The straight paths could be a main line, if the curved path is a siding you want to be a seperate block, then go ahead and do it in the usual manner with a fiber pin and a lockon to power that block.
Now, your siding may split off into different routes too, with another 022. You can power that one too through the power jack and ground post(center nut), eliminating another lockon or more, and powering your insulated blocks further in with lockons.
You see, with ground and center rail connections right on the switch itself, there really should be no need for a lockon next to or near a 022 switch unless there is a fiber pin in one of the center rails designating the start of a block.
Most folks look at the 022 and see three electrical connection points. A few see 4, & fewer yet see all 5.
Rob
It's getting clearer all the time..
Yet, unless I'm dense (a possibility), if the 'straight is 'block 1' and the curve leads to 'block 2', ie- the siding, then don't I have to power the siding, or block 1, with a lockon or soldered center rail feed? In other words, I can't power two blocks from one source - the switch 'ring' plug terminal.
Likely once again to be in your debt,
runtime
runtimeRob, That's 'velly interesting' as that guy used to say on 'Laugh In'. I deduce that power fed to the ring will power both straight and curved sections of the switch, and that blocking will have to take place with appropriate use of fiber pins, where possible. Yet, if the switch turnout leads to a siding, some alternate power feed is necessary, or not??
Rob,
That's 'velly interesting' as that guy used to say on 'Laugh In'.
I deduce that power fed to the ring will power both straight and curved sections of the switch, and that blocking will have to take place with appropriate use of fiber pins, where possible. Yet, if the switch turnout leads to a siding, some alternate power feed is necessary, or not??
Yes. Just treat the whole switch as a big lockon. Use fiber pins as necessary to create blocks in the usual manner.
runtimeAlso, is that an ordinary ___ size phono plug? If not could you elaborate.
It's a DC coaxial power plug(just the name - they work with AC too) like on just about every device in your house powered by a wall-wart or AC adapter - cordless phones, answering machines, portable audio & video players & radios - you probably have dozens of them. Get the correct size by taking a switch in to Radio Shack for a fitting. Here is one at All Electronics:
runtimeI'm certainly intrigued by your ingenious approach to track powering, but need you to explain how you handle blocking, particularly for sidings. runtime
Fiber pins in the usual manner as needed.
It's not a phono plug of any size. Here are some phono plugs:
A phono plug was originally meant to be plugged into an old RCA radio to use the radio as an amplifier for a phonograph. The jack was invariably labeled "phono".
Bob Nelson
ADCX Rob The outside of the barrel, the "ring", is wired to the transformer center rail power. The center, the "tip", is wired to the switch constant voltage from the transformer. The appropriate contacts are made inside the switch housing. Take a switch cover off to see how this works - it will be painfully obvious. Rob
The outside of the barrel, the "ring", is wired to the transformer center rail power. The center, the "tip", is wired to the switch constant voltage from the transformer. The appropriate contacts are made inside the switch housing. Take a switch cover off to see how this works - it will be painfully obvious.
Also, is that an ordinary ___ size phono plug? If not could you elaborate. I'm certainly intrigued by your ingenious approach to track powering, but need you to explain how you handle blocking, particularly for sidings.
You're right. I wasn't even thinking about the 1121.
lionelsoniA couple of points: Telephone terminology may be useful here. A switchboard plug has three connections, "tip", "ring", and "sleeve", in that order. Many stereo audio plugs have all three of these. The plug that Rob showed has only a tip and a sleeve. (What he calls "ring" is "sleeve" in the IEEE dictionary.)
A couple of points:
Telephone terminology may be useful here. A switchboard plug has three connections, "tip", "ring", and "sleeve", in that order. Many stereo audio plugs have all three of these. The plug that Rob showed has only a tip and a sleeve. (What he calls "ring" is "sleeve" in the IEEE dictionary.)
With the coaxial power plugs(Also known as barrel connectors, concentric barrel connectors or tip connectors), you are correct - it would be a TS, or Tip/Sleeve plug, so my references above to the "ring" should be "sleeve".
lionelsoniI don't have one to look at; but I believe that the stock Lionel plug has only a tip.
Tha is correct. Lionel dropped the ball on not making coaxial plugs available for more versatility.
lionelsoniThe center terminal of an 022 is common. But the terminal closest to the switch machine is common for a Lionel O27 turnout.
Only on 1122/1122E/5121 types. On the 1121 types, the center post is common as on the 022.
Telephone terminology may be useful here. A switchboard plug has three connections, "tip", "ring", and "sleeve", in that order. Many stereo audio plugs have all three of these. The plug that Rob showed has only a tip and a sleeve. (What he calls "ring" is "sleeve" in the IEEE dictionary.) I don't have one to look at; but I believe that the stock Lionel plug has only a tip.
The center terminal of an 022 is common. But the terminal closest to the switch machine is common for a Lionel O27 turnout.
runtimeThanks again to all.ADCX Rob No need to. It's already connected to the outside rails of the switch. I use the center post on 022's AS a lockon("clip 2" connection). using a coaxial plug instead of the Lionel fixed voltage plug, I build "O" gauge layouts w/o lockons at all. the center(tip) of the plug is for constant voltage, the outside(ring) is for track voltage(lockon "clip 1" connection). So I conclude that there is no need for ANY wire on the center terminal of the switch. Yes, I understand the remote throws need their center wire going to common, ie outside rail ground somewhere. Rob, I don't quite get the function of the outer ring = track voltage connection. Do you mean center rail power? And from where, to where?
Thanks again to all.
ADCX Rob No need to. It's already connected to the outside rails of the switch. I use the center post on 022's AS a lockon("clip 2" connection). using a coaxial plug instead of the Lionel fixed voltage plug, I build "O" gauge layouts w/o lockons at all. the center(tip) of the plug is for constant voltage, the outside(ring) is for track voltage(lockon "clip 1" connection).
No need to. It's already connected to the outside rails of the switch. I use the center post on 022's AS a lockon("clip 2" connection). using a coaxial plug instead of the Lionel fixed voltage plug, I build "O" gauge layouts w/o lockons at all. the center(tip) of the plug is for constant voltage, the outside(ring) is for track voltage(lockon "clip 1" connection).
So I conclude that there is no need for ANY wire on the center terminal of the switch. Yes, I understand the remote throws need their center wire going to common, ie outside rail ground somewhere.
Rob, I don't quite get the function of the outer ring = track voltage connection. Do you mean center rail power? And from where, to where?
That is correct... here are the plugs I use in place of the Lionel constant voltage plugs:
BirdsIf you leave the center wire of the control levers disconnected, then your turnouts will not throw...
If you leave the center wire of the control levers disconnected, then your turnouts will not throw...
This is only true referring to operation with the control levers. The switches will still throw when a train passes through against the swivel rail due to the non-derailing function, even whether there are any controllers connected or not.
Bob and Rob have provided some great suggestions.
Consider the suggestion to wire certain turnouts together. There really are a couple that are always switched as a pair.
Keep in mind that you need to have the center wire of the turnout's remote control levers connected to a common ground somewhere on the layout. You either connect them to the center post of the turnout, or you can wire them to a common ground on your control board. If you leave the center wire of the control levers disconnected, then your turnouts will not throw.
You can still use a daisy chain method with thick wire (14 gauge) for fixed voltage plugs if you make all your connections under the table. Pig tail the leads from the fixed voltage plugs with wire nuts into a main line under the table. Each pigtail will have three wires (except for the last one which will have two): one wire from the source (transformer or previous turnout), one wire going to the fixed voltage on the turnout, one continuing the run towards the next turnout.
I used 24 gauge CAT5 network cable as the control wires to my turnouts (I had a bunch of it sitting around). It carries the momentary load just fine and you have pre-twisted color coded pairs ready to go. I removed the outer casing, picked one color, and used single pairs of that for each run. The color coding is helpful for making sure the connections to the left and right posts stay consistent as you wire. Just remember to ground the center wire from the remote control levers to a common somewhere on the layout.
I'm not sure what you mean by "center common". It's the outside rails (except for any control rails) that should be common all over the layout and connected to the commons of however many transformers you use. That layout common can be used as the return for any accessories powered by any transformer or DC supply whose common is also connected to the layout common. The 022 uses the outside rails as its common.
Yes, the constant-voltage plugs on the 022 turnouts can all be chained in whatever order or pattern minimizes the wiring.
The common of Lionel postwar transformers with multiple train controls (like the Z, ZW, and KW) is terminal U. For those with single controls (like the 1033 and 1044) it is not U.
runtime...Can I run the Center common to the nearest outside rail connection (lockon)?
...Can I run the Center common to the nearest outside rail connection (lockon)?
runtimeAnd I presume, if I am using the constant voltage plugs, that I need to run one more wire, but I can bridge it among all the switches?
Yes, you can "daisy-chain" them.
Frank53"Great suggestions Bob, thanks. Can I run the Center common to the nearest outside rail connection (lockon)?" I'll wait for someone to answer your question definitively, but if this is true (and in hindsight it seems to be true and incredibly obvious) - then I just went to a lot of extra work that I could have avoided.
"Great suggestions Bob, thanks. Can I run the Center common to the nearest outside rail connection (lockon)?"
I'll wait for someone to answer your question definitively, but if this is true (and in hindsight it seems to be true and incredibly obvious) - then I just went to a lot of extra work that I could have avoided.
"And I presume, if I am using the constant voltage plugs, that I need to run one more wire, but I can bridge it among all the switches?"
I did this and it worked fine on the switches which are all on teh same mainline. Ran into a bit of trouble trying to tie to switches outside that mainline. Still troubleshooting that one.
Great suggestions Bob, thanks. Can I run the Center common to the nearest outside rail connection (lockon)? And I presume, if I am using the constant voltage plugs, that I need to run one more wire, but I can bridge it among all the switches?
You can use two wires rather than three for each turnout, since one of the three is just connected to the outside rails or layout common, which should be available at your transformer.
A trick that might work for you is to pair turnouts. For example, you will almost always want the two turnouts of a crossover to throw together; so just wire the appropriate two terminals together and to a single controller.
You might find other situations that can exploit this trick, perhaps the two turnouts at the ends of a passing siding. You could wire them together so that they always switch to different tracks. Then two trains coming from opposite directions would be directed to opposite tracks. When they depart, they will throw the turnouts by the non-derailing feature. You wouldn't need to have any controller at all in this arrangement.
Yet another controller-less turnout could be the one leading to a reversing loop. The train will enter the loop whichever way the turnout happens to be, then throw it as it exits. The next train will traverse the loop in the opposite direction.
Finally, if you power your turnouts with DC rather than AC, you can make more complicated combinations of turnouts using rectifier diodes. In a yard, you can arrange for a single wire for each yard track to set up the route from the yard lead to that track, rather than throwing all the intervening turnouts separately. My 8-track main yard, for example, has 7 turnouts but only 4 controllers, so 8 wires instead of the 14 that individual controllers would need.
I am planning to install 8 022 switches at about 20 feet from my control and transformer location.
How do I minimize the amount of wiring required?
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