help w/remote switches

[blacksapote]

I know little about trains but I am trying to help my elderly neighbor set up a train set he purchased seven months ago.  I have watched the DVD which comes with the kit but it does not mention the remote switches.  The track is assembled and the train is running.

The switches are rectangular.  The green wire from the track plugs into the top. The switch housing have two prongs sticking out of each side.  Male on one side and female on the other.  They connect together forming one long rectangle. 

I think this is the same item.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000CGB3J/ref=dp_image_text_0/102-5819472-3225709?ie=UTF8&n=165793011&s=toys-and-games

What else do we need to do?
How are the switches powered?

This kit was supposed to has everything  (my neighbor claims).  The only unused object is a red track wire which has the three-hole black connector on only one end.  The connector fits the track but not the side prongs. The other end is simply cut off.  Do I wire it in to the side prongs somehow?

I have done residential wiring so I should be able to do what ever is needed.

Whoever's bright idea is was to not include a written manual but only a instructional DVD oughtta be...well, no need to make threats.  It is very frustrating for this older gentleman who does not own a DVD player and has to ask a neighbor to watch it for him (only to find it doesn't help any).  Thanks in advance.

Frustrated in Central Maine,
Stephen

[chewie8han]

I'm going to assume that the train set was a DC set and not DCC. 

That being said, you connect the green wire to the rectangular switch.  The switches (as you said) can be connected together.  The red, two wire, cable connects to the male side of the rectangular switch.  The other end connects to the AC connection on your controller.  Don't connect it to the DC/track connector, but to the AC/accessory connector.

Hope that helps.
Kevin

[Craig]

In the event that your neighbor has a power pack without any accessory terminals (I suspect this to be the case or you wouldn't have any problems) he will need to acquire one that does, or one that is made strictly for accessories and not track power. Does the set come with one of these?



They don't have accessory terminals.

[Jake]

^Yes they do,  they ar the two knobs on the top. you push them down, insert the bare and of a wire and let go.

[Craig]

Yes, Jake. That is correct. I was thinking of the 1 Amp large scale unit. I own both and you're absolutely right.

[Klaus]

I have the same problem as blacksapote. Your neighbor probably bought the same starter set for $ 200 that actually includes 2 starter kits: a DCC powered engine with DCC transformer plus a set of turnouts that are meant to be powered analog and do not work with the tranformer supplied. I had an old Maerklin analog tranformer and it works well in powering the turnouts. However, the little flipswitches look quite skimpy and connecting several of them together looks even skimpier.

Can anybody recommend a brand of (sturdy looking and well made) switchpanels which work with Bachmann turnouts? My problem is that there are 3 cables leaving the turnouts rather than 2 on my other layout (which is a LGB garden railway). On my garden railway the electrical switch just reverses polarity (I guess) whereas the Bachman turnouts seem to be switched differently (I am sorry, I am REALLY electrically challenged), so I cannot use the same kind of switchpanels.

Any help is appreciated

[Perryb]

Hello
Im new to E/Z track & Im trying to wire it to Atlas Selector switches so I
can kill the power to several spurs.
I have installed my insulated rail joiners & soldered a wire from the
track to the selector but cant get it to work at all.
Is wiring easy to do with E/Z track?   I also want to install a turntable
& wire that direct even though I will be using Atlas track to approach the
turntable & also run into the roundhouse since it has no roadved & the
turntable must be mounted flush to table top.
any help or ideas would be appreciated.
thanks

Perry