I have all of my switches (12) attached to two terminal blocks (12 and 24) powered by a CW-80. On two occasions now, I attach this or that to the MTH 24 port terminal block, then my switches refuse to throw. So do I need to split the terminal blocks between two CW-80's to maintain the functionality of my switches and lighting, or do I have a different problem?
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Well, I suspect it's likely a matter of power draw.
ISTM you should be able to run quite a few switches off one power source, because other than any indicator lights, there is little to no power drawn by a switch until it is activated (although I recently learned that Tortoise switch machines can safely be allowed to stall indefinitely with the power still on, so there may be exceptions). I suspect it's the "this or that" of other accessories that might be adding too much to the baseline draw on your transformer, reducing the voltage to the point the switches will no longer activate.
Before rewiring your switches, I'd throw a multimeter across the transformer's output, and put the switches and "this and that" through their paces. If my theory is correct, you should see a significant drop in voltage about the time the switches stop reliably activating. If so, then, yes, splitting the load between two transformers might be a simple fix. Good luck, in any event!
@Steve Tyler posted:(although I recently learned that Tortoise switch machines can safely be allowed to stall indefinitely with the power still on, so there may be exceptions).
The Tortoise switches only draw about 15-20 milliamps when they're stalled. In point of fact, that's their design, they're meant to be always energized in one direction or the other. You put your LED switch position indicators in series with the power leads to indicate the switch position. This design holds the points firmly in place, they're one of the most reliable switch machines you can use.
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