remote aristocraft switches

[ccrail]

I would like to know the besr way to remotely control my switches? (pneumatic or electric) I have the digitrax super chief DCC system. With the duplex radio throttles.

Thanks 

 

[ttrigg]

Don: Around here the phrase "best way" generally generates a war of words. Like "beauty", "best" is in the eye of the beholder. Air, or electric, (or manual) that is the question. If you are doing a "walk around" with remote control, you might consider manual with ground throws, MUCH LESS hassles with wiring and tubing. Air or electric, both require trenching and burying the leads (wires or tubes). If you do a good job in placing the wires or tubes you should have years of trouble free operation, with one exception. In any case you will need to sweep out the turnouts to ensure no gravel or other debris in the path of the moving rails of the turn out. If you are doing a walk around I would suggest going the manual route. I use electric, as I am doing things the same way I did in both HO and N. I like to sit in my chair, watch the train do its thing, reaching over to flip switches and levers to make things happen.

[ccrail]

Thanks. My intent is not to have to walk around and manually flip the turnouts. My wife and i want to do working seesions just like we did with our N gauge layout. I am just looking for advice on what ot buy and how to make it work using the radio units. I appreciate the cleaning part and have read many threads on that point.

[Greg Elmassian]

 I use DCC, I use the digitrax DS-64 decoders, powered from the rails. I run DC solenoids that switch air to the air motors at each switch. This allows a single, UV resistant 1/8" line to be run and I keep the electronics out of the weather. You can run the air hose hundreds of feet, and power it for weeks with a 5 gallon tank of air.

To me this is the best way, but my priorities are convenience, low maintence, reliability. Cost is in last place, and this is easily the most expensive way to go, since the air solenoids are $45 each, the "switch motors" are reasonable, and a DS-64 is about $45 to control 4 turnouts.

I have all turnouts powered this way, 26 of them now.

See my web site: http://www.elmassian.com/trains-mainmenu-27/track-mainmenu-93/air-operated-switches-mainmenu-101

Regards, Greg