I have experimented by using my stock of Atlas snap switches installed vertically sunken into the foam layer with an extended pin connected to the turnout. The extended pin I made from a needle pin glued to the existing switch pin. It works, but I fear it is not robust enough over time.
I am now considering other switch machine alternatives for my layout. My criterias are that the switch machines should be cheaper that Tortoise, preferrably to be installend under the layout for easy access and not "sunken" into the styrofoam layer and snap-type machines are perfectly fine!
Do any of you fellow modellers have any good product experiences and ideas?
perstuen I have experimented by using my stock of Atlas snap switches installed vertically sunken into the foam layer with an extended pin connected to the turnout. The extended pin I made from a needle pin glued to the existing switch pin. It works, but I fear it is not robust enough over time. I am now considering other switch machine alternatives for my layout. My criterias are that the switch machines should be cheaper that Tortoise, preferrably to be installend under the layout for easy access and not "sunken" into the styrofoam layer and snap-type machines are perfectly fine! Do any of you fellow modellers have any good product experiences and ideas?
Hey
I use the Atlas above the table switch machine but I place them under the layout. They have worked fine for several years(3 or so) I don't think they will work in a vertical position because the steel slug will fall to the bottom and keep the throw in the one position. Here is a photo of my proto type. If you are interested I can give full details? I mounted between the rails but also could be mounted beside the rails like a switch stand. I suppose everyone has a larger budget than I do because I dont think anyone has used this idea yet.
Have a good day.
Lee
Hello,
I use twin coil switch machines under the table for years. They are mounted on a standad plastic base that I designed. I bought a box of these for a few dollars. You can pick them up at flea markets for about a dollar each. The plastic base also serves as the mount for the Micro Switch that is actuated by the twin coil switch machine. This gives me the LEDs (green & red) for the panel board and the LEDs for the signal lights. A jig was made to bend the throw wire that goes through the brass tube mounted in the table. In a afternoon I made a few dozen bases and throw wires, This less expensive than what is out there today.
Jerry
yesterdaysradio1 Hello, I use twin coil switch machines under the table for years. They are mounted on a standad plastic base that I designed. I bought a box of these for a few dollars.
I use twin coil switch machines under the table for years. They are mounted on a standad plastic base that I designed. I bought a box of these for a few dollars.
If the snap action method works for you, you can still purchase those twin coil machines as mentioned. Around here you can find them in the $5 range, but that is with a mounting pad attached. Most of these have been ripped out of other people's layouts when they went with something they felt was better.
The mounting pads that seemed to be popular were made by RixProducts. I think you can still get them: http://www.rixproducts.com/6280001.htm. The problem, of course, is how do you get the thing mounted to the bottom of the foam. But this is not insurmountable. However, not being a foam guy, I can't offer any advice on that issue.
You are getting a lot of good ideas and maybe you will come up with even better.The picture below shows how I did it. I bought two pieces of brass pipe to fit one inside the other, a piece of scrap 1/4" Masonite and some paper clips. If you are mounting on foam, glue the mounting block, you could make the Masonite long enough for the down tube to go through it also. This would make a solid mounting. Placing the sticky glue on the pipe and slide it up from the bottom, this will keep the glue out of the end of the pipe. The wire in a pipe sounds like a great idea, if its thick enough so it doesn' twist. The motors don't have a lot of throw so keep as much slop out of the bell crank as possible
Good luck.
I played "Hide the Atlas" in this picture. There are two of them.
One is inside the Swift plant, connected by extending the throw bar. The other is hidden under the mound of greenery in the foreground. I made a shell cover out of plaster cloth to allow the machine to operate freely and "breathe" a bit, then covered it with Gypsolite, acrylic craft paint, turf and ground foam.
I have one turnout with an Atlas machine glued to the bottom, upside-down. I hollowed out the roadbed beneath it. It works fine, and has been OK for 5 years or so. It's just used to select between two short sidings, so it doesn't get a lot of use. If it ever does fail, though, I'll have to rip up the trackwork to repair it.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Lee,
I really appreciate your pictures! I did not tell the whole story initially as I have a plywood table under and on top of that I have glued 2inch foam. So the machine must move the activating pin through the plywood and the foam.
perstuen Lee, I really appreciate your pictures! I did not tell the whole story initially as I have a plywood table under and on top of that I have glued 2inch foam. So the machine must move the activating pin through the plywood and the foam.
Not a problem.Some of my bell cranks are quite long. If you noticed I cut a very short piece of the out side pipe to use as a bearing, that way the throw can rotate at the bottom of the bearing and won't bind at the top bend. One more thing you really need a capacitor discharge system to power the turnout motors, so that you can't burn out the motors by holding the button down to long. I made mine with parts I bought from radio shack for less than $10. Just ask if you want the schematic and parts list I should be able to find it.
Have fun.
OK, I reread your post. Two inches of foam on top of plywood. You could put the bell crank along side the track and let the bell crank come up through a small wood pad that would serve as a switch stand pad. the switch motor would screw to the bottom of the layout.
This is not tough. I have 1/4" plywood and TWO layers of 2" foam. I'm using servos, but they mount just like a Tortoise, hole in the middle, arm rocks back and forth. Works fine. I think this goes back to when foam was first tried - OMG, can't use a Tortoise, the distance is too far. Hogwash!
FOr one I had to use the crank type arrangment - that will work through ANY distance since you are just turning the vertical wire not trying to make it rock back and forth. I put a piece of brass tubing int he hole and ran the wire through that so it wouldn't eventually egg out the hole in the foam and cork at the top.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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