If you bring one pole of a permanent magnet near the reed switch the contacts within the glass tube come together and current flows. If you carefully remove the magnet the contacts will stay together and your LEDs or whatever is connected to the switch will stay on. To turn the switch off turn the magnet over and bring the other pole near the switch. The contacts will relax and separate breaking the circuit..
The idea of Digitrains was conceived over the dinner table and grew very slowly as doubts calmed missionary zeal. We finally took the plunge in January 2005 and are fortunate to be dealers for some of the best and most user friendly DCC equipment available.