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Which switch do I need for a three-aspect analogue colour light signal?
Most toggle or lever switches used on a model railway feature just two positions. A type called an SPDT switch (on/on switch) is ideal for operating a two-aspect colour light signal as the two positions of the switch can be used to select between red or green. But what about three-aspect colour light signals?
Traditional toggle switches can still be used to operate three-aspect colour light signals, but you will need two of them per signal. In this circumstance, the first switch can be used to select between red and sending power to the second switch, we'll call that position 'proceed'. The second switch would therefore only receive power when the first switch is set to proceed. The second switch's two terminals can then be used to select between yellow and green. It's by no means a perfect system, but it does prove that it can be done.
A more traditional way of controlling three and even four-aspect colour light signals is with the use of a rotary switch. Rotary switches can possess an almost infinite number of positions, meaning it doesn't matter how many aspects (or combinations of) your signal has, there is always a switch out there to facilitate.
Rotary switches needn't be feared if you have never used one before. Their principle is exactly the same as a toggle switch with a power in terminal and multiple power out terminals, there's just a lot more of them, that's all.
Posted in: Power and control
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