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Does anyone know of a source for this throttle knob?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Does anyone know of a source for this throttle knob?
Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 6, 2020 12:22 AM

I have been trying to buy 5 of the knobs like to the knobs on a Kato power pack. I believe Digitrax uses a similar knob on their Zephyr command stations.

I have looked through Digi-Key, Amazon, and eBay. Maybe I am using the wrong search words, but I cannot find this knob.

I looked on the Digitrax site, but apparently they do not sell this part.

Can someone point me in the right direction?

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, December 6, 2020 12:45 AM

Why not contact Kato USA -  katoonline@katousa.com

They also have THIS for HO and N scale controllers. 

Just tell 'em that your nephew broke  the contol handle on all five of your Kato power packs and you'd really like to repair them.  I'd bet that if they knew that you'd bought five power packs, they'd be glad to assist such a loyal customer.

Wayne

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, December 6, 2020 12:55 AM

I got close on this try...

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/07826654

I'll keep looking. We had LOTS of that kind of stuff at the GE plant I worked in. All gone now Sad

Try this:  http://www.ehcknobs.com/

 Or:  http://www.ehcknobs.com/selector/index.php?series=104N&action=step6&level=4&group=PDC

 

I used rotary switch lever handle as my search.

Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by NorthBrit on Sunday, December 6, 2020 5:22 AM

This site may help.

https://www.newhallstation.com/estore/product_info.php?products_id=350

 hen looking further -  I doubt it.  

David

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Posted by RR_Mel on Sunday, December 6, 2020 7:12 AM

gmpullman

I got close on this try...

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/07826654

I'll keep looking. We had LOTS of that kind of stuff at the GE plant I worked in. All gone now Sad

Try this:  http://www.ehcknobs.com/

 Or:  http://www.ehcknobs.com/selector/index.php?series=104N&action=step6&level=4&group=PDC

 

I used rotary switch lever handle as my search.

Good Luck, Ed

 

Ed

Those are great sites.  Thank you very much. Those are keepers.

 

Mel



 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 6, 2020 8:40 AM

RR_Mel
Ed Those are great sites.  Thank you very much. Those are keepers.

Ed: I bookmarked those sites also. Thank you for the help. One of those knobs should work.

-Kevin

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Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, December 6, 2020 11:20 AM

I hope it works out for you, Kevin.

Perhaps send the photo of the Kato knob to sales@ehcknobs.com and see if they can come up with a solution?

I recall seeing some "drum switches" (they look like street car controllers) and these would frequently have the lever/knob arrangement on them.

Good Luck, Ed

 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 6, 2020 12:00 PM

gmpullman
Perhaps send the photo of the Kato knob to sales@ehcknobs.com and see if they can come up with a solution?

I think I will try that.

I am reasonably sure that Digitrax would purchase the knobs from an outside supplier. Kato would have the ability to make their own, but they might use an outside supplier as well.

Perhaps a note to Digitrax would also be helpful.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, December 6, 2020 3:24 PM

When I Googled offset control knob, I got nothing. When I Googled offset control lever, quite a bit came up.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 6, 2020 3:27 PM

BATMAN
When I Googled offset control lever, quite a bit came up.

I just googled "offset control lever" and all I got was bicycle parts and hydraulic controls for three pages.

Google has never like me much.

-Kevin

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Posted by rrebell on Sunday, December 6, 2020 5:18 PM

You have to go outside of google search but be carefull out there.

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, December 7, 2020 1:08 PM

SeeYou190
I just googled "offset control lever" and all I got was bicycle parts and hydraulic controls for three pages.

Be more specific.  See for example what comes up when you type 'small plastic crank control handle' (and don't be shy about negative search terms like -bicycle and -window).  Then adjust the search until you start to see things you want...

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, December 7, 2020 1:20 PM

Overmod

 

 
SeeYou190
I just googled "offset control lever" and all I got was bicycle parts and hydraulic controls for three pages.

 

Be more specific.  See for example what comes up when you type 'small plastic crank control handle' (and don't be shy about negative search terms like -bicycle and -window).  Then adjust the search until you start to see things you want...

 

 

I tried all of that before I posted the query on the forum. I must have attempted twenty different ways to describe a pointer with a knob on the opposite side.

-Kevin

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Posted by dbduck on Monday, December 7, 2020 2:22 PM

I contacted Digitrax directly to see if their knob for the Zephyr was avaiilible as a replacement part  this was their exact answer copy & pasted from their response     ...."NO Digitrax does not sell psrts."

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, December 7, 2020 3:07 PM

dbduck
NO Digitrax does not sell psrts.

I got the same response, but without the typo. Maybe we wore on their patience?

They also did not answer my question about whether they source the knob from an outside supplier.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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    July 2006
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Posted by rrebell on Monday, December 7, 2020 3:16 PM

SeeYou190

 

 
dbduck
NO Digitrax does not sell psrts.

 

I got the same response, but without the typo. Maybe we wore on their patience?

They also did not answer my question about whether they source the knob from an outside supplier.

-Kevin

 

Yes they do, question is where.

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Posted by Overmod on Monday, December 7, 2020 3:22 PM

rrebell
Yes they do, question is where.

They're not going to like that I, too, filed a 'ticket' to ask them this question in context.  Nobody else better try, too... Dunce

Those knobs are incredibly toylike, the sort of thing Fisher Price would put on a train-driving toy for the "0 to 3" market.  At that rate you could make a better pattern for a throttle and brake knob and either resin-cast it with appropriate shaft reinforcement or lathe-turn some components to make the knob turn.  Put a pot or switch in for the 'independent' while you're at it.  Then make extra quantities and find some way to peddle them to model railroaders who want better knobs... probably including almost everyone who bought a DCS52... Wink

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Posted by rrinker on Monday, December 7, 2020 5:58 PM

 Or DCS50, or DCS51 - they all have the same knob. And same brake/direction lever.

 Maybe if enough people ask, they'll make them - they originally said they don't sell parts when people wanted new battery covers for the DTxxx throttles, now they sell those. And also replacement screw terminals for the boosters and command stations - like the little 2 pin connector for track power on a PowerCab, the whole connector with the power in, track out, program track out, and ground just pulls off the piece soldered to the PCB. Used to have to source your own, now Digitrax sells them. At least those are standard items and easy to find at Digikey, Mouser, etc. But those throttle levers? Good luck.

 I doubt the pot shaft is non-standard - just pick a knob you like and use it.

                            

 

                           --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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