Wiring switch tower to Fastrack

First lets confirm your current wiring setup. I'm assuming terminal 1 in the structure is connected to your power source, terminal 2 is connected to the isolated rail, and terminal 3 connected to common ground.

In this scheme, you can insert a SPST (simple on off switch) between terminal 3 and its grounding source to independently turn the light on and off.

If you truly want to use a separate distinct power source for the light vs the actuating coil, then you are permanently modifying your structure to isolate the lamp from the coil.

Note: If you already have a illumination bus/circuit on a switch, you probably can't tap into it as is because it is likely by convention switching the hot side while terminal 3 is the grounded side of the circuit.

thank you

yes 2 terminals on the tower are connected to the fast track isolated section

i tried connecting the 3rd terminal to the power source that controls my lights: the ground terminal.

light dims when train is running.

Is there a simple way to wire this tower using fast track and having the light on separate controls?

@Siggy posted:

Is there a simple way to wire this tower using fast track and having the light on separate controls?

Can't get much simpler than what was already suggested:

@bmoran4 posted:

you can insert a SPST (simple on off switch) between terminal 3 and its grounding source to independently turn the light on and off.

Thank you   Now a novice question from a novice:
so from terminal 3 to the switch

and the switch a wire to to the ground terminal on my power unit?

question: what is the difference of just wiring directly to the ground terminal on my power unit?

The wire from terminal 3 should already be connected to the common ground/outside rail somehow some way - that is why it lights up. It is simply a matter of inserting a switch will allow control of the light as shown below:

Thank you sir

you explain it very well.  I really appreciate your time, expertise and consideration.

mike

I am sorry, one last question: is there a way to wire it so that the light can be controlled through a fixed voltage without it being controlled by track power?

in other words, the action figures controlled by fast track activation but the light controlled by another fixed power source? Basically the power source I have my street lights hooked up to

tgank you

mike

@SteveH - Your wiring is essentially stock wiring and does not fit the request as if the lights are off, the action will not happen with train presence.

@Siggy posted:

is there a way to wire it so that the light can be controlled through a fixed voltage without it being controlled by track power?

Yes,

@bmoran4 posted:

If you truly want to use a separate distinct power source for the light vs the actuating coil, then you are permanently modifying your structure to isolate the lamp from the coil.

But you can always just not connect terminal 3 and instead install your own independent lamp fixture like this with its own ground and hot connections:

@Siggy posted:

I am sorry, one last question: is there a way to wire it so that the light can be controlled through a fixed voltage without it being controlled by track power?

in other words, the action figures controlled by fast track activation but the light controlled by another fixed power source? Basically the power source I have my street lights hooked up to

tgank you

mike

That could be done, provided you modified the tower's internal wiring so that there were two hot feeds going into it, one for the action figures and one for the light.

@bmoran4 posted:

@SteveH - Your wiring is essentially stock wiring and does not fit the request as if the lights are off, the action will not happen with train presence.

You are correct and I realized this and deleted my earlier post you are referring to before you posted your reply to it.  Sorry for the initial oversight.  Your suggestion for another lamp base would work as would modifying the internal wiring to separate the wiring for the action figures and the existing lamp.

Thx guys

last question: what are the steps to modify internal wiring? If too complicated I will let it be as it is working ok with previous instructions

thx

mike

@Siggy posted:

Thx guys

last question: what are the steps to modify internal wiring? If too complicated I will let it be as it is working ok with previous instructions

thx

mike

You'd need to look inside and identify where the hot side wiring branches between the light and the action figures' solenoid.  Next, you'd need to sever that hot connection to the light and attach a wire to the cut hot wire that goes to it  That new wire would connect to the existing lights' circuit hot side and would need to be secured out of the way of the moving parts of the action mechanism.

The remaining connections would be:

Tab 1- Hot, either track or (fixed aux power independent from lights).

Tab 2 - Ground from Isolated Rail

Tab 3 - Either Common Ground or existing light circuit ground

If the existing light circuit and the track, aux power and/or action circuit share a common ground, it would be advisable to make sure all power sources are phased.

Thx so much

sounds like I will be happy the way it is.  
you are very knowledgeable:  thx for the the detailed explanation.

Have fun running trains: it’s all great fun!!!

thx

mike

@Siggy You are welcome.  Thank you for the compliment.  In reality, like many of us here on the forum, I'm still learning too.