I also use the Caboose Industry ground throws on my N scale layout for those turnouts that are out of reasonable reach I use Tortoise. The CI ground throws are a bit over sized but when a guy with sausage fingers comes over he can still oprate them. Here are some photos of the throws that have contacts for frog polarity. Hopefully you can get an idea of proportion with the N scale track and loco included in the photos.
I also use the Caboose Ground Throws, sprung, with contact, for Code 55 track. My roadbed is 3/4" wide double sided foam tape, and the layout base is 2" extruded foam glued to 1/4" plywood. I drill a 1/8" hole through the foam and the 1/4" plywood to route the wires from the throw to the DCC bus wires underneath. I then cut a small piece of the double stick tape to the bottom of the throw and center the throw and the turnout, while pressing the throw down onto the foam. For extra security I drill out the throw's mounting holes and press long skinny flat head nails into the foam also. So far this has worked pretty well. I have had to go back and "adjust" some of the throws to get the turnouts to close completely, but I consider this a minor part of track tuning. I also have a couple of locations where there was insufficient room to mout the throw next to its turnout, so I channeled out the foam and ran a wire linkage to the turnout. It's a bit more complcated and fussy, but generally I have had decent results.
Here you are. I use a smaller version of the Caboose Ind., ground throws. Easy install and a great way to realistically align the points or throw the switch. Yes, they are a bit over sized however, if they were any smaller I wouldn't be able to grasp them. Beats the ugly side by side Atlas switch machines. Pictures courtesy of Johnny B. Thanks Johnny.
Comparison To Hand Throws Here's something you can use to compare hand throws to. First pic., is of the Atlas, side by side automated switch machines. Yes, I have some of these and I don't like them...UGLY! The plus here is they won't be seen as they are in the hidden staging yard, as part of the stub end yard. Second pic., lower deck, is of a run through hidden staging yard showing off the Kato #6 Switches. The plus or bonus, upside for sure, is the switch machines are hidden inside the road bed. No side by side or under the table switch machine mounts to worry about. Same picture the upper deck, here I installed Peco #7 or large radius switches. These will eventually get the hand throws as illustrated in my previous posting. The only regret that I have is that the hidden staging yard isn't a working classification yard. Something to think about.
I also use the Caboose Ground Throws, sprung, with contact, for Code 55 track. I would like to see something produced smaller than what is available but still have the reliability of the Caboose ground throws. I will paint and weather mine when I get around to painting the track to help hide the huge size. Also when I photograph the layout, I will try not to get them in the pics. But I like the fact that they are very dependable if installed properly. I installed mine mounted to a piece of plastic to work as a spacer between the table top and the turnout bar on the turnout. Then I took the points and the control lever and centered them. Once that was done I applied some latex caulk to the bottom of the plastic spacer then pressed into place and allowed to dry. I did this method as I have pink foam board for the table top and found it to be the simplest method and reliable with out having to engineer some thing else. Also it was quick and painless.
This is a pic from my last layout. You can see the CI throw in the right corner. Once they are painted, their size seems okay. I painted the ends of mine with enamel paint. Red for when the turnout was thrown for the diverging route and green for main. The one in the photo is red. Oh yeah. There is another throw by the cars parked at the depot. See, they blend in pretty well. Eric
Can you use them just for throwing the switch of a Peco turnout, without contacting the frog? I have seen that CI has several kind of throws but I don't know what to buy?
Caboose Ind., Resource Information. Theiu, you wrote, "but I don't know what to buy?" Here is a resource: Caboose industries ground throw - Shop sales, stores prices at TheFind.com The sixth one listed on this page, product #206S is the one I buy. It takes a bit of custom work to fit to a Peco switch. I will share how I accomplish this after I eat brunch, it's all but on the table. Oatmeal and raisin toast not a bad deal at all. Quick and easy. Installing a Caboose Ind., Ground throw. When I get ready to install the hand throw I cut off the end I don't want to use and flip it around to the end where you have the small holes. I collect from my work bench a soldering iron and a turkey baster needle. I heat up the soldering iron and apply it to the edge of the needle. I then push the needle down into a small hole, to enlarge it. Careful, you can have a serious melt down here. Once you've opened the hole to the width of the needle then pull the needle back out, gingerly. Allow to cool. Clean off the male prong on the peco switch and if need be shave a little off the edges. Make sure you have some of my favorite, handy dandy, CYA (Gap filling cyanoacrylate) on hand. Pour a drop of it onto a reusable surface. Take another turkey basting needle and apply a small spot of it onto the peco switch. Push the hand throw, with it's newly widened orifice onto the male prong of the Peco switch and allow to dry till cured. You should be set to go. Of course you need to use roadbed or some such to raise the hand throw to the same level or height of the switch and I would suggest either CYA'ing it in place or using small track nails or screws to hold the throw in place. Caution: Be sure you have it set so that when you throw the lever, you don't mush the points into the rail, bending them. I did that once and I can assure you, once you've done that, you won't do it again. The picture below, you can see the connection between the hand throw and the Peco switch. Incidentally the piece that slides the points from one side to the other is called the "Switch". Tip of the Day: If you are installing a Peco switch. Flip it over on it's back. Note the rail joiners that hold the movable points to the solid rail. Sweat some solder into those and you won't have any problems with the electrical current power routing to the frog. You want that frog hot so your locomotives move smoothly through the switch. Have we had enough fun for one day?rolleyes:
Eric, I want to know more about your layout. One of my favorite prototypes is the D&RGW. You need to start a thread to introduce us to your operation.
I went with a homemade solution, based on the info on this web page: A New Approach to Turnout Throws This method uses a small DPDT slide switch as a manual throw. I use one set of contacts on the switch to route power to the frog. The second set could be used to illuminate indicator lights. Without any detailing or painting, the throws on my layout look like this. I've installed 7 of these so far, and they work fine. But rather than leave well enough alone, I'm thinking of scrapping them in favor of R/C servos, mainly because I already have the servos and the control circuit is pretty simple. There is also a vendor (Tam Valley Depot) that produces DCC-compatible circuit boards for use with R/C servos. - Jeff
It looks like, in your photo, that you painted the entire ground throw mechanism. How did you do this without gumming up the works? I like the look, and would like to duplicate it, but I'm curious about HOW the paint doesn't seize up the mechanism.
I'm using some piano wire (music wire) that I had on hand. It's either 0.040" or 0.025". Over this, I CAed a couple of pieces of black insulation stripped from feeder wire. The insulation compensates for the fact that the throw of the slide switch is about 3mm, whereas the throw of the turnout is only about 1mm. - Jeff
Jeff aka Jdetray, Thanks for sharing how you install this throw with the servo's and decoders. Now my mind is working overtime as I study your post. This has all kinds of potential.
I use DPDT switches under the layout. Completely hidden and use a facial mounted knob. Just a little over $3 and can route power. Solved DPDT throw problem - TrainBoard.com
