# switch i made



## Winston (Feb 1, 2013)

so i started out with one train and one track then I added another train and a track to it but needed something to be able to stop one train or both trains while i was building the track here is a simple switch I made to let me stop a train on the tracks







so now with one switch fliped on one train will go flip 2nd switch the 2nd train will go all off one mrc power pack. 

my question I am thinking about adding to my simple switch. I want to add two more switches to it for direction of the trains because my direction switch on my powerpack controls both trains as of now. but iam sort of unclear of what to do iam thinking of fliping the wires to the 2nd switch would that make it go in a diffrent. or would it just cut the power to the train as my first switch dose.

this is how i got it set up if you understand my crude drawing








one wire for one switch the switch is sliced in to the wire then the wire runs to the track when you flip the switch no power is going to the track flip it back on power to the track so how would i go about putting a direction switch to each of the tracks iam thinking about this to hard and its prob a easy solution to it i just haven;t sat down to mess with it all i know is i prob need to build me a bigger switch box if i plan on adding 2 more switches in to it for direction also thinking of getting a small dimmer switch to slow or speed up one of the trains so they run about the same speed. i think i will stick to one thing at a time for now tho


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## Winston (Feb 1, 2013)

well did a bit more research on it tonight and found I need a dpdt double pole double throw switch so I can change the polarity of a track well I will need 2 of them switches one for each track so neat o I guess. so hopefully i will have some time to mess around with it this weekend


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

My first experience with dpdt switch is ..... make sure you wire it correctly or funny things happen


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

One of many 'net writeups on using a dpdt switch to reverse polarity ...

http://www.1728.org/project2.htm

TJ


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Where were you when I needed that drawing? I knew it was wired wrong when smoke was coming from the switch.


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## Winston (Feb 1, 2013)

unfortunately I didn;t get a chance to mess with it yet 
but i did manage to make it to radio shack and pick up 2 dpdt switchs that oddly enuff the switch handle matches the switches I have all ready so it will look better when there all installed the switches will look the same. 

sounds sort of not what i want it to do carl with the smoke coming from the switch. Those switches do look funny to a comman guy with not electrical background. you look at it and your like what theres 6 places for wires. hows this work when my simple mind says you only need two poles for the wires to go to make it work. one for positive one for negative. 
tj cruiser i will be looking at that webpage you posted up there for sure when i go to hook it up and wire it in so my switches don;t smoke like carls. but the funny thing is i am thinking they still might smoke like carls because iam sure i will wire something backwards. 

so what i need to do is after i get rid of this head cold i got that kept me from doing anything productive this weekend. then i can start making me a new wood box for my 4 switches. 2 for kill switches for the power to the trains and 2 for directional controls for them. 
i am also thinking of going back to radio shack to look and see if they have any small dimmer switches. so i can adjust the power to the trains slow them or speed them up. i know it would prob be just easy to buy another power pack to control the 2nd train on the 2nd track but i have already invested a little bit of money on the switches and have the wood in the shop to build the box, so why not plus its sort of neat i guess don;t know if a lot of yall build your own controls for your trains.


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