I used them on one end of my staging tracks. I mounted them using the Rix Rax #21 mounting pads - They have provisions for adding 2 micro switches so that they are equal to the Tortoise in function. The problems I see using them are:
I can buy used Tortoises are train shows/meets for $5-$10 each and they are industructable.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
When our HO scale club's layout was being built, we purchased some of those motors that were being sold under the brand names of 'Torquemaster' and 'Switchmaster.' After 15 years, three or four are still in use and have performed reliably for all those years. They did require 10 Watt power resistors to slow them down to a more reasonable speed and lower their torque so they didn't twist the actuating arm.
Ah, the "black motors" as they are called at the club. Or rather, the "expletive black motors". The bane of our existance. We had a bunch of them, and are replacing them all as they fail with Torti. We needed the contacts so little microswitches were mounted next to the motors. A pain to keep adjusted, and difficult to install working overhead under a 30 year old layout with a plethora of obstructions.
Plus the kits we had had plastic operating rods that liked to have their shaft holes rounded out, even though we had resistors limiting the voltage to the motor.
In our opinion those things aren't even suitable as fishing weights.
No contacts, no deal.
At a minimum, I need contacts for hot frogs and track power routing. Tortoise and some twin-coils have them. Atlas and Hankscraft don't.
Granted, I could add relays. Why should I have to?
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I still use them for nearly all of my switch machines. I have two Tortoises and much prefer the Switchmaster incarnation of the Hankscraft motors. Builders in Scale still lists them http://www.builders-in-scale.com/bis/sm-home.html .
Rob Spangler
In the late 80s I was building a layout with Atlas code 100 track and turnouts and had read about Hankscraft motors for turnout control. I ran across a box of the motors at a garage sale and bought the whole box, a couple dozen. Some of the motors appeared new and others were obviously used, but all had multi D cell battery tubes and set screw shaft couplers attached, so I assumed they were for some sort of advertising display.
Turned out the motors had a high gear ratio and weren't slowmotion, but by adding a resistor was able to slow them down some and use them for turnout control. Those motors were robust and powerful and only two of them failed over the years, but when that layout was torn down in 2011 the orig. 18 were still working. If it weren't for wanting simple aux contacts for frog power, easy DCC decoder connection and a softer throw I'd have reused those motors.
regards, Peter
I have used them and I still have some for special purposes. The Tortoise became popular because it was made for Model Railroading, advertised more, and has aux contacts.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
I personally have had problems with them, glad you have had none!
When we speak about stalling motors for the control of our turnouts, we always use Tortoise and more recently servo motors whith excellent results.
One motor which is no more mentionned is the Hankscraft display motor.
And my question is "why"?
It work as a stalling motor like the Tortoise, the speed is slow and it's powerful.
Because of his 360° rotation it could be used whith simplicity to move the point of our turnouts.
Tony Koester and George Sellios have used them (see articles in MR)
I use myself many of these motors since many years whitout any troubles.
I have also used them for some animation whith good results.
They could be buy by quantities which made them attractive for the price.
Did some of You use them?