Wiring of switches to ASC controllers

[fastrackjonnie]

I have several switches in my FasTrack TMCC only layout.  I intend to use telephone wire on the switch side of the ASC controllers.  I have been told that only the hot wire needs to be run from each controller position to its switch but not the ground wire.  What is the best way to hook the ground wires up if this is so? 

Fastrackjonnie

[chuck]

Page 9 of the FastTrack O-36 switch manual manual shows how to hook up to an ASC, page 10 for an SC-2.  Tha manual can be downloaded from the Lionel site, Customer Service, Owner manuals.

And No, it takes three wires.

NOTE:  There the FastTrack remote switches have a plug in card port in the base that is labled TMCC, there may be a direct receiver module for these one day that will mean no wiring in a Command environment.  That day isn't here yet

[fastrackjonnie]

Chuck:

I appreciate your taking the time to answer my inquiry.

I didn't ask the question properly.  First of all, I should have mentioned the need for 2 wires to each switch to control "out" and "through".  Then, with respect to the third (ground) wire I should have asked the following:  Assume that I wire each of the switch side grounds of all my ASC's together and wire one of the ASC grounds to an outside rail.  Then assume that I also attach a ground wire from each switch's ground to an outside rail.  Will that work?  (In other words, can the outside rail be used as part of the ground wire system, or would there be a conflict electrically?)

Alternatively, I suppose that I could run a ground wire from the power source to one of the switches and from that point connect all the remaining switches in series.  If so, would I need a much larger wire than the telephone wire I plan on using for each "through" and "out"?

 

[chuck]

OK, now I get it.  You could wire a jumper from switch to switch for the center terminal of the switches back to the ASC that they are being wired to with the first switch's wire going back to the appropriate terminal on the ASC (I'm trying to remember if the ASC uses Common or Ground).  I would be a little concerned about chaining these teminals on the ASC's.  I would check the "ground" terminals on any device you intend to use to find out what that is "grounded" to with a meter.   While a common/return wire carries little  or no voltage under normal circumstances, be wary of trying to dump too much return current through light gauge wire or unusual "routes" to save on wiring. 

I did a continuity check on the FastTrack switches I have.  The gnd connectors on the terminal blocks on the switch bottoms are common to the outside rails.