Not that I recommend this, because surely they woudl not honor the warranty of you broke it doign this, but I have one that I've forced back and forth as fast as I could, plus taken it apart multiple times (first time I was just curious about what the guts looked like). Despite the repeated abuse, it still works - it's just a bit noisy. I use it for testing purpose, it will never be mounted to the layotu after all that, but it goes to show the Tortoise is a tough and highly reliable device. I was in a club where we had about 100 of them - not a one EVER failed. None of the ones I've owned has ever failed either.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have found that hardwiring the tortoise with a 2-3 foot cable soldered to the PC stub and terminated with connectors for use with an eight-position barrier block to be best for me. An eight block lets you duplicate the tortoise contact order and the cable can be attached to the machine at your comfy workbench. Install the machine and put the eight-block on the benchwork, and all subsequent wiring is done to the terminal board. I have installed 200-250 tortoises (on several layouts) and only one ever had a maintenance issue. The tortoise is extremely reliable. And, in flagrant disregard of the maufacturer's warning, you CAN move the machine without power. Just gently force the throwrod block until it starts to move; installation is much easier when it is centered. You made a good choice to go with Tortoise...you will realize this in years to come by their reliability. Just pay attention to the geometry when you install them.
Charles Kneipp
Tortoises are a stall motor design that moves the points of the turnout slowly and apply pressure to the points to force them close up to the stock rails. They are easier on the turnouts and on the electrical control switches and draw much less juice than the twin coil machines which move with a bang and a zap. Tortoises get power all the time, the little electric motor inside the Tortoise whirs until the points close and then it stalls, power on, to keep the points closed. There are no limit switches removing power at end-of-travel.
I mounted my Tortoises on the underside of 2 inch foamboard. I had to replace the piano wire operating rod that reaches up thru the table with a longer and thicker one, made from the next larger size of piano wire. I drilled 1/2 inch holes DOWN thru the foam subroad bed BEFORE laying the turnout. I'm in HO, for N maybe a 3/8 inch hole. Drilling UP, after laying the turnout is possible, but requires a VERY steady hand, other wise the drill punches thru and lunches the track. Also, it's very difficult to drill up and get the hole to come out in the right place.
Tortoises come with a mounting screw template in the instruction sheet. I used the template to make a wooden screw locating tool with a 1/2 inch dowel that fit the 1/2 inch hole in the table and located the screws. After marking the screw locations with a pencil I drilled the screw holes going up from the bottom of the layout.
I used a pair of 12 volt wall warts to give me plus and minus 12 volts which I ran around the layout. I used single pole double throw toggle switches mounted on the layout fascia to power the Tortoises. I put a red and a green LED back to back inseries with the Tortoise motor to serve as indicators. The Tortoise motor current is just right to power LEDs. I got green to glow for turnout set straight ahead by trial and error. If the red LED lit instead of the green LED, I just reversed the polarity of the LEDs.
Connectors to fit the Tortoises can be found at places like All Electronics. If you cannot find 8 pin connectors, the 10 pin ones will fit. Google on the connector part number and vendors will turn up. You can skip the connectors and just solder to the PC board fingers coming out of the Tortoise, but connectors are nice in the event of maintenance.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
I have quite a few Tortise's on my layout which has a 1 1/2" foam base on top of 1/8" plywood. You will probably have to use a longer wire than comes with the machine (and a heavier one is probably a good idea too). They are a lot easier to install before the tracked is fastened down. The wiring diagrams that come with it are very good, just select the one you want.
http://ezbizwebsite.com/EbayTrainPix/Signals%20and%20Power/Tortoise%20instructions%20compared.pdf
the tortise will work for your application. there is an adjustment to the "throw" and you can always change the wire to a thicker or thinner to suit your needs.
the tortise is easy to install. i installed 7 of them in under an hour, not including all the electrical wiring.
the tortise is one of the current standard switch machine and has many different options for additional electrical contacts and operational possibilities.
can someone explain how this switch machine works and if its a good choice for and n scale layout using atlas code 55 track. specificly how the machine actually switches the turnout, reason being i currently am installing my track, turnouts etc. and my layout is covered with a layer of foam and the machine will have to be mounted under the layout obviously, and im wondering if it will still sucessfuly switch the turnout being its farther away ( beneath the foam and plywood layout).