switches in different locations?

thanks

2

What make of switch machines are you using? Some use push buttons and some use toggles.

3

the atlas switches that have the little turnout machine on the side

4

Do these switches (turnouts) use push buttons or other momentary contacts? If so, you can probably just wire another switch in parallel with the first one. I say “momentary” because you wouldn’t want either of the two switches to be in opposite directions at the same time. This would try to force the machine in both directions at the same time thus burning it out.

5

prr67,
The Atlas switch machines do use momentary contact (as in a push button). Don’t use a normal toggle switch with them – it will burn them up in seconds. You could use a momentary toggle switch. You can place as many push buttons as you like to control the same turnout from different locations. The only downside might be that if you are using the little Atlas sliding blue switch boxes and you have more than one hooked to the same turnout, the physical position of the switch will no longer acurately show the direction of the turnout.

6

i dont have to use atlas ones, i only have 2, but i dont have the kind of money for tortis ones

7

If you don’t need multiple locations I am having very good luck with Caboose ground throws where I can reach the track. I like feeling like the switch man. For remote locations I am using some Humpyard remote levers. They are like what the man would have in a switch house. They look really great in the panel. Running switches from more than one place sounds like a job for DCC to me. And its not prototype.

8

If you are useing Atlas as described and you can reach them, they can manually be switched without a controller. Ken

9

well im goin to be running my layout by myself alot, but as i get more and more done, more people have become interested in it so i might run it with more people than i think, so i want to be able to control it from both locations

10

also, i dont have anyy walk around throttles yet, im goin to ask for a radio equiped one for my bday, i have my zephyer and 2 jump port dc powerpacks