Need help sorting out a problem putting switches in my layout. I followed the directions for using the CW-80 accessory side. The switches worked fine but the locomotive wouldn't run. I played around, took the switches out of the mainline and all was well. Then I hooked the switches back up but not in-line and they work and the locomotive runs. I am very confuse please any help.?
Here is the simple answer:
Hook it all up again as per the instructions. Then, switch the wires on the red posts with the wires on the black posts directly below on each pair. Program the accessory voltage as outlined in the manual.
That should work, with the only operational issue being that the whistle & bell buttons' functions will be swapped.
The reason for all of this: the red posts are common, not the black on this transformer.
Rob
Gandyman,
What kind of switches are you talking about? Also what track type do you have?
Wiring for each switch type is differant, 022 switches from the post war era can be wired two ways either track power or with a constant voltage plug, 027 switches have differant insides and are wired differantly. Then there is Fastrac and because it is new I don't know for sure how to wire it. Also there is GarGraves track and switches that are wired differantly.
If you are going to expand sometime you may want to consider getting a ZW transformer that can handle up to four trains at one time.
Lee F.
ADCX Rob has precisely diagnosed your particular problem and provided the standard work-around. Reams have been written about this design flaw in the CW-80. Search the archives on this and the OGR forum if you desire to look into this further. It is sometimes known as the "lack of a common ground" problem.
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