Hello everyone,
All of my turnouts are operated by hand ground throws. All but two are easy to reach. The two that are hard to reach I have to get up a small step ladder and reach as far as my arm can go. I need to power those two and I really would like under the layout machines. My problem is that the turnouts are all ready installed and soldered. I just have track laid, no scenery . Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Sam
Ran into the same problem after I started scenery. I installed Blue Point switch throws. Micro mark carries them if your local hs does not. Get the install kit also. I love these things. They work great. Blue point has a very detailed install guide on their web page. I unsoldered my turnouts and did the install. It was not that bad.
Take a look at Hump Yard manual throws: http://www.humpyard.com/. I don't have personal experience with them yet, but intend to use them for the more remote, not easily accessible turnouts because they appear to work very well for that application. And I have read of others' good experience with them.
Dante
What type of turnouts do you have?
Alton Junction
The Switchmaster brand of stall-motor switch machine can be installed without disturbing your turnouts.
Hi, give a thought to the old wire-in-a-tube method for controlling your turnouts. A length (whatever is needed) of piano wire running through a tube of about 1/8th in. diameter is what I use for several of my switches.
Make the wire approach the throwbar of the switch pretty well dead-on to reduce stress and wear of the plastic throwbar. The tube can be curved somewhat on its way to wherever the controlling mechanism is. A 90-degree bend to the vertical of the wire after it exits the tube allows it to poke up into the throwbar.
For the other end, the choice is yours as to what method is used to push/pull the wire. I use a modified 2-coil Atlas #65 under-table sw machine (the old style!) to do it, but you could use a knob mounted to your fascia or anywhere handy.
General benefits are: not having to disturb a previously installed turnout; the tube gets buried out of sight in the ballast and earth material; and you can use what you wish for activation. Some folks have used an old automobile choke or throttle cable the same way.
Worth a thought, I have good success with mine.
Have fun, George
One can always remove the solder. Then you could drill the hole for the throw bar that goes to the switch machine. Replace the turnout and install the switch machine. I use the Tortoise switch machines. They have a template that helps mark where the holes for drilling (the screws that hold the switch machine in play).
Craig North Carolina
What kind of layout base construction do you have? Things which mount easily on one type of base can be a real pain on others. For example, you can poke a piece of floral wire through 2 inches of foam to mark the spot, and then drill up, but that won't work with plywood.
Also, how accessible is the underside of the layout?
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Hi Mr. B
My layout base is 1/2" homesote over 1/2 " plywood. The height of the layout is 56" I can work under the layout OK but the two turnouts in question are over a shelf at about 5"'s which make it almost impossible to work directly under the turnout.
I have a bunch of humpyard levers and they work great for a straight forward applications. They work better than tortise for stange remote applications. I like them.
EDIT: Never mind, I just saw your post that you only have a few inches under the layout to work with.
Instead of going "down under," how about mounting a switch machine on top of the layout and then hiding it with scenery? You said your turnouts are well back on your layout bench, so putting a structure or some other scenery in as a view block would allow you to mount a simple Atlas machine. Or, you could install a Tortoise upside-down in an interlocking tower, for example, and use a short mechanical linkage.
This is one I put in near the front of my layout, where I didn't want a switch machine to show. I cut a piece of old brass track, and used a section of the rail for linkage. I drilled a small hole for the throw wire from the Atlas switch machine, and glued the base of the rail to the throwbar of the turnout with CA glue.
I made a scenic cover out of plaster cloth, and covered it with Gypsolite. It's not painted here.
After some ground foam and a couple of scraps of rock wall castings, you'd barely know there was a switch machine in there.
There are two hidden switch machines in this photo. One is in the old Swift plant. The other is under the mound of greenery between the tracks.
Thank you all. Good stuff. Its all really helpful . Mister Beasley I think I can live with your suggestions Thanks a lot. Still looking to meet you some day, maybe at Maine Trains in Chelmsford.
ollevon Hi Mr. B My layout base is 1/2" homesote over 1/2 " plywood. The height of the layout is 56" I can work under the layout OK but the two turnouts in question are over a shelf at about 5"'s which make it almost impossible to work directly under the turnout.
I believe you will find that the Hump Yard system will be suited to your problem. Check their site-you will see several ways to connect to the turnouts.