I have a layout with 4 sidings for trains and a main line where I can run one train at a time. The turnouts for the sidings are Lionel 022's. I insulated the center rail on each siding and installed a 148-100 on each of them to turn the train on that I want to run. I want to add a 148 Dwarf Signal to the main line. What I want to do is have the Dwarf Signal green when there are no trains on the track and switch to Yellow when one of the 4 trains is on the track. (Not sure if this is a normal application for the signal, but that's what I would like to do). Is there a way to do this? I have 153C contactors I can put on each line if needed, and think I can figure out how to wire everything so that the green light stays on when there are no trains on the main line and have the yellow light turn on when any one of the 4 sidings is turned on; but not sure how to get the green light to go out when one train is on the main line. I'm thinking there may be a way to run the wiring through the 148 switchs to help with the wiring, or maybe even through the 022 switches, but not sure how to do it.
aboard!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Hi and thanks for your question.
Please contact me directly at Classic Toy Trains for assistance.
Sincerely,
Roger Carp
Senior editor
262-796-8776 ext. 253
Hi, welcome to the hobby.
Your question is confusing because it does not reflect the purpose of a dwarf signal wich is commonly found in yards where clearances prohibit the use of full height signals.
First of all, the Dwarf signal is red or green. Are you proposing to replace the red bulb with yellow?
Second, Not sure of the operational reason to have this signal perform the way you want.
So here is how you activate a signal. You wire in insulated tracks to all 4 sidings. Tie all the insulated outer rail tracks to a SPDT relay. (Make sure the relay is seperately powered from the track or the relay will not work when the tracks are unpowered.) Connect the poles of the relay to the red/yellow and green bulbs on the signal. What you will end up with is the wheels of the engin or cars acting like a switch to conduc current to activate a relay that can switch power between two positions.
There are numerouse wiring circuits on line to do this.
[quote user="BigAl 956"]
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So thank you for the information on the SPDT relay. I honestly, wasn't aware of their existence! I'll give them a read.
John, if I understand your problem, it is to indicate with the dwarf signal whether there is a train on the main line. Creating and connecting control rails on the four sidings to a relay will show whether there is a train on any of the sidings, which, I think, is not what you want. Instead, you should make a control rail on the entire main line, for connection to the relay. (A "control rail" is either one of the outside rails, insulated from the other outside rail. The wheels of the train connect it to the other outside rail, acting as a single-pole-single-throw (SPST) switch, to operate a signal or accessory.)
It may also be entirely possible to operate your signal directly from the control rail, without the help of a relay. But, without knowing what is inside the dwarf signal, I can't advise you on that. Perhaps someone else can describe the works of the signal. In any case, I noticed from images on the Internet that Lionel seems to have put the signal colors upside-down. You may want to swap them if possible: Green should be on top, red (or yellow) on the bottom.
Bob Nelson
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