Above is the switch side of a 3 lamp signal. It is a four position switch.Off, Green, Yellow and Red. All of the wires are connected to the same color at the signal. Using the terminal numbers on the drawing tell me where the power source is coming from and where it is connected? Is the power 12VAC or 18VAC? As there is only one terminal left is there only one wire connection? Thanks in advance for your answers.
The way that switch is wired, it looks like one side of pwoer should be the black wire, and then at the signal there should be another wire which is the common of each of the individual bulbs or LEDs, that would be the other side of the power supply. Can't tell voltage and AC/DC requirements without knowing more about the make of the signal and what sort of lights they are - LEDs or bulbs? And are there any other components or do the red, green, and yellow wires go directly to a bulb in the signal?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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What exactly is this thing you're wiring? Make, Model, Scale, etc.
I will let you know the answers tomorrow morning. It is just a 3 light signal. Manually operated by the switch. I used it when a train was in the tunnel.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Scale is HO. Can not see the model # or Manufacturer or where each wire connects. It is an inexpensive unit costing about $10 if that helps.
If it's the one I think it is you should see a resistor inside the base. I had one similar and it used incadescent bulbs. It may take 12 to 16 volts to activate. What you should have under the signal is 3 color wires matching the light colors and a black, white, or brown one that doesn't match the led colors. That is the common. Put that on the negative or if AC just one of the wires from the power pack. The black wire on the switch is goes to positive or the other wire from the power pack. The Switch is 3 position, maybe 4. Each one will switch to a different color. If it's a 4 position, the 4th will be off.
You should test this on the bench first. If you do not see a resistor in the base always add a resistor (1k or 390 usually good enough) on first test to make sure you are not over driving it.
Good Luck
Springfield PA
Those are definitely bulbs, not LEDs. As to their rating - that would be a good question. The tips above to use a resistor are good ones. If they are 12-14V bulbs, 9 volts would probably make them bright enough, if they are 16V bulbs, 12V should be plenty. Sicne they are bulbs, controlled by a switch and not electronics, AC or DC woudl work.
There should be 4 wires coming from the signal. One to each bulb, and then a 'common' that goes to all 3. Likewise on that slide switch, there should be a common connection that gets conected to one of the other terminals in succession as you move the switch between the positions. The power connections fo to these commons - one side of the supply to the signal common, one side to the slide switch common. The three other wires from the signal each get connected to one of the slide switch connections, whichever one gets connected to the common in a given position will cuase that bulb to light.