DCC control of Tortoise machines

[Don Gibson]

Tortoise switch machines / stall motors need a continuous applied voltage, and DC works best.

PANEL CONTROL is simple SPDT toggles. I mount on facia at turnout.
CABOOSE IND. has a trasckside SPDT i like.
RIX has a DIODE BOARD that simple pushbuttons select routes.
DUA L CONTROL - I am not aware of any.
3 position switches - how does one keep voltage applied?

Twin Coil types (not Tortoise) should work.

RAILROADS used switch towers to route trains in yards and crossings, and mostly hand throws elsewhere..

[jrbernier]

The reason I asked was because of two items that I felt I needed 'panel' control for:

o - Trouble Shooting a switch problem.

o - Controlling a switch from my two older DT100R throttles. The DT400R throttles are setup pretty good for 'user friendly' access to thowing a switch. The lack of buttons and multiple 'keystrokes' on the older throttles would be a pain to use for this purpose.

Thanks for the info!

Jim Bernier

[rrinker]

Probably the best device for this is the NCE Switch-It. they will work fine with Digitrax. Eash Cwitch-It can control two Tortoises, and also has connection for local pushbuttons so you can control them from your throttle OR via the pushbuttons. One does not exclude the other - you can use both pushbutton AND DCC control at the same time.
That's the "how." Now, as to my opinion on this, I think that no matter WHAT brand of DCC system you use, the control of turnuts from the throttle is awkward at best. Even creating routes - you still have to memorize what route does what, or carry cheat sheets, unless the only use you make of routes is for yard tracks - route 1 gets you to yard track 1, etc., in which case it's easy to remember.
Now, for use by a dispatcher, it's a pretty nifty idea. It's fairly simple to set up a dispatcher panel in RR&Co or one of the other programs, including the free JMRI and the Panel Pro subapplication, which would give the dispatcher control over the turnouts without having to memorize some odd stationary decoder addresses. Plus you could still have the buttons on the fascia diagram.

--Randy

[jrbernier]

I have been looking to control my staging and end of siding switches using DCC to control the Tortoise motors. What I do not have a good feel for is if there is a way I can 'dual control' them from a panel or from my Digitrax throttles.
Has anyone done this?

Jim Bernier