VIDEOMIKE123

I think you'll find it's the reverse. The only reason a push button is recommended is because it MUST be a momentary contact. I'm really sorry because your suggestion seemed to be the best and simplest. These are the Dapol instructions: -

I'm sorry, but I think you'll find it does. That's why this operation is such a tricky one and why they say you must only have a momentary connection between the 2 yellow wires.

Oh Suzie, so far you seem to have the simplest option. I'm a mechanical engineer but not electro mechanical. Can you advise: - 1. do you connect the yellow wires to opposite sides of the terminals, i.e. top left and bottom right? otherwise I can't see what the link does. 2. what would happen if the switch was accidentally knocked to the centre position. In my head it would seem to make a permanent connection between the 2 yellow wires and fry the signal!

But that doesn't leave any indication of the signal position and that's what I'm trying to avoid!

I was a member of MERG but everything was over my head so I left some time ago.

I've not heard of those before. Do you know where you can get them?

Won't the LED go off when the switch reverts to centre/off? I'm no electronics expert but I do have friends who are so I'll pass that idea past them and see if they can help me. Regards Mike

I am about to fit 3 Dapol motorised signals to my GWR EM layout but their wiring system doesn’t suit my method of operation. All of my points are operated via DPDT toggle switches so that the position of the toggle always shows the direction of the route chosen and I would like to operate the signals the same way. So, I don’t want to use Push buttons or sliding contact switches where the toggle springs back to centre off. Neither indicates the position of the signal after firing it. I also do not want switches like the Peco and Hornby ones as they aren’t practical with my control panel. My first thought was to use a standard toggle switch together with a push button so that you could set the position of the signal with the toggle switch and then fire it with the push button. The only problem with that is that if the push button is accidentally pushed for a second time it will operate the signal again and you finish up with the signal and toggle switch set in opposite directions. My current thought is to see if I can find toggle switches that have a sliding contact each way but stay in their designated position after firing the signal motor. That way I get the best of both worlds and don’t have to worry about push buttons. Any thoughts anyone? Regards Mike

Thanks everyone, Ken did send me the draft of the original article and photos which have been useful but I'm still having difficulties. The cover is very flexible when trying to open from the side but the cover still won't come off, and I cannot get the very smallest screwdriver into the ends of the cover. I've now sent an email to Dapol asking for advice. Don't know if they'll help. regards Mike

Thanks Dai. I had tried the ends to start with but couldn't get the smallest screwdriver in anywhere. I'll have another look later but I'm wondering if this is a part they changed when they re-tooled for this latest batch because I'm surprised that it seems quite flexible/rubbery. But it definitely doesn't seem to want to come off! Can you remember which end opens up? Regards Mike

I've now found that I can get a reasonably large screwdriver in at the side but the cover seems to be made of rubber and i can move it up quite a bit but it still doesn't want to come off. Obviously, I'm a bit nervous about damaging it. Any suggestions? MIKE

Hi, Ken. In a small break from trying to finish the cloakroom (where everything that could go wrong, has) I tried the conversion but I'm having trouble getting the cover off of the motor bogie. Do you put the screwdriver in the end of the cover or the side? Regards Mike

Ken, If that's a problem, send me your email address and I'll send you my home address via email so that you can then post a copy to me by snail mail if that's better. And thanks Smiley, any help much appreciated. Mike

Hi Ken my email is - videomike123@gmail.com If you could send me a copy of your draft attached to an email that would be great. I still haven't found it yet. Mike

Thanks Ken, I'm looking through my Newsletters and I've even found some from 2012 so far, but not the period I need. I presume it was the Newsletter and not in the Bulletins?