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Currenty I am using snap switches and atlas turnout controls I added onto my layout and went from two switches to nine and remembering what goes to what is so annoying. I want to build a control panel. I dont need lights or anything fancy, just a board a white stripe as the trackplan and a few switches. i was wondering what the toggles are (like spdt or something) that come back to center when flipped so not to burn them out, and how to wire them. I am so confused .... Please help. Thanks!
You need spdt center off (momentary). The switches normal position is in the center. Either throw is momentary.
It should be identified as SPDT C/off Mom. I have seen it shown also as (on)-off-(on). The brackets indicate that on is a momentary function.
As far as wiring, one side of the power supply goes directly to the center terminal of all the switch machines. I usually use red, black and green wire. Black to center, green and red to the outer terminals. Whatever colors you choose, center is common to the power supply. The other side of the power supply goes to the CENTER terminal of the switch. It's easy to run a sinlge wire from the power supply (or capacitive discharge unit) to the first switch and then just jumper to the center of all the switches. The outer terminals of the switches SPDT c/off MOM go to the outer terminals of the switch machines. Which one depends on the orientation of the switch. If you use a standard way of wiring (EG, red wire always on the inside of the switch machine and green outside) then it will be very simple to get them going correctly.
The single Atlas slide pushbutton type control? Basically, yes, it's the same. Only difference is the Atlas switch makes the center buss for you, with spdt c/off mom, you wire the center.
Exactly. Then to connect more switches, just jumper the center terminal of the spdt c/off MOM to the rest of the switches. Depending on how the turnouts are on your layout, you could jumper the center terminals of the switch machines, or just run seperate wires to each machine.
.... Please help. Thanks!
