I'm not even sure I've got the nomenclature right, but after reading a bunch on this forum about options for toggles to control turnouts, I got to wondering if such a switch exists.
Our layout uses a combination of Lionel 022 switch machines and DZ1000 machines for some Ross / Gargraves stuff. The DZ switch machines came with their own little pushbutton controls with an indicator LED. But the DZ1000s can't work with the illuminated controllers for the 022 switch (I've tried, I guess the light circuit for the controller draws too much current in the off position and still drives the DZ1000 machine crazy?). An I assume the tiny little pushbutton toggles wouldn't be able to deal with the current needed for the huge Lionel 022 switches.
So I'm trying to find a switch that we can use to control both, and hopefully a switch that is a much smaller footprint. We have 26 switches on our layout, and space is at a premium.
There's tons of workable (on)-off-(on) switches online for like a buck a piece that should be OK for amps, but as many folks on this forum have already pointed out, there's no way to light an indicator light (red or green depending on turnout or thru) without a whole bunch of extra parts, wiring, latching relays, etc...not sure I am ready for that or have the space.
So I'm wondering if there's a little toggle switch that just has 5 positions: (on)-on-off-on-(on) or even 4 positions (on)-0n-on-(on). Then we could throw the toggle to one direction, then push it a little further to the momentary position in that direction to throw the turnout, then just release the toggle and it will return to the on position biased to that side and we could just use that circuit for a simple LED. When it's time to throw the turnout to the thru track, you'd have to toggle all the way through all positions, hold it to the opposite (on) position then let go and it will revert to the opposite on circuit, lighting a different LED.
I realize that we could accidentally toggle the switch to the opposite on position and forget to switch the toggle all the way to the momentary position, leaving the possibility that the indicator light will not properly show the switch position, but I feel like it's an OK compromise as long as we always throw the toggle all the way to the momentary position whenever we switch the turnout.
I feel like I've interacted with switches like this before in my life (where you throw the toggle one way, then have to push a little further to complete a momentary circuit and then let it revert to the full on position).
Thoughts?