022 WIRED FOR SMALL PANEL CONTROL

[Anonymous]

I have 9 022 turnouts to be controled from a 1x2 ft panel w/ diagram of the layout. These 022 will also be controlled by nearby sections of track as a redundant anti de-rail feature. This is a 12x 6 ft layout in O gauge. What 'miniture' control switches are optimum: momentary push, toggle or rocker? I may need small or miniture relays too: traditional or solid state? I need to indicate whether turnout is open or closed on the panel; small lamp or LED? Do I need a DC switch control system linked by relay to the AC powered 022's? I have read the solutions in the texts by DE Greenwald and Riddel; they differ. What do the voices of experience in this forum say? Thanks.

[lionelsoni]

You should use momentary switches or pushbuttons, so that the anti-derailing feature can be free to work. You can even use screwheads, touched with a grounded probe to throw the switches, instead of complete electrical switches. These can take up very little space.

For indicators, you can use incandescent lamps, like Lionel did, wired between the control wires and ground (not drawing enough current to throw the switch). You can also use LEDs, but with resistor ballasts and protection against reverse voltage.

Another possibility is a 3-pin red-green LED, like the Radio Shack 276-012. Shunt each LED with a reversed diode, ground the common cathode, then drive each LED anode through its own ballast resistor connected to the control wire.

You can also use a 2-pin red-green LED, which doesn't need reverse-voltage protection. Put a diode and a ballast resistor in series with each control line and connect both ballasts to the dual LED.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Her's an idea that is both low cost and will take up very little space. Use a "hot probe".

Using some small nuts and bolts, place them in your diagram near the turnout. Connect a wire from the switch, to each corresponding bolt. Make a probe with an electrode on the end, and wire it to the correct voltage sorce. This way when you touch the probe to the bolt head, you throw the switch.

Here is a sample diagram.



Gee Bob, it looks like I was drawing while you were typing.[swg]

[Anonymous]

In the May issue of CTT beginning on page 68 there is an excellent article
about electrical switching that covers the theory and different types of the
hardware that you can choose from. They explain the different applications
for the hardware and even list some sources for switches.

There is even a section on wiring switches for switches [:)].

Hope this will help answer your questions and give you more ideas.

BTW...Nice diagram, Elliot!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Thanks Ches, I had scanned in and cleaned a page of 4 old Lionel plans for use in something else. Using MS paint, I did some doodling, and ended up with this. Little did I know Bob had the same idea.[:O][:D]

[Anonymous]

You may want to look at some SPDT or DPDT mom-off-mom toggle switches.

SPDT: 103-5145
http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?&handler=data.listcategory&Ntt=*1035145*&terms=103-5145&Dk=1&D=*1035145*&N=0&crc=true

SPDT: 10TC245
http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?&handler=data.listcategory&Ntt=*10tc245*&terms=10TC245&Dk=1&D=*10tc245*&N=0&crc=true

DPDT: 10TC275
http://www.mouser.com/index.cfm?&handler=data.listcategory&Ntt=*10TC275*&terms=10TC275&Dk=1&D=*10TC275*&N=0&crc=true

Daniel Lang