I have about 10 sidings and I just unhooked the earth terminal on the switches. Unlike Scrapiron, I have my glasses on all the time, so I can tell what position they're in. When I finish all my scenery i might think about relays.
It's a fine line Stan, one has light and one doesn't.
While those eBay relay modules, at less than $1/relay, indeed add some wiring complexity (albeit NO soldering required) what's hard to resist are the cost of attractive looking (IMO) 12V automotive illuminated LED rocker switches. 38 cents each (free shipping) and from a US seller!
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John H posted:Chuck,
Remember this thread? Seemed like everybody thought I was nuts. I'm glad to finally get the problem figured out.This forum has been responsible for a big part of my train knowledge since starting up 10 years ago. And today I learned the mechanism of magic smoke. BLAM!
I remember. One of the issues with some of this stuff with the incomplete or unclear specifications.
Scrapiron Scher posted:I do not want complexity. ALL I want is a simple on/off sp/st switch to turn a siding off/on which lites up when power is on. Is there such a thing? I am totally ******* frustrated. Gee whiz, this seems so unnecessarily difficult.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
No, there is not such a thing. AC lighted switches need house current 110-120vAC or the light doesn't light ( with 18vAC). Lighted switches, like those that you purchased need DC voltage for the light.
Stan's solution is very nice and a lot simpler than it looks.
Besides, you'll most likely need a 12v DC source for other layout items.