Snap Relay

[Anonymous]

I need to wire two switches to operate together as a crossover between two loops. I have a snap relay but need to know how to wire the two to throw together.

[Anonymous]

Well you would wire the red to the red, the Black (the common ground) to the black, and the green to the grean on both turnouts. You then would wire the turnouts to the same switch. I am not sure it this helps all that much if i had a diagram or a link to a site with a diagram it would be a lot more helpful.

Doug

[Anonymous]

So omit the relay and wire both turnouts to the same switch(control panel)

[Anonymous]

Your question gives me the impression you are relatively new to the hobby. Welcome. First, I am assuming you want to wire two twin coil switch machines together (there are other varieties of switch machines). Snap relays are something else although the Atlas Snap Relay looks similar to the Atlas Twin Coil Switch Machine. The middle connection of the twin coil switch machine (TCSM) is the “common” connection. This should be wired (using a black wire) to all other “common” connections on your TCSMs and then to one of the “accessory” terminals on your power pack. This wire connecting all the “common” terminals together is called a “Bus Wire” or simply “Bus”. Connect the other two terminals of one TCSM to a momentary switch as you normally would. Next use jumper wires to connect the second TCSM to the first. Activate the momentary push button. If both TCSMs throw the way you want you are done. If one throws the wrong way, then reverse the jumper wires between the TCSMs. Activate the momentary push button again and everything should be fine.

A (snap) relay is used to connect power to a device and can be used in conjunction with the TCSM to provide power to a signal, for example. Good Luck. - Ed

[Anonymous]

Yes, I confess I am a newbee of sorts. Trains were kid toys, now they are old guy toys. Another question about the common wire. The Atlas control panel switches for turnouts have 3 terminals for connection, I am assuming two are switched and one is common. Do I not use the common terminal or do I wire all these together along with my switch machines? Can I just jump from one switch machine to the other using the same panel switch? I saw something about using a snap relay for the two turnouts.

[Anonymous]

The center terminal on the Atlas push button (along what I call the top edge) should be connected to the “bus” wire. The two terminals on either side of the bus wire are connected to the switch machine. The two terminals on the side are supposed to be connected to the accessory terminals on your power pack. In my earlier post I said the common “bus” wire should be connected directly to one of the accessory terminals on the power pack, but this is not how it is shown in the Atlas book, “Wiring Your Layout” by Paul Mallery. If you connect the push buttons together on the side, you only have to connect the left most push button to the power pack. Incidently, the Atlas book cost about five bucks and is worth every penny. Good Luck - Ed