Amazing RS1 "Switch Machine"

[BRAKIE]

Doug:There is one draw back in using spings.That is after prolong use the spring looses tension and weakens causing the the switch(turnout)to ease open as trains run over the switch.causing derailments.This once happen at a moduler club that I belong to years ago.No big deal though,just replace the spring.This is the only problem that I am aware of.

[Anonymous]

This was a simple wire spring made for using with Shinohara HO turnouts on the MR Seaboard Central project layout. (Dec.85 - Jan.86 MR)
This project was later published in the book 6 HO Railroads You Can Build.

[dandreas]

Can anyone give details about the "Amazing RS1 Switch Machine" (and succeeding RS2, if I remember)? Basically this is just a "rediculously simple" spring that can be utilized to hold the points of a turnout in leau of a ground throw or switch machine. I know I have this somewhere in my stack of MR's (and I think even in one my Kalmbach books) but I haven't been successful in finding it. I am trying to finish out an old HO layout (I'm an N-scale junkie now) that I've had lying around and I have almost zero budget to get it in workable condition to sell, so I thought this would be a good solution for the (Atlas CL) turnouts. Anyway, I know it's a simple concept but I was hoping to get dimension for the spring and the "bend" so I didn't have to spend a lot of "trial and error" time on this. And hopefully this will help others as well. Thanks in advance,
Doug A.