Yeah, sometimes it's just a matter of doing it. I had never used one Tortoise to control two turnouts, but the linkages from Circuitron were cheaper than another Tortoise, although not by much. Besides that, I was controlling a pair of crossing gates, so I figured I could do it. In that cramped space, I think it was actually easier.
So much stuff is so much easier to just get done than analyzing it until you conclude it's impossible.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Well Bruce, it would be helpful to konw how you plan to control the rest of the layout, or what the track plan is, to know what is best.
But Mel has great info for you to start with.
Not sure about your frustration with the hobby........
I have been at this since 1968, I still use DC, and yes you are over thinking this.
What brand of turnouts or is it a complete double crossover like Walthers?
If you really want some help, let me know, or let Mel know, there is plenty of help available.
This hobby is technical, it is not for everyone, but if master the basics, you will find one of the most diverse and rewarding hobbies in the world.
Sheldon
I tried a Fast Track Double Crossover and it would pass my large flange Rivarossi articulateds but when I saw the complex wiring I said No Way!! I was in electronics my entire 50 year working career and that wiring was a joke! There was no way I was going to get that complicated on my layout!!!! Its model railroading not a complicated wiring project.I sold the Fast Track on eBay and got what I paid for it less my labor for assembling it. It was worth the experience to find out how ridicules model railroading can get if you let it.Regular Atlas Custom Line turnouts will work fine configured with the 19° crossover without any special wiring or gaping. You can throw the turnouts with anything that will work I decided to go with one Tortoise for economy. I couldn’t see why all four turnouts couldn’t be powered from one switch machine. The double crossover can only handle one train at a time so it doesn’t make sense to go to the expense for multiple switch machines. It might not be prototypical but I’m not a rivet counter either.Don’t give up, it’s a great hobby!!!! Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
Thanks for your quick response, Mel. I'm going to study this material and see if I can wrap my alleged mind around it.
It won't surpirse me at all to learn I'm overthinking this.
Regards,Bruce
I couldn’t get any code 83 manufactured double crossovers to pass my pizza cutter flange Rivarossi articulateds without shorting so I built my own from code 83 Atlas Custom Line #6 turnouts and a 19° Atlas crossover.I didn’t do any special gaping or wiring. I did add wires to the four frogs but none of my locomotives had any problems so I didn’t need to power the frogs.I couldn’t see any reason for not throwing all four turnouts together so I went with a single Tortoise and connecting rods to change all four with one switch machine.My double crossover has worked flawlessly for eight years.I used one set of Tortoise contacts to feed my signaling system and use by-color LEDs in series with the Tortoise for turnout position.
I might add I operate my layout dual mode, DC or DCC, and my double crossover is simply connected rail to rail, no gaps no problems in either mode.
https://melvineperry.blogspot.com/2012/06/june-25-2012-my-double-crossover.html
Mel My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
It may be too late to ask, as last night I woke up and decided to shut down the hobby until further notice, but I am still curious about the final nail in my model railroad coffin: wiring a double crossover for DC.
The plan was to use four Tortiose switch machines (easier, and I think cheaper than rigging a mechanical linkage and using only two machines), using one switch in each machine to power the frog for each turnout. The other switch in each machine was to drive signal logic.
The tricky part was how to to route power to the dimond to follow the turnout configuration. Mostly I managed to confuse myself thoroughly, but I can't figure any solutions that don't involve a very expensive 8-ganged 3-position rotary switch or relays, neither of which generates much enthusiasm on my part. This is as far as I got:
I think I have the gaps correct, but I'm not absolutely certain of anything:
This must have been solved long ago by people much smarter than me, but the only solutions I can find online involve DCC and frog juicers, and now I'm ready to chuck it all and put a bunch of stuff up on ebay.
So how do they do it?
Thanks,Bruce