switch

If you are talking about Fastrack I disconnect the cable from the terminal block on the underside of the track switch, stuff it up through a hole in the deck and reconnect.

In addition, if the distance from switch to controller is longer than the supplied cable, you can cut the cable in half in order to make it longer and, using a piece of 4 wire telephone-type cable of the appropriate length, splice all the wires back together. I like using jelly bean connectors and electrical tape for this, although there are other methods, including using terminal blocks.

The holes in the layout only need to be slightly larger diameter than the cable. The one under the switch is hidden. If you have your controllers set up like on the right side of this pic , they can be run up the side of the layout.

Nice little layout you have there, Richie! Thanks for sharing the pic.

-Greg

As Lew says, disconnect at the switch, as it is much easier to reconnect than the remote lever. I use phone wire, as the colors match. I also always use a terminal strip for the connection, and don't cut the factory wire. That way I can resell as it came if the need ever arises.

If the switch is fast track, I would replace the entire cable and not have to worry about splicing.  If the fast track controller is taken apart, Lionel engineered in some really nice screw terminals that can be seen where new wire/cable can easily be replaced with and save the existing cable if you want to resell it.  Picture is shown below.