Remote "wire" controlled Turnouts.
This tutorial is my first attempt here at the forum. Sooo...Please bear with me as I try to accommodate those that have asked for some explanation! It is a re-cap of a retro project at Cascade Junction on my Colvin Creek Railway.
My intention was to use Caboose Industries ground throws on all of the turnouts, but once I had some of the trackage down and actually operated the road, I discovered that I didn't like reaching into the scene, over locos, rolling stock and eventual scenery.
I didn't want to use switch machines because of the expense and because I am building the pike on foam (as much as two to four inches in places) I could foresee difficulties installing them too. The only alternative that I could think of was a choke cable set up, or in my case "Tubing and Wire".
The wire that I use is a "standard size" (about 1.5mm in diameter) hardened, inside choke wire and the tubing is a thicker, heavier walled polyethylene verity. This heavier style is rather rigid and seems to be much more slippery on the inside then other types of tubing, thus less friction on the wire and much easier movement.
It should also be mentioned that the "wire" is the actuator at both ends, without any "bell crank" system. Just one piece of wire doing ALL the work!
The "wire operated" turnouts aren't all that hard to do and out of necessity, because this is a retro project, I have used three methods of getting the tubing to the turnouts.
Method One: I cut a trench in the foam deep enough to accept a length of tubing with my hot- wire tool. Then the plastic tube, with the wire inside and bent with a short 90 at the turnout end, is secured with PL300 into the trench with the vertical end of the wire inserted, from below, into a hole on the throw bar of the turnout.
With this being a retro project, getting to the center of some of the turnouts / throw-bars with this surface trenching method proved to be difficult and somewhat destructive. With the limited space, just "digging" a hole in the foam caused trackage to pop loose and I didn't have the control needed to continue the trench by undermining with my hot tool either.
Therefore, when using Peco turnouts, as I do, there is a need to make a "throw-bar modification" when the wire isn't extended under and to the center of the turnout. This is the same modification I make for the use of the Caboose Industries #202 S ground throws with nipping off the cast-on pin and drilling a hole in its place. Yes, I know there are other styles of ground throws...These were on sale!!
The first trench I cut, with tubing in place.
Installed, mudded and operating, showing pretty good detail of the wire and modified throw-bar connection.
I do think that keeping the control tube as short as possible and in alignment helps with the positive actuation of the turn out, but even here on a corner with a cove two 30" runs of tubing, with curves none the less, still works well.
Method Two: In the heart of the scene at Cascade Junction are the double cross-over, yard tracks, and the engine siding turnouts, all of which are set on a sheet of cork so that the track appears at ground level with out a major grade. Not wanting to cut trenches through the cork I installed the tubing from underneath the foam base. With the control knobs (and tubing) located on the fascia at a level just between the foam and the benchwork, I reasoned that if I drilled a hole in the fascia, I could then use a treaded rod as a type of boring device to make way to the turnouts through the foam, between the foam and benchwork.
When the tube is well below grade (up to 2" in some cases on my pike) the wire is bent at a 90 that is long enough to extend up through foam (in this case 1") and into the turnout.
The Peco turnouts, as I'm sure other brands do too, has an existing hole in the center of the throw-bar for an under table switch machine. This hole only needs to be enlarged slightly for my choke wire.
A look at the "works" from the Netherworld. The tube is glued in place with the PL300 and then I use Duct-Tape to keep everything in place while the adhesive cures.
Method Three: When I got to the two turnouts of the west side tracks of the cross-over I discovered trouble! I found that the benchwork was going to interfere with getting to the turnout from below. I hadn't given any thought to location of trackage in regard to benchwork because, as afore mentioned, my intention was to operate the turnouts with ground throws.
After a fleeting thought of notching or drilling holes in the benchwork to make room for the wire control, I came to the conclusion that I was indeed going to have to "dig" a trench after all. I used the boring technique for the first 11 inches from the fascia in and then cut a trench (yes, through the cork too) for the remaining 11 inches, bringing the control tube to the surface at the turnout.
Once everything was installed and operating properly I filled the trench and replaced the cork.
To finish off the project: The "push / pull" knob is installed at the fascia. The plastic tube extends to flush with the fascia, with the wire extending beyond. With the turnout positioned to the far rail (the rail farthest from the fascia) the wire is cut to twice the length to accommodate the knob and then bent back on itself forming a loop to better hold the knob. With a bit of tweaking the loop is bent just large enough to have slight friction with the hole in the knob, to keep everything in place while the glue dries.
The turnout is then thrown to position on the near rail and the knob is glued on with a drop of Gorilla Grip. The throw is checked and the knob adjusted as necessary, then positioned away from the fascia as the glue cures.
In this scenario; with the turnout positioned to the far rail, the knob is flush with the fascia and when positioned to the near rail the knob stands very slightly (about 1/8") away from the fascia.
Overall view of the fascia and control knobs at Cascade Jct.
Summing up: Over all, the three methods I used in getting to the turnouts were a bit time consuming and frustrating but were not extremely difficult and I am very satisfied with the results. On the other hand, I'm strongly thinking that more forethought regarding trackwork in relation to benchwork, installing the tubing and the cutting of the hole under the turnout, in order to use the center hole of the throw-bar for the control wire, during the track laying process will be the order of things when I start work on my lower level.
Regarding Cost:
Standard size chock wire is .12 / ft.
Heavy wall tubing is .18 / ft
Wood knobs are .45 / each
All twelve of the turnout controls at Cascade Junction (two over 30", three at 12" and the remainder about 22" each), had a total cost for materials of about $11.73. This does not take into account that I had paint, for the knobs, PL300 and Gorilla Grip glue on hand. Still; only about a dollar each though!
Nice solution to the problem. Where did you get the polyethylene tubing?
Joe
Thanks for the comment Joe...And to answer your question:
For the most part, the tubing I used is salvaged from pneumatic air controls on HVAC units but I did run out of that and found some (different color, but seemingly the same) at ONE of our local hardware stores.
It seems to me that this tubing is the same stuff that is used with air shocks and mechanical gauges, so it might be at an auto parts store...But I haven't checked that out.
Hope that helps you out.
cwclark wrote:I know you're on to something here but i did this a few years back and it didn't work too well. they started out ok then after a few throws of the track it quit working and I was forever under the layout adjusting the wires. It works well if the turnouts are within no more than 2 feet of the wire pull mechanism but installing this system to the other side of the layout was nothing but trouble. The wires start to lose their tension and after a few throws they don't align very well anymore because eventually everthing starts to move out of that perfect alignment required by a turnout. I abandoned the project and bit the bullet and opted with the tortoise machines instead. A lot less headaches that way.
You could always use the control cables with the rigid nyrod insert like us RC plane guys use. The more rigid the cable the less curve the control run can have. I've been flying RC for years and have yet had a control system go bad. You can find these cables in the RC section of the hobbyshop. They're made by Sullivan or Du-Bro. They come in 4 foot lengths. The important thing is to support the cable every few inches. ANY sort of flex can cause slop and the turnout not to work properly.
I agree it's a bit more complicated in set-up than a tortise machine but it's do-able.
-G-
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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Thanks for the info on potential sources for polyethylene tubing. I'll start looking.
Nylon tubing should work also. I use small teflon tubing with .032 music wire. Try US Plastics for nylon tubing. Here is a link. http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=119&product%5Fid=7892 This link is for nylon tubing. I have delt with these folks before and have had no problems.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Well...Posting this thread has opened my eyes to any number of possibilities that I may be able to employ in the construction of my lower level.
Here in Northern MN we have some pretty huge swings in climate. It can be 100 degrees F and 100% humidity in the summer and -40 with 10% in the winter. With this (even though trying to control humidity in the Trainroom) I have benchwork that moves with the seasons and was concerned with that scenario, but hadn't thought of the wire loosing shape.
CW, what type of wire did you use with your controls?
G, are the control cables for the model aircraft tempered? This is my reasoning for the use of the choke wire. I can still bend it, but it is tempered to be quite ridged.
Elmer, thanks for the link for the tubing. Which one is it that you use? Also, what is your source for the music wire? I have to wonder if it is tempered harder than the choke wire.