Terminal bars make change easy

Back when I used Tortoises, I used to wire each one into a terminal block.  The reason I did this was that the switch machines often went in before the rest of the electronics, and with the terminal block I could finish off the connections with a screwdriver.  It also gave me convenient test points to stick a meter in when something went wrong, and a way to change what the auxilliary points did.  Eventually, it gave me an easy way to change to servo switch machines (not through any fault of the Tortoises, but because of overall standardization).  I also like terminal blocks because then I'm not trying to solder and unsolder wiring under the layout, splashing molten metal and burning myself the whole time.

If you're confident that you're not going to change the functions of the aux contacts or how they're connected to the rest of the layout, there's no real reason to go to a terminal bar.

Thank you

Thank you

Blocks...make it better

It's not essential to use terminal block, it's really just a matter of convenience.   and boy, are they convenient when you are sitting at a funny angle underneath your layout trying to fiddle with stuff.

For my non-signaled switch machines, a 4-terminal block connected to 1 and 8 and then to the toggle switch is all you need.  If I have need for the alternate functions of the 8 terminals inside the tortise, i.e. for signals or running a crossover switch in tandem, then i use an 8-terminal block.