Model Railway Forum

Ok thanks FB, back to the drawing board again. Three switches one for each circuit it looks like.

Perhaps you could 3 switches next to each other with a solid bar connecting each toggle. Throw the centre switch and all three move together. I’ve seen it done somewhere, perhaos on an aircraft.

Or you could use relays where a single switch energises three relays with each one selecting a separate feed.

as WTD mentions, the ones with screw terminals are larger, I use one to switch between Roco (wireless) and Gaugemaster (wired) DCC controllers.

Hi

Thinking about it overnight! Using a 4Pole Double Throw Centre Off switch (4PDT C/O) switch and common return wiring would allow this to operate
Three separate tracks all feed with either DC or DCC.
However it does mean the three DC controllers MUST BE FEED from totally separate power sources or each from a separate winding on a multi wound transformer which is not used to feed anything else.

A suitable switch is sold by many electronic suppliers One such here https://www.switchelectronics.co.uk/on- ... pQQAvD_BwE There are other suppliers of course.




The largest risk with any method that switches between DC and DCC to the same rails is that a DC only loco could be left sitting on the rails when DCC is selected!

Cheers Brian, i thought there would be a way, im using two twin track DC controllers.

brian1951 wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 11:27 am Cheers Brian, i thought there would be a way, im using two twin track DC controllers.

I assume then that only three controllers of the four are used?
You need to be 100% sure each controller is feed from a totally separate transformer or separate windings on a transformer. Failure to do that check will result in a full short circuit if two controllers share the same common return feeding and supply windings.

Yes they are both Gaugemaster twin track controllers which i presume have separate windings.

From the Gauemaster instruction sheet.

"Tracks 1 & 2 take their power from separate isolated transformer windings and are therefore suitable for Cab Control and Common Return wiring."

Cheers WTD , we are getting there slowly.