According to the tortoise instructions you are supposed to make a 80 degree bend 1/8"from the end of the wire then an additional 15 degree bend in line with the first and 3/4"away. I have 2 questions:
1. What is the purpose of these 2 bends and where do they go? ( from the throwbar down or from the tortoise actuator arm up)
2. With a .039 wire can you leave the Peco throwbar springs in which I did not knowing at the time if I was going to power the turnouts?
Thanks
Bob D As long as you surface as many times as you dive you`ll be alive to read these posts.
I'll take a stab at #1.....
In the directions there is a picture of the wire bent to form. The bend right at the end of the wire goes in the throw on the Tortoise. You can more or less see it in the photo enclosed. There is a small hole for it the plastic trow on the tortoise itself. The other bend simply moves the wire out away from the unit so it fits in the hole(s) in the adjustment slider. Hopefully the photo below will be a help to you:
Question #2 I have no idea of as I have never used the Peco Turnouts.
Good luck!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
The purpose of bending the wire is so that it becomes a fulcrum when the wire plate is inserted. The easist way to bend the wire is with two pairs of needle nose pliers or a vise and a pair of needle nose pliers and don't forget to drill out the original hole in the slide mechanism so the .039 wire will slide into the hole easily (I haven't installed a tortoise in awhile but i believe it's a # 73 bit.) Take the diagram they gave you and cut out the bend pattern. Tape it to a block of wood so that you have a guide to go by. Just bend the wire to form the shape against the pattern diagram. (It doesn't have to be exactly perfect if it's a degree or two off it won't matter.) Another thing you will want to do is cut the end of it about 3" longer than the one on the pattern. It's easier to cut off excess wire once it's mounted through the throw bar than to cut it short and not make it through the tie bar. Once the tortoise is mounted, cut the excessive wire off with a pair of dikes at a 90ยบ angle from the track. Another note: It's easier to mount the tortoise to a piece of 1/4" plywood and then mount it from the top of the layout by drilling holes from the top into the plywood the tortoise is mounted to. Just be careful not to drill into the tortoise machine but only the plywood the tortoise machine is mounted to.
I have a website with pictures on mounting a tortoise at www.webshots.com/user/bayouman1 it's in TRAINS 1 starting on page 6 . There are explanations under the pictures. Oh yeah, and you will have to remove the clips from the pecos turnout. If you don't, the points will jerk from one side to the other or the tortoise machine will not have the strenght to move the points all the way. .....chuck
The instructions give you a clear diagram on the bends of the wire. Simply bend the wire and place it on top of the diagram and keep bending it till you get it right. Same goes even if you use heavier wire.
When I started building the new railroad I was searching for way to mount Tortoise switch machines. Some guys use double sided tape, Velcro, glue etc. but after seeing CW' s how to it's the only way to mount a Tortoise you would have to be a knucklehead to want to mount it any other way. Simple why work upside down when you can work right side up? duh
As far as the clip on the Peco turnouts your always best to remove it, with a Tortoise you don't need it as the machine will hold it in place
When you mentioned removing "the clips" from the PECO turnout, which piece are you talking about? The over center spring?
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
The bends are covered. On a couple of occasions I had to use a small washer to keep the wire in the hole of the tortoise. I believe the original wire is .025. For .039 you'll have to drill the hole larger as someone else noted. As for mounting I just use a hot glue gun. Slop some on the bottom of the torti and stick it on. If it ever gets knocked off the glue chips right off and your re-apply.
Springfield PA