# Switches and lgb switch machine



## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

Working like the 1800's Chinese on my rail road every weekend and making slow progress. But decided to bench play with the Tain-Li R4 switches and the LGB switch motors I got in to give me a break from gravel work. The interesting thing I found is that when the AC is applies momentarily, the moving rails don't really snug up like I would expect. Without the motors on, they do manually. If I leave the power a little longer, it just buzzes like crazy but doesn't help snug it up. What's wrong? I tried this with several of the R4's and get same result. Is there some sort of adjusting to be done?


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

I test them with a small DC throttle and reverse the polarity.


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## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

For now I was just using the standard bachmann power pack that comes with the sets. Shoud I do DC? I thought these were AC.


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## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

Oh. Speaking of which, Mike, I'll need to order 4 more shortly. Not sure if Santa will consider stopping by your pace or not.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Mickey.. You have a message. In your in box...


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## TheRoundHouseRnR (Jul 15, 2012)

Their half wave AC. They will just buzz and hum without throwing the fill distance on regular AC. Half wave is created by using a diode to clip half of the AC wave off of the signal. You can make this yourself by going to radio shack and buying some diodes and toggle switches or by using LGB switch controler. If you want to construct this yourself just ask and i will happy to tell you or im sure anyone else who knows would too. There is also a GOOD right up on George Schreyer's web page under the tips section. 

The Roundhouse RnR


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

LGB used DC motors in the EPL drives. 

A diode on AC will give half wave power, but a full wave DC source with a momentary switch will give better performance, in fact LGB made a booster to make the drives perform better from their own controller. I suspect this is some type of capacitor discharge, but I have never taken one apart.


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

if the switchmotor closes in one direction, but not in the other, open the casing, and change position of the gear by one tooth.


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## TheRoundHouseRnR (Jul 15, 2012)

I use DC voltage but as stated above, they can only take a pulse of DC or they will burn up. If you use a momentary push switch and it should stick on . It will burn it up in a short amount of time. Not a safe way to control these switches in my opinion. 
I use a 24 volt transformer to a 2400uf capacitor in series with a resistor to limit current and to act as a basic timer. Then i use a darlington transistor to dump the voltage. The transistor can switch current with a very low base current, meaning you can use reed switches and they never burn up unlike the original epl system. 

When the transistor is activated it sends a pulse of DC voltage to the epl and drains the capacitor.The resistor keeps from burning up the switch and only sends a pulse each time its activated. If the push button sticks it WILL NOT burn up the epl motor. 
If the value of the resistor is changed you can shorten or lengthen the recharge time of the capacitor 

Since using DC i would never go back to half wave AC. I never had a epl miss a beat to date since switching over, never had a reed switch burn out and i get a nice smooth snap out of them. 

The Roundhouse RnR


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I use half wave with a "cap kicker." One leg of the a/c runs directly to the turnout motor. The other leg runs to a point between two diodes soldered together in the same direction. One end of these two diodes provides + and the other end the - to throw the turnouts.

Then I put two relatively small capacitors (150 mfd IIRC) each with one leg to the point between the two diodes and the other leg to the + and - ends, observing the proper polatity. Now when you throw a turnout it initially receives a nice kick of about 22.5 volts. But if the switch jams or an engine parks over a reed, the cap is small and the voltage quickly bleeds down such that it essentially goes back to half wave and the turnouts can tolerate it indefinitely, within reason. If I turn off the system, the caps seem to store enough energy for one good throw.


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## mickey (Jan 28, 2009)

I'll be using the previously purchased LocoLink to control things and stupid, naive me, assumed it would be quick easy hook up wires and go. But to quote an famous ESPN college football personality, "Awe, not so fast my......friend".


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I have used momentary switches for 10 years and have not had one stick yet. But I do use half wave power indoors with my own momentary switches and the LGB booster outdoors with the 51750. 
Never burnt out a EPL unit to date.


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## TheRoundHouseRnR (Jul 15, 2012)

Hey Dan, 
I more so meant with full on DC power. Half wave AC poses no risk. 
Its like you said in your other post, with people putting two polarized caps in series with out a diode to protect the circuit. Some people get away with things for years and nothing happens. Its better to be on the safe side. What it a kid sets a book down on your switch box, or you lean against it not realizing. With straight DC the motors don't really hum loud like they do on halfwave AC so you would'nt really hear it. Just see smoke... 
The Roundhouse RnR


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## JeffofSpace (Jun 10, 2018)

TheRoundHouseRnR said:


> I use DC voltage but as stated above, they can only take a pulse of DC or they will burn up. If you use a momentary push switch and it should stick on . It will burn it up in a short amount of time. Not a safe way to control these switches in my opinion.
> I use a 24 volt transformer to a 2400uf capacitor in series with a resistor to limit current and to act as a basic timer. Then i use a darlington transistor to dump the voltage. The transistor can switch current with a very low base current, meaning you can use reed switches and they never burn up unlike the original epl system.
> 
> When the transistor is activated it sends a pulse of DC voltage to the epl and drains the capacitor.The resistor keeps from burning up the switch and only sends a pulse each time its activated. If the push button sticks it WILL NOT burn up the epl motor.
> ...


Hi, can you provide a basic schematic to do this method?

I know I’m resurrecting an old post here!


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

zener diodes


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

For`more than one momentary switch/more than 1one epl drive, I would have just 2 diodes total by letting the diode power feed into the ends of the switch and the center going to the epl drive.


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## JeffofSpace (Jun 10, 2018)

TheRoundHouseRnR said:


> I use DC voltage but as stated above, they can only take a pulse of DC or they will burn up. If you use a momentary push switch and it should stick on . It will burn it up in a short amount of time. Not a safe way to control these switches in my opinion.
> I use a 24 volt transformer to a 2400uf capacitor in series with a resistor to limit current and to act as a basic timer. Then i use a darlington transistor to dump the voltage. The transistor can switch current with a very low base current, meaning you can use reed switches and they never burn up unlike the original epl system.
> 
> When the transistor is activated it sends a pulse of DC voltage to the epl and drains the capacitor.The resistor keeps from burning up the switch and only sends a pulse each time its activated. If the push button sticks it WILL NOT burn up the epl motor.
> ...


 Ah, I get it...so the caps just connect to either end of the common (+ or -) wire and then hop over the diode to the center point?

Sounds like an easy circuit. Thanks!

Sorry...wrong post to reply to!


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