Turnout control

[doanster]

Hello all

I plan on using under-the-layout manual control of my turnouts using stiff wire. I am thinking of using piano wire, but never realized that there are different types of piano wire. Any suggestions?

thanks!

[cwclark]

if you are planning on doing this type of turnout control, be sure the wire and turnout are as close to the table's edge as possible..i did a couple of turnouts that were 4' from the manual control and it didn't work well at all..the one's that did work ok were no more than 1' long..I tried a lot of different sizes of piano wire and none of it worked..it's just not stiff enough..i ended up using brass tubing which worked a little better, but in all..the hand thrown turnouts using wire / piano wire,/brass rod/ ect.. don't work very well..you're going to be better off using electric turnout machines or hand throws that are mounted at the turnout itself and are thrown on the table top...chuck

[ereimer]

take a lesson from the model airplane guys and run the piano wire through a plastic tube . if you secure both ends of the tube you won't get much flex and you can run longer lengths of wire .

[pcarrell]

Manual chock cables for cars and trottle control cables for lawn mowers work well for switches that are further away.

[ukguy]

How about using bicycle brake cables that are sheathed, dont know the price of them over here but in the UK they are next to nothing.

Karl.

[doanster]

hmm... guess i'll hav to do some experimenting. I like the idea of putting wire thru plastic tubing to prevent too much flex. I'll head over to the auto parts store to chek out the choke cables too. I happen to be into mountain biking so I'll see if I can get some cables. Thanks all for helping me out!!!

cwclark: 4 ft? how deep is your layout?

[scole100]

Go To www.humpyard.com they make just what you are asking about. I use them on my layout and they work great.

[Leon Silverman]

An other possible source would be throttle control cables used on lawnmowers. If you have to mount the switch more than four feet away, you should spring load it so that the cable is always under tension regardless the direction of motion. Pushing a long cable guarantees it will buckle and bind inside the tube. If you fabricate your actuator by putting a rod or stiff wire inside a tube, lubricate the insides.

[dehusman]

Rather than piano wire, you can also use 1/4" dowells.

At hobby shops you can buy plastic control rods for model airplanes. They are made of plastic, easy to cut, easy to install and easy to go around corners.

Dave H.

[Leon Silverman]

You might want take a look at page 86 of the May 2003 Model Railroader. Gerry leone used a coat hanger wire (12 guage rod) to move a slide switch under the turnout. The turnout was moved by a .032" or .047" connected into the same slide switch. The slide switch (SPTD or DPDT) insured proper power routing through the turnout .

[wrumbel]

I use caboose industries 202s ground throws mounted on a small shelf on the edge of the layout. From these I run a piece of .025 wire in nylon tube used for throttle on rc planes to a link that goes up to the hole in throw bar for switch. The link can be put between the rails also. Check out www.humpyard.com as mentioned above. This is the same idea I use but with 202s as control.

[jsotto]

I have used 1/4" hardwood dowel rods for 21 years, currently on my third HO layout using them. I have spliced two together to get reaches of 5 ft. They cost about 16 cents per 36" length. I put wood "candlestick holders" on the ends for knobs, as they are predrilled with 1/4" holes. I have 260 in service on my current layout, which is half complete. Much easier to work with than steel rod, which I use only when I have to.

When using steel rod (only about 3 times) on longer runs like 36", I simply put one or two pairs of screws into the bottom of the benchwork on either side of the steel rod near the middle to serve as guides, or drill a hole in the benchwork and put the rod through it as a guide to prevent excess buckling.

I also prefer the "snap" feel of paddle handle DPDT toggle switches for the contacts and spring pressure to hold the points. The plastic paddle handle makes it very easy to drill two holes for the mechanical connections (one to the push-pull rod and the other to the brass rod I use to transfer motion up through the roadbed to the head rod to move the points). These also give a longer throw than most slide switches with plenty of pressure if you want to use them in larger scales.

Borrowing an idea from the old PFM and NJ International switch machines, I use a V-shaped piece of brass rod to connect the toggle switch to the brass rod going up through the roadbed. This makes it very easy to equalize the spring pressure on the points by narrowing or widening the angle of the V instead of re-mounting the toggle switch It also absorbs excess pressure from the toggle switch that you probably don't need or want overstressing your headrod and points.

One advantage of under-table switch mechanisms, whether toggle or slide, is that you have very reliable, heavy duty electrical contacts for routing power to your frogs. This is more important than ever if you are using any command control system where you usually have higher amperage power sources supplying the track.

Enjoy your project!

J Otto

[sparkingbolt]

Kind of on the same plane as jsotto, I use slide switches for power routing or powering frogs. But no one yet has mentioned my favorite throw rod material:

1/8 inch gas welding rod! CHEAP and Effective. Go to your local welding supplier and get a big greedy handful and try it. OK, you might just try a few at first.! (they sell it by the pound). It comes in 3 foot lengths, and because it's copper coated it is real easy to solder to. I was originally using 1/16 rod, but it was way to flexy and "boingy" 1/8 is far, far more rigid. Way cheaper than piano wire too.

I do solder the 1/8 to 1/16 and drill a hole in the toggle on a slide switch, and then use 1/16" Dura Collars on both sides of the switch to actuate it and that way it is adjustable.

Dura Collars are found in the RC plane section at hobby shops. The size indicated refers to the size hole going through it. Hope this gives you some ideas. Dan

[trainwomen]

I have tried using MIG welding wire. It comes in huge rolls and I managed to pick up a damaged roll of stainless wire for no cost. It does not flex very easily and would work pretty well particularly if it was run through a tube. It also is the perfect gauge for fitting into Peco turnouts. The tubing I use for long runs is the plastic coated curtain wire and I run the MIG wire inside it - works like a dream.

Chris from Oz

[jkeaton]

Hey guys, thanks! I thought I was condemned to mostly electrically operated turnouts on my new layout, due to the distance of most of them from the edge of the layout - but you guys have shown me some alternatives (rod, dowel, and cable in sleeve) that I had never thought of. Thanks.

Jim

[Johnstone]

You might like to look at this site:

www.modratec.com

for similar stuff.

TB

[nobullchitbids]

If one does it right, one even can use common string. Of course, string won't push, but the idea is to use a counterweight (e.g. a fishing weight) against the string so that, at all times, what works the turnout is the pull. I once saw this done with ping-pong balls "wired" into a wooden frame -- the frame holds the balls either in the N or R position, with the weight on the opposite side of the turnout to do the actual work.

An electrical variation of this uses nichrome wire. This wire expands (lengthens) considerably when heated by an electric current. The weight is hung from the wire and connected to the turnout on one side, with a spring connected to the other. When the current is off, the wire contracts, and the spring pulls the turnout to position whatever; when current is on, the wire expands, and the weight pulls it down and the turnout rod with it, so that the spring's force is overcome and the turnout switches to position opposite.

There was a time when model rails did stuff like this all the time to stay inside of budgets (which commonly were miniscule). The old joke told of the U.P. fan who once was caught by the wife holding a brand new Tenshodo big boy, and of course the quick answer was, "I made it from an old table leg and a few parts scrounged from the scrapbox!" Ah, those were the days!