Reduce number of switches in hall

[Serviceuser]

Having trouble figuring out if I can reduce my switches: see diagram below.
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I have two lights either end of the hall. At the far end there is a two gang switch which switches either light on or off. Inside this two gang is a one way switch and a two way switch, the one way being for the light bulb next to it at the end of the hall, and the two way switch being for the other lightbulb at the beginning of the hall.

The switch at the beginning of the hall is at the end of a 3 gang plate [the other two swiches on it being for the upper stair and lower stair]. This switch is also wired as a 2 way but only turns off/on the lightbulb at the beginning of the hall.

I would like to just have both bulbs on or off at the same time and replace the far end switch with a 1 gang to do this, as there is only a couple of metres distance and the existing switching is not very convenient] however after changing/grouping the wires in different permutations I can't seem to make it run as a one gang. I can put it back to the way it was though as I have coded the wires. Any ideas how to do it, or if it even can be done with existing set up? Thanks, Jim.

Lighting diagram

• Serviceuser
• 8 May 2013
• 1

Any suggestions about this?

 

[plugwash]

Can you tell us what wires you currently have at each switch?

 

[Serviceuser]

For 2gang Switch E there is firstly a Common, L1, L2 and secondly a Common and L1, i.e 5 separate wires.

For Switch B there is a Common, L1 and L2. Thanks, Jim.

 

[Serviceuser]

Well I have got Switch E working powering both lights on/off but struggling to get Switch B working at all. Still wondering if this is actually possible - any suggestions welcome.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You just need a normal 2-way switching arrangement with 2 x 1-gang 2-way switches, with the drop cable from one of the lights, and the other light connected to that light. Don't try and do it with both lights connected to the switches.

 

[Serviceuser]

Thanks for response - still not got it but will try again in the morning. I might just check the wiring which passes through the roses as that might help figure out how it's been done along with the 2way diagrams here. It's a steel conduit system with singles.