What switch machine can I use with Walthers code 83 switches besdies tortoise and hand held?
Thanks in advance,
Anything that will move the points and lock them in position - which would exclude Peco machines (which rely on the springs built into Peco switches for locking) but allow almost anything else.
There are other stall motors beside Tortoise. All will work.
Any twin-coil machine except Peco will work. (The original Shinohara machine-of-choice was the KTM twin coil imported by Kemtron - AKA 'Rocksmasher.')
Any kind of up close or linked from a distance manual control will work.
In fact, the only limitation is that some kind of linkage has to connect the throw rod to whatever you are using to throw the switch. There are about as many kinds of linkages as there are model railroaders, and they all work!
Probably not as helpful as you might have hoped for - because the real answer is, "Almost all of the above."
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with cable-linked twin coil and manual switch point actuators)
Generally, you can use almost any type of machine with any type of turnout. It is all in how they are mounted and the way you connect them with the linkage.
There are five basic types of switch machines. Twin coil, Single coil, Motorized, Stall type, and Manual. At one time or another I have used all of them. As you will know, there are some that cost less than others.
However, along with cost, you should consider the following: Ease of installation, Maintenance, Reliability, and Longevity. Out of all these factors, the Tortoise nails them all with an A+. OK, they cost a little more than the others, but if you are going to be in model railroading a long time and build more than one or two layouts, the Tortoise is the easiest to re-use. It is also the easiest to wire up and mount. It also provides a positive pressure on the points, which some of the other types take a long time to set up to do it correctly.
And, if you decide to leave model railroading for another hobby, the resale value of a Tortoise is much higher than any of the other machines.
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.