Hey guys. Since Andy like, never answers emails anymore, haha, I had a question I wanted to see if anyone here could answer.
I've got the Proto87 Ultimate Throwbars. However, I'm scratchbuilding my code 70 turnouts and not using his points, which I'm using for my code 55 turnouts. For my code 70 turnouts, I've made my points with my Fast Tracks pointform tool.
My question, though, is has anyone here used the Ultimate Throwbar with a NON-hinged point turnout? As in, have you used the Ultimate Throwbar on a turnout that features continuous point and closure rails? The examples on the Proto87 site only show it with use in a Micro Engineering hinged-point turnout.
I ask, because with hinged point turnouts, you're supposed to use the non-hook piece as the actual throwbar, and then the 'dummy' throwbar is what actually hooks into the rail after you've drilled out the holes. With a continous point/closure rail turnout, do you think it would be reversed? This seems to make sense, because like with the Fast Tracks turnout, you solder the throwbar to the rails, and with the Ultimate Throwbar, the throwbar with the hooks hooking into the rail would take the place of this. I know this is kind of confusing without knowing what i'm talking about.
http://www.proto87.com/throw-bars.html Go there and you can see what I'm talking about.
the only one of you that I know who has used this is Wedudler, but you're turnouts are all hinged, correct?
Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts, that would be awesome. Thanks guys
Greg
I dont see why they wouldn't work on your fast trax turnouts. Most hand laid turnouts are continuous rail.
Maybe the hand laid yahoo group can help further.
Pete
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oh i know it would work, i just don't know if I should reverse the 2 throwbars since its a continous point/closure rail turnout.... because of the 2 throwbars, only one of them has tabs that actually hook into the rail via a hole drilled in the base of the rail; the other is for 'show'. The way Andy has them set up is that the 'dummy' one, which does not hook into the rail base, is the one that is actually controlled via groundthrow or whatever, and then the 2nd one, which does have the hooks that secure the rails to it, is located closer to the frog.
i'm jsut curious because the rail flexes differently for hinged points vs. continous points
Greg, right under the pretty picture in the link you provided the caption says the throwbar can be used with either hinged or continuous points....
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a totally different point geometry)
The short bar with the tabs drilled through the rails(closest to frog) hold the points in gauge. The actual throw bar tabs just push the point rail against the stock rail and don't need drilled holes through the point rail. This allows the throw bar to "float" and not bind when the switch is thrown. It didn't make sense to me either when I first read it, but the more I looked at it, it's the correct way to do it. (regardless of which type of point rails you use)
So, you think thats okay then? Thats a better way of explaining it. I just thought that since Fast Tracks and other scratchbuilt turnouts with continuous point/closure rails have the throwbar soldered to the points, that the NON-floating throwbar should be the one FURTHEST from the frog, the opposite of the way Andy says to install them with hinged point turnouts.
This way, it would be as if I'm using a soldered throwbar. I donno... just throwing ideas out. I just don't wanna have to fix it later, haha
Your comparing apples to oranges since the Protos use 2 bars which is prototypical and Fastracks uses one soldered bar. I've always worried that one soldered bar would cause binding. That's the reason I like the way Andy's are set up. You could always make all four tabs drilled through the rails. Just throw the ones with no tab away. Of course you will only get half the yield out of a pack that way. (2 turnouts instead of 4)I wouldn't worry about reliability doing it the way Andy recommends.
I've used those throw bars and I'm very satisfied with them.This pic shows the throw bar with a scratch build turnout. You have only to drill two holes. One into each point rail. If you want to use the second throw bar, this don't need holes.
One thing I wouldn't repeat: Installing Andy's throw bar into a finished ballasted turnout.
More How To at my Diamond Valley sites .
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
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yeah but are your turnouts made with continous point and closure rails? or are they hinged?
Greg-Check your PM.
Greg,
look at my Diamond Valley sites and you will see both ways. I've used hinged point rails with the CV turnouts and continous point rails with my scratch build turnouts. But both types I've with PROTO:87 throw bars!