SeeYou190 I use micro-switches mounted to the tortoise to control the frog (or center rails in my case with old style Walthers/Shinohara code 83 turnouts). . This set up creates a "Break Before Make" situation and prevents any problems with flying shorts. . . -Kevin .
I use micro-switches mounted to the tortoise to control the frog (or center rails in my case with old style Walthers/Shinohara code 83 turnouts).
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This set up creates a "Break Before Make" situation and prevents any problems with flying shorts.
-Kevin
Kevin, why do this when the Tortoise has break before make contacts internally ( unless you have the very old Tortoise which were make before break).
Ron
Already been discussed in this thread, but on those Shinohara turnouts, both point rails are electrical connected - the throwbar is conductive. So it only takea a little bit of movement for the point rails to switch between touching the two stock rails. Yes, Tortoise contacts are break before make, but the gap is VERY narrow. So unless you get the Tortoise PERFECTLY aligned, you get a short nearly every time you throw the switch.
There are web pages that show you how to take the Tortoise apart and modify the contacts to give a wider gap, but that's more complicated than just adding a couple of microswitches on the outside.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Understood Randy, that is why I would modify the turnouts to separate blades from frog & tiebar electrically - one of my mates here in South ustralia did that with his 40 plus Shinohara turnouts.