stan2004 posted:... in our quirky O-gauge block powering we can get this situation (albeit rare and should not happen): An engine or lighted caboose momentarily straddles (because of the two center-rail rollers) the powered track and the un-powered siding. In other words someone drove an engine into, or backed up a consist with lighted caboose into an unpowered siding (the toggle switch is OFF). ...
Stan, this is exactly how I discovered my problem with these type of switches. The switches I have had been installed for months, maybe even a year or more, and working with absolutely no problems at all (or so I thought). Then one day I ran an engine into an un-powered siding and the breaker tripped.
Since the switches had been working for quite some time I was stumped. I checked everything but the switches. Anyway, it took a while, but turned out the switches were the problem. That's when I added the relays, which seemed like the easiest fix at the time and I already had a bunch of relays in stock.
I guess this doesn't help Scrapiron here, due to all the extra wiring, but the switches with the LEDs do work well after you add the relays. I would offer to help him wire it up if I lived nearby.
