With my new layout this will be less of an issue but I was noticing how far away them remote snap switches are from the control center at one end of my current HO ping pong layout.
Do you all use some kind of ground throw or switch stand so you can tell which way the switches are lined?
Something like this?
Hi!
There are some fancy ways of hooking in indicator lights and such, but there is a much easier way. For this writing, the "track switch" is called a turnout, the controller switch is called a switch.
On my layout (and previous ones), I have the turnout controllers mounted on the panel (or layout fascia) so the slide switch goes from left to right. Then I adjust the wiring so when the switch is on the left side, the turnout is aligned in the straight position. Others will hook them up so the left (or right) side of the switch will set the turnout in the normal or main line track path.
Hope that works out for you!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I did exactly what Mobilman writes on my prior, short lived, 8x4 layout. Additionally, I also arrange the switches in logical order, and drew schematics of tracks in PowerPoint with little icons- I glued this page on the switch board.
I have now decided that the slide-switches that come with the snap-switch turnouts are ugly and I needed to develop something with a momentary toggle SPDT switch. I worked out the circuit, but it required a lot of wire, a snap relay, a 12V DC power supply and a 15V AC power supply. It got complicated, but it works beautifully with two operating positions, a lineside dwarf signal, an indicator light on the main facia board. This ended up $15 additional in parts + 2 hours of wiring, assuming the power supplies were already there. I am not likely to do this again ... Ok maybe once more much much later :-)
I only have one turnout like this on my layout, others being Tortoise switch machines, those cost $15 per switch machine, $1 each for "workable" 2 dwarf signals on ebay, $2 for a an SPDT switch and $20 for two 12V power supplies which will power a whole bunch (like 25) of these. The issue with the tortoise is that it is impossible to make two locations for control and still use the SPDT switch locate the position of the turnout.
If you want the circuit for the snap switch position indicator I PM me and I can email you.