Tortoise - Control Panel Indicator Lights

Dennis,

No resistor is needed. I use two Radio Shack Bi-Color (Red-Green) LEDs in series (RS#276-012).  One LED depicts the divergent leg of the switch; the other LED the straight leg. When one LED is red, the other is green.  I use separate 12 volt power supplies to provide the plus and minus voltage.  I've attached the pages from my notebook that shows the schematics.  Radio Shack parts are still available on ebay, but one day I'll have to find good cross-references to Digi-Key or other parts providers.

Bruce

@Dennis-LaRock posted:

I have 5 of 16 Tortoise machines installed... time to monkey with the LED(s) at my ~very~ crude control panel before going to much further.

I dug this up... no diodes/resistors ...is this correct?   Seems to easy.

Compared to this...

What am I missing???

Thanks!!!!

Yes wiring in the LEDs is very simple, but the top diagram and the #4 diagram do not show how to power and control the Tortoise.   The top diagram and #4 diagram are similar.   #4 adds a second set of LEDs to light signals beside the turnout.  

Diagram #3 shows one method for powering the Tortoise.   It has the simplest wiring and is the method I used on my layout. You simply insert the LEDs in the top diagram into the circuit between the center terminal of each SPDT switch and either Pin 1 or Pin 8 of the Tortoise.  If the wrong color LED lights, connect the LEDs pointing the other way to change the polarity.

The 2 other methods of powering the Tortoises are:

1.  Use a DC Power supply and DPDT switches wired as reversing switches.  This requires additional wiring and the switches are a little more expensive

2.   Use a Bipolar DC power supply or 2 DC Power Supplies

Here are all 3 methods of powering Tortoises (from Circuitron)

One other caveat.   Don't be tempted to use the Tortoise to route power to mainlines or sidings.  The contacts cannot handle the current draw of our O gauge trains.

Bob

Thank You Bruce & Bob!

I'm wiring it the same way that Bob did his... using AC.   I'll try it out in the morning with the few LED's that I have and if all is well... I'll order a fist full of LED's.

Thanks Again!

Tortoise machines have an internal resistance of about 600 Ohms. You can use them in series with red or green LED's. We have a panel that uses red/green bi-directional LED's (basically a red and a green in the same package wired in opposite directions. Using the AC-source diagram below (which we used at the club), just put the red/green LED in series with the machine and it will indicate the position.  By the way, setting up an indicator trackside (safe from being sheared off by low-hanging rolling stock) is a great idea which in hindsight I wish we had done.