leer76

@ntpntntp Thanks for posting circuit diagram, I had a play around with the circuit on a breadboard so I could pyhsically see what i would need to be doing and it works well so time I am onto installation now. @TC, I quite understand your reasons for wanting individual switches. As you say commercial buildings may be lit during the day but not houses, and not all houses will be lit at night - people might be out, maybe off down the pub. This was my point, and I have wired the lights in the buildings in series. Thanks also @BM, @BB, @PH, @AL, for conributing to this post

@ntpntpntp What happened to your post? one minute I was reading it, then when i refreshed it had gone! Wrong info??

I'll try to elaborate a little more... The layout is DCC and controlled with RM, but I miss the "hands on" approach with RM that you get with phsically activating a switch which is the reason I wanted some element of switching somewhere. Atm I have 3 kit made builldings to which I have added lights to and will go one end of the layout, the opposite corner has a guy in his workshop welding. The switch panel has been made but yet to be installed, in this panel I have fitted 1 main illuminated DPST on/off switch to power the switch panel itself (is this overkill?) https://www.railwayscenics.com/illuminated-large-rectangle-rocker-switch-dpst-p-3657.html and a bank/row of (atm) 5 SPST illuminated switches all yet to be wired with room to add more for each individual building/accessory https://www.railwayscenics.com/illuminated-rectangle-rocker-switch-spst-green-p-3598.html I want the switches because I can have shop lights on for example while the guy in the garage doing his welding might have a day off and not turned up for work that day (you get my drift) The layout isn't huge (12ftx8ft) and i guessed i could run a 12v bus

Is it possible to run a DC only bus wire around my layout and have the ability to switch different things on and off individually? I have a few buildings I have installed lights to and I am ready to put them around the layout, I will add they are not lighting kits I have fitted, I have wired in LED's myself. The issue is the switch panel will be some 7ft from the furthest building and thats quite a run of wire if you have multiple bulidings and so i'm thinking a DC bus might save on lots of wire runs but not sure if its possible to switch things individually. I'm thinking a maln on/off switch in the panel to supply the 12v DC to the bus and then individual switches for each building. I know its possible to install a bus and droppers to each building, but when I power if up I don't want everything coming on at once.

@Flashbang I did indeed use your website as my main source of reference when wiring my layout and what a great source of information it is. My question is I guess is why would the 3 way not work when set to straight ahead? The left and right routes work fine after fitting autofrogs but not "straight ahead" I can only assume the frog that controls the power for straight ahead is dead but why would this be if the switching is working for left and right?

I was just about to download HM7K on android in preperation for my first purchase of the 8 pin TXS decoder (R7336) when I came across the pinned thread at the top of the forum regarding connecting to the wrong app and something suddenly occured to me. Do i even need the app? or is it required for programming CV's and downloading sound files? as can I do that within RM as ultimately that is what I use for control. I'm sure I see a post from fishmanoz that said it was possible to program and run a TXS fitted loco in RM but please correct me if i'm wrong. Incidentally I see stocks are already running low on the R7336. I hope we don't start suffering supply issues like we did with TTS

Well, once again i find myself on here appealing for your advice. Some members may have seen my appeals for advice when i had problems with RM and I thank you all for your input. I took the decision a couple of months ago to make a slight change to my layout and change the TMD area but since then have encountered various problems as per my previous recent posts. I now have another. For clarification I'm running RM V1.74.5 on Win 10, the point in question uses 2 Seep PM1's, conrolled by a TTPC200 decoder. The Problem: I have re-sited a 3 way point and since doing so have encountered the following problem, when I select the left route the locos traverse it fine (no shorts), however when i traverse the right side i did get a short so i fitted a DCC80 autofrog which seemed to correct the problem and it worked fine, however the "straight ahead" did not. It didn't short but instead short wheel base locos stop dead, (0 4 0's especially) Why would straight ahead be dead? I do know one point motor controls one of the frogs and the other one controls the other 2 frogs but i'm not sure which is which? The point in question is an E99 and I have not modified it in anyway as I have done with E95 and E96 points

Paul, your input on this thread has been most valuable. Thankyou

Paul, once again you have struck gold I have always assumed that +V and -V (i think thats right) was required to power the point motor, however from your reply i now know that it powers the frog. Can i take it therefore that the power for the Seeps come from the decoder?

So all my pm2's are wired thus: Terminals A,B and C lead to a TTPC200 decoder Terminals D and E lead to DCC bus Terminal F to the frog wire Some of these points/turnouts started to fail (as in short) and so i blamed it on the unreliability of the switching on PM1's. To remedy this I purchased some DCC80's, I removed the wire to terminal F on the Seep and instead wired this to the DCC80 autofrog, the power for it comes from the DCC bus This seemed to cure the problem. Now I have found myself needing another point/turnout but ordered a PM2 point motor instead of a PM1, As i knew it wouldn't switch polarity I asked what is the difference between an autofrog and a self latching relay? and after reading the comments I went with what I knew and choose DCC80's but it dosen't look like i can wire to PM2 as not quite the same thing

I think I messed up? I've bought a seep pm2 instead of a pm1. Will this be compatible with a dcc80 autofrog?

I think I messed up? I've bought a seep pm2 instead of a pm1. Will this be compatible with a dcc80 autofrog?

Paul, I have followed your advice and tried to edit my very first post on this subject via the 3 dots, however it seems I am only able to change the title and i cannot see an option to locate the post in the correct forum, slightly annoying as like you say would it have been a learning exercise, maybe if a mod see's this they will move if for me

Thanks everyone, some interesting reading here. Apologies for posting in wrong forum, if someone wants to move it feel free. It is actually DCC80's i already have and I was looking at the GM500's, I think I'll stick with what i know so I'll get some more DCC80's Once again thanks everyone for your invaluable advice.

Hi All, I have a DCC layout, all electrofrog with seep PM1 point motors. I find the "switching" can be unreliable on the seeps so I added autofrogs which work well with no problems, however I need to purchase some more. While looking online I came across self latching relays which to me seem to do the same thing but at a sligtly lower price " My question is what is the difference between an autofrog and a self latching relay? I have looked online but can't seem to find a definative answer