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Help Needed Fastrack Switches

M mikeowen17OGR Forum Member

i am having an issue wiring up my fastrack switches. I have removed track jumpers and am wiring all switches using 18 gauge wire from a terminal strip connected to a Lionel CW 80. I am wiring aux power and aux ground terminals under the switch this way.

I wired up 2 072 switches this way - when not connected to each other (or any other track, they function great (lights on, remote switches function). However - when I connect the switch on the left (pic below) to either of the switches on the right, the lights dim and the cw80 starts flashing, indicating a ground issue - what should I do? I have wired up the exact same configuration elsewhere on the layout and do not experience the same problem.

 

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ADCX RobADCX RobOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

It  sounds like at least one(but I'm guessing probably only one) of the switches has the ground wire meant for the "AUX GND" terminal connected instead to the "TRACK JUMPER" terminal on the bottom of the switch.  When you use common ground and just a one-wire connection for auxiliary power, it's more difficult to make a mistake... the AUX GND connection is not needed on common ground layouts.

With the bottoms of the switches being mirror-imaged, it would be easy to make such a connection by mistake.

Another thing to check may be that the switches were wired wrong internally...  jumper and aux terminals transposed.  There have been reports of this with O-72 FasTrack switches. If this is the case, you will have to ignore the labeling and go with the terminal that provides power to the switch, no power to the track... again easier to figure using common ground and just one wire to the switch for fixed voltage.

M mikeowen17OGR Forum Member

Just checked - they were all definitely not wired to the jumper terminal.

I also tried removing the ground wire on the switch I suspect to be causing issue and connecting to grounded track - this time the 'issue' switch dimmed and stopped working, but the other connected switch remained bright.

havent checked the internals yet - but wouldn't the aux and track terminal being reversed result in the switch not working when used in its own (not connected to other tracks)?

Pine Creek RailroadPine Creek RailroadOGR Forum Member

MikeOwen17,

   It does not look like you own Command Control FasTrack Switches, 1st I would use Guns ERR upgrade to the FT Switches to make them ERR Command Control, and then sense they are low voltage switches, run them off Track power, operating as many as 99 of them with either the Legacy Cab 2 or TMCC Cab1.  IMO there is really no need to rework all your switches in the manner you are now doing.  

PCRR/Dave

M mikeowen17OGR Forum Member

imageI checked the wiring - looks OK to me

I did notice the brass clip for the track jumper terminal was pushed in a little (pushed it back in the pic above).

PCRR - I am using a dcs aiu (along with regular Lionel remote levers) to switch these - I am using regular telephone wire along with the Lionel remote (putting both into the blocks on the unit - pretty tricky but doable) then running the telephone wire to the aiu.

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