remote switching machine reccomendations

I am setting up my first "real" layout (had a basic one as a child), and I would like to use hidden remote switching machines for all of my turnouts. The biggest turnoff I have is the black plastic table-top switching types that are so hard to convincingly hide.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a certain brand? Another issue I will be dealing with is that I will have anywhere beteen .5" and 3" of foam underneath the turnouts around my layout. I assume I will have to cut out a block of foam underneath the tracks where the switcher will go. Fortunately I do not have plywood underneath the foam, just cross supports, so I can cut from the bottom.

Thanks for the help-
Dave

 

I would really consider having manually controled turnouts using push rods. I think there was a good example in MR and issue or two ago (I just checked. It's in Great Model Railroads 2003 page 22.) Maybe a little more work to get everything aligned but a lot cheaper. Save on wiring too which is what everyone seems to hate.

Put it this way I enjoy the electrical side and almost decided to use a mechanical linkage. The only reason I decided against it is that I have grand plans of a computer/internet controled layout which would make the mechanincal linkage impractical.

[ 05. November 2002, 16:46: Message edited by: Paul Davis ]

 

I bought a spool of the .080" diameter weed eater nylon plastic line for this purpose. It seems to slide easily throu 1/4" tubing, and electrical wire terminals crimp well to connect to the operating levers, and the switch throw bar. On HO I just drill the proper sized hole through the end of the line at the switch. Works well as long as all the line is supported and not kinked. Use a tube bender so you don't flatten the tube a bends.

 

Thanks for the help everybody. I just wanted to post some pictures of the switch machines and how I rigged them up.

I ended up using the cheap atlas remote switch machines. I think I would prefer Tortise ones, but my local store does not stock them, and I was just itching to get going. Plus, the atlas ones are only about $6 (and I needed 6 of them).

Since there is no plywood under my foam, and it's at least 2" thick anyway, I needed to make a small piece of wood that would support the switch and secure that under the roadbed. The pictures will show it better than I can explain, so here they are:


Here the hole I cut in the 2" foamboard. Note that on top of this piece I will have a sub-roadbed of .5" foam, and on top of this I will lay cork roadbed. I am doing this because many tracks in the rural areas around me are raised to prevent flooding.


Here I have cut a piece of thin board to support the switch. I drilled holes in the corners, and through these I will screw this into the foam. Instead of screwing each screw straight down, I angle them in different directions to help it from coming straight up. (the wood with switch is shown upside down in this photo- it will be flipped before it gets secured)


Here's a top view of the installed switch machine


Here's a bottom view- notice how LITTLE room I left myself to screw in the wires to the switch machine. For the rest of my turnouts, I connected a short line of wires FIRST and then installed it.


Here's the sub-roadbed installed. I left a larger-than-necessary hole for the switch lever. When I installed the cork roadbed, I left just enough room for it to work (and then another couple millileters just to be safe).

Although I don't have pictures of the installed cork roadbed and track, I have gotten well past that stage and it works great. The distance from the track to the switch machine is just enough so that the lever reaches up and through the hole on the tracks, but I didn't even need to trim it down. It protrudes about half a millimeter above the tie.

Alright, you've reached the end of another one of my lengthy and rambling posts. I'll post more pictures when I get 'em.

later-
Dave

 

Dave,

You mentioned that your local hobby store didn't have any Tortoises in stock. That's probably because they are in extremely short supply everywhere! I order half a dozen from one of my distributors 6-8 months ago for my store, and they are finally coming in this week.

I highly recommend Tortoise machines. I've installed them in a couple railroads, and they work extremely well, especially if you replace the throw rod with thick stock. I just wish Circuitron would have more made each time...

Pat

 

Hello all. I am getting back into HO trains after a 12 year layoff. These "Tortise" switches are very interesting to me. I did a search on the Net, but came up blank as far as pictures go.

If at all possible, could someone post some detailed pics of these switches?

Thanks
Matt