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How to Wire a Model Railroad Switch

Model railroading is a hobby enjoyed by both children and adults. When building your own model railroad, you need to wire the track to a switch and power supply. The tracks provide the power to the trains through their rails, and a switch allows you to turn that power on and off.

Things You'll Need

Insulated wire (black and red)
Wire cutters
Wire strippers
Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Cut a section of black and red wire to go between the transformer and switch. Strip 3/8 inches of insulation off the ends of both of the wires.
- 2
  Loosen the positive and negative terminals on the transformer with a screwdriver. Wrap the black wire around the negative ground terminal and tighten it. Wrap the red wire around the positive hot terminal and tighten it.
- 3
  Run the two wires to the switch and loosen the power supply terminals on the switch. Wrap the black wire around the negative ground terminal and tighten it. Wrap the red wire around the positive hot terminal and tighten it down.
- 4
  Cut a section of black and red wire to go between the track switch and track terminals. Strip 3/8 inches of insulation off the ends of both of the wires.
- 5
  Loosen the switch's output terminals. Connect the red wire to the positive terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal.
- 6
  Run the wires to the track terminals and connect the red wire to the positive terminal and the black wire to the negative terminal.

Model Railroads