After a number of years avoiding finishing scenery & ballasting, I am determined to make progress this year. I have started by ballasting my largest yard. I did the easy half a while back but just addressed the 2nd half, including the 4 throat turnouts.
I studied past ballasting (including turnouts) threads and proceeded carefully. The bottom line is that the points movement became poor. I was not super conservative, as I did put some light ballast amount in the points area, but not to the top if the ties and not near the throwbar. I oiled the points movement ties. I then misted with 50% IPA, carefully applied diluted white glue, then saturated more with IPA again to help wicking. No glue was applied between the ties next to the throwbar, as a piece of electrical tape is hoped to hold the few ballast granules there. The throwbar and adjacent ties were covered with tape. Results...the points no longer moved fully to the rails in some cases. They were not glued, but I could feel grit below them (atop the ties), perhaps simply dust remaining after tapping the rails to ensure the granules were below the tops of the ties. Some manual working of the points made some, but insufficient, improvement. The problem was slight to moderate, but not okay, especially with one of the four turnouts.
I decided to try to improve the Tortoise wire, and boy, what a difference. I replaced the wire with a piece of 0.032" music wire and the problem was readily overcome. It was such a big improvement that I went ahead and replaced the other three as well.
On replacing the wire, it is not so difficult if the Tortoise and turnout are accessible near the edge of the layout, from top & bottom simultaneously. (Not possible if a tall fascia is in the way.) It is necessary to use a 1/32" drill to enlarge the hole for the bottom end of the wire since the original wire is skinnier. With one hand I was able to poke the new (taller than eventually trimmed) wire up through the road bed hole, just trial and error, until I managed to poke it through the throwbar middle hole. If needed, I grabbed it with a tiny vice grips so it could not fall below. I then secured the bottom of the wire to the Tortoise moving lever. Then I tested it, and snipped the wire to length atop the throwbar. It was easier than I expected.
EDIT: I later noticed in the Tortoise instructions that the tension can be adjusted by sliding the fulcrum / pivot point bar downward. Some of my setups were not set for this max force and I was able to boost the tension by sliding the bar as far downward as possible. Glad I reviewed the instructions.
Some photos follow:
20200220_120738 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
20200220_114405 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
20200220_110105 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
I have decided to upgrade all my remaining Tortoise wires and would certainly recommend doing so with original installation (if the supplied wires is the same as in 2012). It will be more of a challenge to upgrade some of mine that are harder to reach, as that will require me to poke the new wire from under the table while an observer confirms it eventually is poked through the center turnout hole.
I know this is a crutch, as ballasting the turnout should not require a sledge hammer fix. I did attempt to apply minimal ballast at the points ties. But I believe that the dust atop the ties (after tapping the rails) may be the issue. I carefully applied glue between the individual points ties and that, despite care, is probably a bad idea, versus just adding glue from the ends of those ties.
I thought this experience was worth documenting. Any comments are most welcome.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I think Tortoise mentioned using thicker wire in their instructions. It works for me. I have 3/4'' plywood topped with 1/2'' blue foam board with 1/4'' cork. Total thickness is 1-1/2''. Be sure not to use regular wire cutters to cut piano/music wire or you will end up with a new wire stripping tool.
Yes, that is the hard part, poking the wire up though the tiny throw bar hole. I have found that grinding/dressing a point on the wire (that is maybe two inches longer then needed) helps to fit it though the hole much easier. Which gets cut off to the correct length anyway after all is in place.
Thanks Paul.
Thicker wire is a good fix a lot of the time.
You didn't mention what you're using to bond the ballast down. If you're using matte medium, try misting the bridle and points with 90% alcohol while working them back and forth.
Another thing I often use is homemade. I cut a metal strip from a piece of phospor bronze sheet. Careful of any sharp edges, but take this "shiv" and work it along the underside of the points and any other place where stickiness is a factor. I like to run it along either side of the bridle tie and the adjoining non-moving ties. Basically any place you can scrape that might hold you back.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
TortoiseWire by Chuck Lee, on Flickr
Instead of trying to get thicker wire into the tiny hole in the tortoise i just bend a squate shape into the wite as illustrated and wrap it around the screw. So much easier to do than trying to get it to go into hole while under layout.
The other trick i do is i buy the stiffer wire (0.39") in 2-3 ft lengths. I bend the end of the wire and drop it in switch points hole from the top side. I then go in undeneath layout and put wire thru throwbar, bend the wire int the square shape and attach with the screw to actautor and then mount the turnout.
I function check that the tortoise throws the turnout, then trim off excess wire on the top side with a pair of diagonal cutter and/or the dremel.
I do use a drilling jig and predril all the holes for the mounting screws. I also install two screws on one side a bit loose. I then hang tortoise on those two screws and install the third screw to hold it in place. I then tighten down all the screws evenly.
It may sound like a lot but it only takes about 10 minutes per machine.
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
Yes, 0.032" steel music wire works much better.
.
Like most things I need for my final layout, I have stockpiled all I will ever need.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
mlehmanYou didn't mention what you're using to bond the ballast down. If you're using matte medium, try misting the bridle and points with 90% alcohol while working them back and forth.
I am wetting (rainfall mist) the ballast well with 50% IPA. After a few minutes, adding 25% white glue with pipette or squeeze bottle. After a while, re-wet well with IPA to help the wicking.
mlehmanAnother thing I often use is homemade. I cut a metal strip from a piece of phospor bronze sheet. Careful of any sharp edges, but take this "shiv" and work it along the underside of the points and any other place where stickiness is a factor. I like to run it along either side of the bridle tie and the adjoining non-moving ties. Basically any place you can scrape that might hold you back.
I will give that a try. I will vacuum and try the shiv technique. Then do again. That should loosen the offending grit atop the point rail ties (or on the bottom of the point rails) and at least reduce the problem. I will move the points manually and see if I can feel reduced grit under the point rails.
EDIT: Here is a point rail / tie cleaner from a piece of scrap brass. It feels like it helped reduce the grit somewhat.
20200221_115528 by Paul Ahrens, on Flickr
On the next turnout, I plan to add no ballast between the point rail ties and see the results. Then add a teeny bit of ballast between those ties, unglued, and check. Then add a bit of glue outside the rails there, plus IPA, to see if it can wick inward to glue some granules w/o getting to the top of those ties.
And when I get to my engine service area, I plan to keep ballast at least 3' from my 3-way turnout points!
SeeYou190 Yes, 0.032" steel music wire works much better.
Besides wire, I had a very difficult time keeping the switch machines attached to the foam underneath the 1st layout. Using duct tape was not working.
Should we get piano wire or is something else suitable?
How to secure the switch machines under foam layouts?
kasskabooseHow to secure the switch machines under foam layouts?
I use plywood as a sub-roadbed, so used screws originally. Now I mostly hot glue the Tortoises in place. You have to be quick and careful to not squeeze out a big hot drip onto your hand, but this has proven durable. They can also be popped off the plywood, not sure if that will work for foam, in case it needs removed for any reason. There are low temp hot glues that may work for foam.
The other thing I've seen done is to mount the Tortoise to a piece of 1/4" plywood, then gluing that to the underrside of the foam.