Signals And Switches

   The thumbnail veiwer doesn't work all the time for absolutely everyone on every piece of hardware and software at all times. Especially as fast as code changes today. Sometimes I can copy the code, start a post, and insert it into my own post using your posts address to see it, sometimes the option doesn't show.

  Users adding it to text is a more direct and universal approach than thumbnail viewers and players.  It will almost always load quickly & correctly from there cross platform.  My option to see would be download it, exit the browser and look, then return. Not ideal for tech posts esp. 

  Yep, I'm complaining some. But also asking for a renewal of a general consideration.  I never had a problem before because it so seldomly happened. I.e., I'm not the first to point this out either. There was a sort of "rally" by folks to check the box, a few years back. I would think traces of it could still be sticky posts in the forum tech section.

  Better yet why not? Imagry usually improves the look and interest of each page. Newspapers, magazines, and now sites prove it's preferable.

 Seeing pictures before joining was one of the reasons many folks end up here, whether realized or not. (I know more than a little about involuntary and trending reaction to commercial presentations in general. It's stage magic and graphic art combined and aimed at the common reactions (and memory)

    Beats 3/4 of a page of grey repeats too 😂    

I apologize in advance for sounding dense, but I must be missing something.  Apparently you have a layout with Fastrack switches. In your initial post you link to a thread which discusses the so-called "yellow wire" which is an output signal from a Fastrack switch which can be used to determine the thru vs. divert position of the switch.  As you show in your youtube video the Fastrack switch is a "modern" design with LEDs, diodes, etc.  The Marx switch is an "old-school" design; it does not offer that same "yellow wire" output signal. 

Question 1. So are you asking how to create this "yellow wire" signal from a Marx switch?

Question 2. Apparently the Marx switch is a one-off (all your other switches are Fastrack) and it's for use on a bench.  If on a bench why is it important to have an indicator of which direction the switch is thrown?  Seems to me if it's on a bench for testing purposes, aren't you're staring right at the switch so why the need for a direction indicator?  

Question 3. You say your have an MTH 3-aspect signal head and you even show it in your video.  I don't understand how a Red-Yellow-Green signal head, not to mention one with MTH's integral yellow-to-green timer, relates to your original requirement for a thru vs. diverge 2-aspect indicator.  Do you use or plan to use a 3-aspect signal head to indicate switch direction on your layout?

stan2004 posted:

I apologize in advance for sounding dense, but I must be missing something.  Apparently you have a layout with Fastrack switches. In your initial post you link to a thread which discusses the so-called "yellow wire" which is an output signal from a Fastrack switch which can be used to determine the thru vs. divert position of the switch.  As you show in your youtube video the Fastrack switch is a "modern" design with LEDs, diodes, etc.  The Marx switch is an "old-school" design; it does not offer that same "yellow wire" output signal. 

Question 1. So are you asking how to create this "yellow wire" signal from a Marx switch?

Question 2. Apparently the Marx switch is a one-off (all your other switches are Fastrack) and it's for use on a bench.  If on a bench why is it important to have an indicator of which direction the switch is thrown?  Seems to me if it's on a bench for testing purposes, aren't you're staring right at the switch so why the need for a direction indicator?  

Question 3. You say your have an MTH 3-aspect signal head and you even show it in your video.  I don't understand how a Red-Yellow-Green signal head, not to mention one with MTH's integral yellow-to-green timer, relates to your original requirement for a thru vs. diverge 2-aspect indicator.  Do you use or plan to use a 3-aspect signal head to indicate switch direction on your layout?

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply Stan. Yes, I am wondering if I can create the yellow output signal on the marx switch (for testing so should I mess up the wiring I wouldn't damage an $80 fastrack switch). In response to question two, I want to mimic what the fastrack switch would do when the position on the switch is changed to thereby have the lights on the signal change as well. For question 3, I'd like to use that signal shown in my video to indicate the switch direction on my layout. Hope this helps. 

If I can't get the yellow output signal on my marx switch, I have a easily accessible fastrack switch (the one I was using in my earlier posts) that I can test with. 

I'd raise the optional cap voltage to 50v but I think this is one option... "guessing" what might be in place....my following all the other research not shown would have taken longer than doing this much.   "not my job"

  Lamps here, but led&resistor should be fine. 13,11,9- is an isolated circuit; by disconnecting 13 from 4 and lamps from com, reverse polarity by 13to com, and L1/L2 to hot (or both to ac etc.)   

The 7812 is needed if you feed over 13.5v to an sy4060. (14v max)

Since the purpose the "yellow wire" is to drive a relay, as Adriatic suggests you can skip the middle-man and go directly to a circuit that drives a relay.  If not comfortable with component-level assembly, Azatrax sells off-the-shelf latching relay modules.  Here's one with screw-terminals that might not require any soldering.  Apparently there have been different style of Marx switches, but here's how I figure it would be applied to the most common switch-controller configuration (3 wires between the switch and the controller).

Trainlover9943 posted:

I'm in the market for wiring my signals to my switches to change the lights on them. I have Lionels fastrack system with the command control switches (ie 6-81946) on my layout but I have a Marx switch, that I want to use on my workbench for testing purposes only. Can the same relays ect, be used for the Lionel and Marx switches? In other words, can I use the materials shown in this thread to change the color on the signal for either switch? I'd prefer not to spend a bunch of money on a switch for my bench and use what I have if possible. As far as signals go, I currently have a MTH signal bridge (30-11009) but I want to have signals from Atlas (along with their control board) Z-Stuff, Lionel (postwar and modern) and MTH. 

I did the same thing. 20-20 hindsight - find a manufacturer you like and stick with their product. This will make wiring A WHOLE LOT SIMPLER!