I am in the process of rewriting my layout (to use buss wiring) and I am confused on hooking back up a few accessories. Perhaps you guys can assist.?
I am hooking up a barrel loader, log ramp, gateman, coaling station and the instructions are ambiguous on which line goes through the switch to the hot or which goes to the ground. Most of the postwar instructions just say go to the variable posts but not which ones.
Does it matter in most cases or do I just need to complete the circuit by one going to hot and the other to ground?
I would keep all the wiring the same, if a black wire goes to nuetral or common then use that or if a red wire goes to a hot terminal use that. Another thing to consider, do any of your accessories have a track going to them like the coal loader? You may want to check if the frame of the coal loader is metal and if the accessory gets any feed-back from the track, with tubular track the crossties are metal and have the outside rail’s polarity from the transformer. Another thing to consider is the signal light posts and crossing signals, if near a track is the frame metal, if so you need to make sure the frame if powered uses the outside rail’s power, main concern is derailments.
Most would put the switch on the 'hot" side but it will work either way, you are just breaking the circuit. BUT do them all the same or over time you will forget which is which. Some things like the gateman do not normally use an on/off switch.
I forgot about the gateman, you may also need a contact unit under the track that makes and brakes the circuit electrically, I forget the part number. Or you can use a trip section of track that is insulated from the other outside rail with the gateman. If you don’t have either of those or don’t know how to use them, then a doorbell button will work as it is a momentary contact style switch.