Manual Switch wiring

It depends on if you bought Ross "Ready" switches or not. Meaning they have the bars under neath that connect the outer rails together, and the center rails together.

If they are not "Ross Ready" then you will have a dead spot, on straight track, right at the joint where the 2 switches are joined. That center rail is dead. Power does not continue through the frog. You would need a "HOT" feed there.

Here are Ross's instructions: Ross Manual Switch Wiring

If this doesn't help, give them a call tomorrow. I've heard they can be very helpful.

I think those are if you want to flip the switch electrically.  Aren't they?

Ah, I see.  So If I buy Ross ready I can wire like on my photo?

That switch diagram shows how to wire them yourself if they are NOT Ross Ready. The letter "P" in that diagram is the most important for your track layout and wire schematic you provided. If all the center rails are not connected together, you will have a dead spot in between the 2 turnouts.

If you already all ready have the Ross switches, look at them and follow the black center rail with your finger. You will understand what I'm talking about because they are not solid all the way through the switch. They are 3 separate pieces of rail, that need to be connected together on the bottom. Otherwise power (red wire, center rail) can't flow all the way through the switch.

That configuration has potential for dead spots.  Both switches have dead rail sections both through and out.   If the distance between the dead rail sections, of the two switches, matches the distance between pick-up rollers, on an engine, power is interrupted. You may want to add distance between the two back to back switches.

Example:
This Atlas switch has about 1.75 inches of dead spot, where the second roller pick-up supplies all power to the engine.


These two switches have about 14" between dead spot areas.

Which matches the two roller pick-ups on a Weaver E8 model. The E8 stops once power is interrupted both pick-up rollers on a dead rail section of the two switches.


Every engine is different.  Engines with smaller spaced roller pick-ups have no problem through this switch combination.  You may find that all your engines work fine through your cross configuration, but may be not.   There are corrections.
Mike CT

On Ross' website they are under - Technical - Regular Switch Manual.

Looks like others here have already explained things pretty well also.

Thanks to all for the help.  I think I get it now.

The easiest way to fix the dead spot is to run a red (hot) feeder to the center rail between those 2 switches. Problem solved!