In your situation, I'd mount the tortoise on top behind the track and make it invisible from the bottom.
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A company by the name of Proto:87 sells a low profile turnout machine that is designed to be installed level with the "ground", below grade or even under the layout. They call it the "Mole" and a different model is referred to as the "Mole 2". I can tell you that they are excellent machines and operate off a dpdt toggle just as a Totoise does. I cannot speak to DCC compatibility. An additional plus: they are about half the cost of a Tortoise.
Old Fat Robert
Circuitron makes this remote actuator:
It's part number 800-6100. You can mount the Tortoise horizontally or vertically, and some distance from the turnout as well. I have one that I use to drive crossing gates, and it works perfectly.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
As you can see I have only 2" of clearance for this switch area due to the door. I am already using 8 other tortoise switches further down the track but here I dont think I can pull it off even if I mount it sideways with a relocator.
Also I need one compatible with the NCE 8switch for DCC. Do they make a top side track mount switch that is DCC compatible?