I'm at the stage of laying track now and I want to set up all the switches for under the benchwork tortise switch machines.What do I do prior to adhering the switches to the roadbed?Once my track is down I don't want to take it apart for something that could've been done in the beginning.
Thanks,Vince
Torti are normally operated with a wire that sticks up through the benchwork. If that's the way you want to operate them then you need a 3/8 to 1/2 in hole or slot under the throw bars of the switches.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
If your using Tortois machines yes, you need a 1/4 to 3/8" hole for it's wire. It does not have to be thru the center of the throwbar. It can be at either end. The important part is to use velcro or double sided tape to at least temporarily hold the switch machine in order to get it's wire thru the throwbar and the machine adjusted so the motion of the wire is perpendicular to the track. If you have more than 1/2" plywood base and cork roadbed you most likely will need a heavier wire. If you need a heavier wire you have to drill the actuating arm's wire hole to accept the larger wire.
The machines come wit .025 wire. Drill a .032-.040 hole in the throwbar, again, does not have to be in the center.
If you have the use of a drill press get some 3/8 wooden dowels from HD and drill a .030-.040 hole thru it's center. Use it to line up the machine. After the machine is lined up simply pull the dowel out. You are lined up perfectly.
By all means, do as nuch as you can BEFORE you nail or glue stuff down.
I use Fastrack turnouts and cut them in using a jewlers hack saw. Then I drill my throw bar and base with a pin vise and leave the drill bit as a marker if I cant see where I drilled after lifting the turout up. Then I drill a 1/8 pilot hole and then the 3/8" hole for the wire. The hole come out much more accuratly doing it this way, no wandering. After the swith machine is accuratly in place I place my turout back in position, lining up and threading the wire/throwbar while doing so of course.
Temporarily pin your stuff in place and run the switch machine to make sure everything is OK, then nail/spike, glue or whatever.
JulesB
loathar wrote:Make sure your turnouts aren't so close to the edge of your bench work that it interferes with mounting your switch machines underneath. I found this out the hard way and now have to chissel two pockets into a 2x4 to get the machines to fit under the turnout. (or do a remote linkage)
that's happened to me before, I went for the remote linkage, usually fairly simple, and easily covered with scenery or nearyby structures or whatever. In the few cases I had it amounted to just a slot cut down into the top of the layout with a wire in there to connect from the turnout to the switch machine a few inches away.
Weighmaster wrote:JulesB: My forehead is getting flatter re your dowl tip: WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THAT? Now, the next obstacle will be to remember it! Gary
Here's another Tortoise mounting tip for you:
Cut out and laminate the mounting template printed on the Tortoise instruction sheet, and tack one of those dowels to it right at the spot marked for the spring wire. Then from under the layout, you can insert the dowel and after lining everything up, use an awl to mark/start the screw holes.
And if you're not sure of the alignment, drive a small finishing nail through the track centerline behind where you think the Tortoise should be. Then you can align the template between the dowel and the nail, removing the nail once everything is marked.
I align and mark/start the screw locations that way, then actually drive in diagonally opposite screws, and slightly back them out. Raise the Tortoise up, but offset 1/8 turn, get the spring wire in the throwbar, and give it that 1/8 turn to lock it on those two screws. Tighten them, add the other two, and you're done. Faster, easier, and cheaper than tape or velcro, IMHO.
HTH,Steve
Stevert wrote: Weighmaster wrote:JulesB: My forehead is getting flatter re your dowl tip: WHY DID I NEVER THINK OF THAT? Now, the next obstacle will be to remember it! Gary Here's another Tortoise mounting tip for you:Cut out and laminate the mounting template printed on the Tortoise instruction sheet, and tack one of those dowels to it right at the spot marked for the spring wire. Then from under the layout, you can insert the dowel and after lining everything up, use an awl to mark/start the screw holes. And if you're not sure of the alignment, drive a small finishing nail through the track centerline behind where you think the Tortoise should be. Then you can align the template between the dowel and the nail, removing the nail once everything is marked. I align and mark/start the screw locations that way, then actually drive in diagonally opposite screws, and slightly back them out. Raise the Tortoise up, but offset 1/8 turn, get the spring wire in the throwbar, and give it that 1/8 turn to lock it on those two screws. Tighten them, add the other two, and you're done. Faster, easier, and cheaper than tape or velcro, IMHO. HTH,Steve
Thats a great idea!
The small finishing nail driven in a bit with a nail set will indeed give a good reference WRT perpendicular mounting.
The only problem with tacking the dowel to something is I like to lift the dowel out from the top. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.
I would say tho, the nail would be real usfull with a small square, or small square piece of plastic. You could draw a line perpendiculr to the track line to position the Turtois after inserting it's wire up thru the dowel. You could then thread the throwbar onto the wire and position the turnout. Test it before trimming the wire.
JulesB wrote: Stevert wrote: Then from under the layout, you can insert the dowel and after lining everything up, use an awl to mark/start the screw holes. Thats a great idea!The small finishing nail driven in a bit with a nail set will indeed give a good reference WRT perpendicular mounting.The only problem with tacking the dowel to something is I like to lift the dowel out from the top. Unless I'm misunderstanding you.JulesB
Stevert wrote: Then from under the layout, you can insert the dowel and after lining everything up, use an awl to mark/start the screw holes.
Then from under the layout, you can insert the dowel and after lining everything up, use an awl to mark/start the screw holes.
I think you might be. The dowel, with the template attached, is used as a jig under the layout to mark the mounting holes for the Tortoise. Once you have those mounting holes marked, you remove the dowel and attached template the same way, from under the layout.
And since you (accurately, I hope!) marked and started the mounting screws, the Tortoise will already be in position when it's mounted. Therefore, no dowel from the top side is necessary.
Steve