Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Does anyone utilize (or have wired) a master "kill switch" on their layout?

4017 views
32 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Saturday, January 2, 2021 12:21 PM

 I would have had just one switch, but coade limits the number of switched outlets on a circuit, regardless of the breaker and wire size. Two would have done it, but witht he high/low arrangment, 3 made more sense - it will probably be a while before I get around to the upper deck so I can just leave that one off.

 Saws and other power tools have their own switches, and it's kind of hard to miss that you locked the switch on a saw - not to mention how incredibly stupid it would be to do so. I like having hands and fingers. So during construction, about the most load I might be switching on those outlets is the laser in my jigsaw if I forgot to switch it off - it's powered by the AC line, but has an independent switch from the toggle that controls the blade motor. My miter saw has a battery powered laser, which I always shut off after each use since it kills the battery pretty quickly. 

                                  --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, January 2, 2021 12:31 PM

Overmod
 "Oh, you know, that isn't the 'real' security system.  Those are just decoy wires... and if anyone tampered with them it would be unfortunate ...

Off Topic

I remember tagging along with a friend employed in the "trades" and he had to check on a large construction site in downtown Cleveland.

The building was nearing its final stages of finishing and we walked past a big panel box with lots of 4" conduit coming into it.

The whole face of the panel was smoke damaged and had peeling paint on it plus about a 3" diameter hole blown in it that looked like a grenade went off inside.

"What's this?" I ask. 

Seems like the painters or plasterers (I forget) were working overtime and there was supposed to be an electrician called in to switch the power on or off for this weekend work. The foreman of the finishers didn't want to pay an electrician O.T. "just to flip a breaker".

Little did he know, there was a 1/4" chain wrapped around the buss bars downstream of the breaker Indifferent ! The electricians were doing a little job security after they heard about the "screw the rules" foreman.

There 'ya go — Cheers, Ed

 

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!