How do you lock down the points and wire a turnout that will never be thrown?
I am trying to represent a spot in St. Paul, VA where the Clinchfield crosses the N&W. They come together on the east side of town and share track through town and then split on the west side. I'll never have trains running on the Clinchfield tracks, so the turnouts (#10 Walthers/Shinohara) never have to move.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
Hi Carl,
When you get the turnout set in place and the switch points in the position you want, I would very carefully lightly solder the switch point to the main rail. This should solve both your issues. If it doesn't, you might have to connect a ground wire to the opposit side. But this should not be an issue if the turnout itself is properly installed by soldering or very fresh joiners.
And if by chance you have an older turnout laying around, that is the one I would be using and saving the good one for an area where it is needed (lots of use). $$$$
Johnboy out........................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
Got any spikes laying around? Do it the way we do it in the industry, just spike the point over. If the ties are plastic or PCB, drill a hole for the spike and use a tiny drop of CA on just the spike. Or, you can put a nail or small screw in the throwbar outside the rails to hold the points firm. This leaves the turnout undamaged and reusable.
HobbezGot any spikes laying around? Do it the way we do it in the industry, just spike the point over.
Took the words outta my mouth. I believe that's how they used to do it when the President traveled by train, too, so if good enough for the Secret Service, probably good enough for your layout. Plus, that's a valuable switch if it ever comes up for recycling, so spikes keep it nice.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Wow, a nice #10? And you are going to make it a clunker? This is entirely beside the point, I acknowledge my diversion, but if I had #10 turnouts and the room to use even some of them, especially on my main, I would resort to an older #5/6/8 for this application you have in mind.
Just do like the prototype does.
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/247657.aspx
Edit : Sorry, can't make it clickable.
I just made one for my layout fron an Atlas #4 broken turnout. I intend to post photos when it will be painted.
Guy
Modeling CNR in the 50's
Second the spike suggestion.
Or, if layout is made of foam, a simple straight pin. Just paint the head black/brown, and it's invisible. Trust me on that one......
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
It sounds to me that he wants the turnout to look as if it's fully operational, so spiking it or removing the frog wouldn't be an option. Johnboy's suggestion of soldering it sounds like a good suggestion.
Steve S
Steve,
If he uses one of the Walthers/Shinohara 948-360 spikes, it'll be awfully hard to see it. The heads are tiny. They can be a pain to use, because their tiny heads make it hard to get ahold of them, but then they're great, because you can hardly see them.
With a #10, there's also plenty of room to put it some where other than right at the tip of the point. Somewhere halfway back to the frog along the points could work well at disgusing it. Weather the whole switch after spiking and there will nothing much visible.
LION has a pair of turnouts just ahead of the Dyckman Street station. They were put there to turn trains before I extended the lion to 242nd Street. They were used for awhile, but when I ran out of levers in my GRS frame, I spiked those switches and laid a beam across the tracks. The crossing can still be used, but MOW must remove the beam, and unspike the points, and the switch personel must operate the points and flag the movements by hand. We tell visitors that these switches are available for emergency use.
They used to be controlled by lever 3, now lever 3 controls the signals departing both Botanic Garden and Dyckman Street, and is interlocked against clearing a train into an occupied track at 242nd Street.
Reversing lever 3 clears a train to run from Dyckman Street to an aailable track at 242nd Sreet. It also displays a RED interlocking signal at Botanic Garden. Only when lever 3 is returned to the normal position will it clear the BG signal to allow a train to advance to Dyckman Street. The block signals control this if a train is in DS station, but after it departs it would clear, and if lever 3 were still reversed when a train arrives at DS, it would also be free to move to 242 where it could rear-end a standing train.
That is how interlocking systems work, they protect accidents.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Hi,
I'm a bit confused on this one...... why lock it down? Just put it in the position you want and walk away.
If there is an operating reason, I would take a SMALL drop of super glue and put it between the rails. That would be easier to do than solder, with less chance of damage and of course invisible.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
mobilman44 Hi, I'm a bit confused on this one...... why lock it down? Just put it in the position you want and walk away. If there is an operating reason, I would take a SMALL drop of super glue and put it between the rails. That would be easier to do than solder, with less chance of damage and of course invisible.
Rich
Alton Junction
Me Too! They should have little tabs at the points for better contact....Mine do.
Take Care!
Frank
selectorif I had #10 turnouts and the room to use even some of them, especially on my main, I would resort to an older #5/6/8 for this application you have in mind.
I use #5's in my staging yards, but with the exception of two curved #7's and three #6's at the coal loaders, everything visable is an #8 or #10.
Steven SIt sounds to me that he wants the turnout to look as if it's fully operational
This is correct.
mobilman44I'm a bit confused on this one...... why lock it down? Just put it in the position you want and walk away.
If it's not locked down, it will move (track cleaning comes to mind) and cause derailments.
Maybe I kill 2 birds with one stone. I could solder a feeder wire to the point. That would hold it in place and provide power. I also like the idea of having the option to recycle the turnout.
Thanks for the responses.