I still have a couple of above track switch machines on my layout. The problem is I can't find the wiring for them. The diagrahm below is the wiring I see. The Line A wire is disconnected and I haven't got any idea where it goes. Please be specific or draw it out. Thanks in advance.
Are these Atlas machines? Who makes the pushbuttons?
Generally, if you're wiring Atlas-to-Atlas, the wiring is straightforward. The 3 terminals at the top go to the 3 terminals on the switch machine. If you want the switch to work the other way, reverse the two outer wires on either the machine or the controller.
If you're not using the Atlas pushbuttons, first, congratulations. They are a good thing to discard, as they're not terribly reliable, and they often fail in such a way that they burn out the machine.
So, you've got 2 wires coming off your power supply. One of these goes to the center post of the controller, and the other to the center terminals of the switch machine. Then, the outer terminals of the machine go to the outer posts of the controller. Again, flip the outer wires if the switch throws the wrong way.
Think of it as a path. The electrons come out of one side of your power supply, and go to the controller. There, they stop, until you push one button or the other. Then, they take off to the switch machine, energize one side and throw the switch. But, they have to get back to the power supply. That's where the center terminal on the switch machine comes in. After they've done their job, the electrons go back to the power supply through that center terminal.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
That's exactly it. I see what you did there, sent me off on a wild goose chase in the Digitrax manuals so you could get your answer in to this one first
--Randy
(note the ton of smiley faces - I'm kidding!)
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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They are Atlas Machines and Radio Shack Push Buttons. There is also a retifier under the layout from a long time ago. Would this have been in the circuit?
Would they be coming off the 18VAC side of the power supply?
18VAC is fine to run them. The rectifier is not needed, the switch motors work fine on AC.