Mounting switch motors on a foam base?

[memsd]

I'm working on my first layout. My base is 3" of foam on top of plywood. What I didn't think about it is how to mount my Tortoise switch machines. Do you dig out the foam to place the motor or do you place the motor under the table and run a long...something...up to the turnout slide? Does the motor heat up enough to melt the foam if it is mounted too closely?

[rrinker]

With plywood on the bottom, I guess the easiest is still to mount them on the bottom. To go through that thickness you will need to replace the stock wire with a stiffer one. There was another thread about this just the other day.
I'm using foam, with no plywood ont he bottom, and I am mounting mine in the foam from the top. I use pieces of Radio Shack perfboard cut to size, and a Dremel multi-purpose cutting attachment to make the recess in the foam (the router attachment would also work, but it's bigger and more expensive). I got the idea from this site http://www.pbase.com/tracktime/norcalf.
Tortoises don't even get warm. There's the odd story floating about on the net about someone who had one fail and get hot enough to char wooden benchwork, but I dunno. The club I belonged to had about 200 of them and never a one failed in any fashion, let alone some dangerous way.

--Randy

[memsd]

Thanks for clearing that up for me and for the link.

[Anonymous]

I have developed a simple method which avoids long couplings between switch machine and turnout. I cut a rectangle of .060" styrene to fit the turnout. The turnout is mounted on the styrene sheet with heavy duty double-sided foam mounting tape. The switch macine is glued with acrylic adhesive caulk to the underside of the styrene. The wire link between machine and turnout passes through a hole drilled in the styrene. The turnout and switch machine are now a single assembly which now can be mounted in place on the layout. Cut a hole in the foam to accomodate the switch machine. The turnout is connected with rail joiners to the track in the normal manner. I model in N scale and the combination of .060" styrene and the foam mounting tape matches the thickness of cork roadbed. You might adjust the thickness of the styrene to match other scales. This method results in a short, direct connection between turnout and switch machine which can be done at your workbench without ever crawling under your layout.

By the way, I don't use any plywood with the foam insulation board. The two inch or more foam has adequate strength all by itself. The plywood is an un-necessary additional expense and weight.

Jerry Smith

[rrinker]

Add < 2 minutes with the Dremel Multi-Purpose Cutting Attachment (< $12) and you have exactly what I am doing - you can recess the styrene (I'm using Perf Board and using small screws to secure the Tortoise) flush with the foam and just continue your standard roadbed over top.
With 2" thick foam, enough of the Tortoise sticks out below to allow for easy access to the terminals. I solder all wires, edge card connectors are not designed to hang vertically unsupported simply by the pressure of the internal contact fingers. I just use a short lead of 8-conductor network wire to a terminal strip.

--Randy