I will admit that my feeble, age-UNenhanced mental processes didn't come up with an appropriate circuit that could be described in words and built with available components, but I do have a suggestion to prevent similar "Akerue!" moments.
"Akerue??" "Eureka!" spelled backwards.
The suggestion, which has saved my sanity on several occasions - Document Everything.
It's amazing how useful a file folder full of circuit diagrams and component lists can be when troubleshooting or trying to reproduce or extend layout electricals. Anything more complex than wiring a toy train power pack to a loop with one set of feeders should be drawn up and saved for future reference. If the empire is a simple oval with a few sidings, this may seem like overkill. If you ever work up to a garage-filler, you'll find it indispensible.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with complex electricals on a garage-filler)
Based on experience of wasted hours, money, and electronic components consumed over twenty years of untutored experiments, I recommend using the enhanced toggle switch units from the site illustrated earlier in this thread...(click on that picture). The feature that is needed to give an instant power burst to a switch machine but a continuing current to its indicator LEDs, is the capacitors built into that toggle unit. Seventeen of those toggle units are working reliably on my yardtrack control panel. Two elaborate "latch relay" systems and a complex electronic system which I previously installed were quirky failures. The wiring involved in any system that WORKS reliably is about the same.
Although the use of Atlas Snap Relays together with Atlas switch machines and Atlas slide-and-push buttons works pretty well to operate LED indicators on a control panel, the control buttons are not as compact and user-friendly (think "fast") as the toggle units to be placed at key points on a track diagram. Expenses for the toggle system are less than the cost of the Atlas controls, in my experience.
No one has come up with a diagram as of yet. I am still looking into this through different railroad clubs. I am using push bottom for my Atlas switches which are working well, but still cannot get the LED's to work along with them. I do remember how to do this, but not the LEDs.
I'm also wiring a new leyout with LED switch indicators on the control panel. N scale - I am using Atlas switches with Snap Relays and SPST toggles. Does someone have a wiring diagram that I could see that would help? I am clueless when it comes tol this stuff.
Thanks,
Jim
Yeah, there is no doubt in my mind that you had either snap relays or some other switch machine with accessory contacts or an electronic circuit for each turnout that had panel indicators. If you decide what you want to use, someone can help you with a wiring diagram.
It still might be cheaper and easier for you to use the twin coil switch control I linked in an earlier post. Just click the picture below to go to the site. You can either build these yourself or buy them ready to go. All you have to do is add the LED's and connect them to the circuit board. The price is just slightly higher than the cost of a snap relay. You can use either the position of the toggle to indicate turnout direction or add the LED's. Just my
I completely agree with what you’re saying about the burning out. On my old layout, I had set up on the control panel two momentary push bottoms per turnout, one for straight and the other for turn. Along with these bottoms, I had 4 LED’s per turnout (two red & two green). A red and green for straight and red and green for curved. When the turnout was straight the green LED was on and the curve turnout had the red on. When the turnout was curved, the green was on and red was on for the straight portion. There was only two LED’s on at one time.
ramble2100I'm just using the basic Atlas turnout switch. We will try the suggestion and see where it gets us. I was hoping to find someone who may be able to provide a drawling of this. But lets keep our fingers crossed. Thanks guys.
I'm just using the basic Atlas turnout switch. We will try the suggestion and see where it gets us. I was hoping to find someone who may be able to provide a drawling of this. But lets keep our fingers crossed. Thanks guys.
If you were using Atlas turnouts & machines, they are a twin coil design.
Using twin coil switch machines with momentary push buttons, would require some sort of latching circuit or at least an Atlas snap relay or similar, for the LED's/lamps being used to provide feedback on turnout direction at the panel.
Without a relay or an electronic circuit there is no way that I am aware of to wire Atlas twin coil machines to provide LED feedback. At least if there is I don't know it and I wish someone would share it with me!
Unless you were using a RIX twin coil switch machine with DPDT contacts included?
The problem is that you cannot leave the power applied to the twin coil machine to keep the LED lit because the switch machine will burn out. That's why a snap relay or latching circuit is required to keep the lamp lit.
I've had diode matrixes with snap machines with my older layouts. Now I've Tortoise and use a diode matrix too. I use the first contact at the Tortoise for the frog. The second contact is for power routing. This way I throw one turnout after the other.
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
Doesn't this depend on what type of switch machine your using too?? (stall vs. snap)
Was this a diode matrix arrangement? That's a circuit which allows you to push a single button and have it set every turnout correctly for the specified path. I suppose it could be set up to light an indicator, too.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thank you for getting back again...... We will take your info and put it down in writing and try it to see if it works. Will get back with results. Thank you.
upon further reflection
if the PB was an on/off type - press for on , press again for off, [ I think these are available but not sure. ]
one side of power to one side of PB
other side of PB to LED then to other side of power via a resistor.
I thought I had the answer for you but when I worked through my answer I found it didn`t work
it would be easy to do with a SPDT switch .
Hi all. 11 years ago, I had a control panel for a yard containing 15 tracks. ( all HO ). I used all push botton momentary switches which had LED lights for each track which showed the track open. My major problem is, I moved and with geting old, HA, HA, now I'm trying to figure out how these were wired up. I'm having no luck at all. Can someone please help out here with a wire diagram that shows how these get wired? Any help would be a BIG help. Thank you in advance.