Comments on: Cheap Electrics

By: Model Railroader

Model Railroader — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:43:47 +0000

You are hardly raining on my parade! You make good points – if I wasn’t so cheap I would have probably done something different. The layout is so small I can navigate around it without flipping switches with the stomach.

P.S. Got your blog in my reader – watch for updates all the time.

By: Joe Daddy

Joe Daddy — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:36:26 +0000

Well, and I don’t mean to be krewel or to rain on your parade, but I don’t like toggle switches on my railroad at all. In fact, other than those built in to devices like power supplies and other discrete devices, I don’t have any toggle switches anywhere on my layout, most especially on the facia. Several reasons:
1 – I think toggles are butt ugly betty
2 – One can never seem to relate the correct switch to the correct function, turnout etc
3 – Fat guys like me invariably flip them when they should not be flipped.

So, I use decoders to do all my electronic switching chores and when I want individual control, I use a push button (which is not a toggle)right next to the turnout or device to be controlled so there is never any doubt about which one controls which.
Just my 2 cents, and I do like your site and the pictures.

By: Charles

Charles — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:03:53 +0000

3-way selects one of two (like switching cabs) with a common lead. 4-way switches two wires between two wires like reversing polarity.
Have fun,
Charles

By: Mike G

Mike G — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:53:33 +0000

Very interesting idea; they’ll easily handle the current you’re using, they’re built to last and you can even get them at the Dollar Store. I wonder how you could use 3-way and 4-way switches to your advantage?