Many railroads have always been manual in real life, even today. Having to stop the train to throw the switch, then stop again at the caboose so the switchman can get back on board, adds a lot of operational fun!
I'm rather embarrassed as an engineer for a major aerospace company to admit that I have decided to to remain DC and use manual turnouts. Some people I know expect that I should be right on the leading edge with diode arrays, wireless DCC, operational signals with detectors, etc. I am currently looking into using the "blue" switch mechanisms for two turnouts that are are a bit of a stretch to reach - and I use Micro Engineering power routing turnouts, so the power routing capability is what I need. I am in the process of adding a small yard - and instead of using ME code 70 turnouts, I went with Atlas code 80s. Like Pete mentioned, you reach a point where too much wiring gets tiring.
They are a standard connector. I've got a few I bought at a train show from a dealer. Next time I need some, I'll buy from mouser or digi-key (Since I have a part number, that makes ordering them from Mouser or Digi-Key much easier). I don't have the part number in front of me, but I can search for it if you want it. Paul
Mark, See this thread for more info on the edge connector: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=87580
Oh my, do I ever know how you feel. I finally wrote an editorial on the topic--and I received a few emails from like-minded modelers thanking me for reassuring them they are not Luddites! (I should also mention that my last layout had only three Tortoise-powered turnouts--the rest were all manual, operated by homegrown versions of the Bluepoints.) http://whiteriverandnorthern.net/editorial_03.htm Sorry for hijacking the thread... please carry on as before.
Same here. Paul (Colonel) and myself are in the rail signalling business and I have no intentions of recreating work life at home anymore than it does now. Paul does have rudimentary signalling on his layout, though... Mark, I had forgotten the discussion regarding Tortoises back in April. Further to that, Greenway Productions also have the 8-way connectors for $15/5-pack - http://www.greenwayproducts.com/buy_tortoise.shtml - but have a standing charge of $7.50 shipping/handling on a minimum $25 order.
Gary: Thank you, as always. I never seem to spend so little that the shipping is an important percentage of the total price.
I'm really looking forward to my new layout. After much discussion with modelers on another forum, I decided that DC sounded like the most fun, and as for the turnouts, I intend to go the cheapo route and build my own manual throws from the illustrations that many modelers have been kind enough to share online. I'm looking forward to doing that, too!
Gary or someone else who knows what they are doing- Is this the item that you are talking about? Because if it is, it costs maximum $3.00 each. 10 or more $2.75 each. Tortoise wants $3.00 each for $15 for pack of 5. http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/EDC-10/search/10_CONDUCTOR_EDGE_CONNECTOR_.html
In much the same way, I decided on DCC, then designed the layout for manual throws. Accidents due to misthrown switches are way down.
You know, at the club we are retrofitting newly installed Tortoises with a different type of connector with screw terminals. You solder these connectors to the Tortoise, but then you can disconnect the wires with the screw terminals. Should allow us to avoid ever having to work on a Tortoise with a soldering iron under the layout. Basically, you solder the blocks to the connector and then you don't have to do any more soldering to make connections. I don't know where our wiring guru is getting them, but I can find out. They look a lot like this: http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/item/TER-203/755/3-POSITION_PCB_TERMINAL_BLOCK_.html But I don't know if those are the right size. I think he is buying them in 8 position blocks but I'm not sure. Seems like a better solution to me. I think they cost around $3, maybe a bit more or maybe less.
The green blocks are called edge connectors. They simply push onto the tortoise pc board. No soldering to install/remove. The only soldering is one time when the wires are initially installed. They are known as 0.156" connectors. (The centerline spacing of the eight connector positions.) The 8 position is uncommon, a ten position is more readilly available on the surplus market (much cheaper). A suitable piece of styrene can be glued into the connector to make it shorter (fits only one way). Dimensions of said blocking/keying are the depth of the contacts x the thickness of the circuit board x 0.312" (2x .156). The junction block approach means that everytime a tortoise is changed, eight screws are loosened, the replacement is made, eight wires need to be inserted into each _proper_ location and each retightened. Probably 20 times slower and more prone to errors. The only issue with edge connectors is pluging them 180* out. With proper wiring in the first place, there is no slack to allow mis-installation. Bob in IDaho, who has to note that the form factor (0.156") was old when I got into electronics, and I'm 66.
Points taken. I think it's somewhat six-of-one-half-a-dozen-of-the-other. If you need to replace the tortoise, you will be happy for the edge-connector. (Although the time saved here over screw terminals is probably a fraction of the time it takes to replace the tortoise itself.) If, OTOH, you need to replace one or more wires, you will be happy for the screw terminals (aka junction blocks). Although less prone to errors, I do think the edge connector leaves you more prone to having to solder under the layout if a single wire or solder joint breaks. Unless you remove a whole patch of wires to the workbench to solder there. In either case, you're only supposed to have to solder once. If you're starting from scratch intent on doing it right, I can see why the edge connector might win out. At the club, however, we have areas where tortoises were inadvisably installed (a long time ago) with only soldered connections. e.g. wires soldered to tortoise and frog with nothing in between. When we need to replace one of these tortoises, it's better for us to cut the wire from the frog at the tortoise end, strip it, and insert it into the screw terminal on the new tortoise. In this way we can replace a badly installed tortoise with a new one without soldering.
By the time you guys are done hooking up these turnout linkages why don't you just build them yourselves? What I build looks pretty much like this: But I use a RC car ball link and glue a coat hanger into the end of it for the throw rod. The slide switch also powers the frog... I bought a bag of 100 slide switches (about $9.00)and they are almost gone, so I have built that many and not had problems with any. I'd put the total cost of one complete linkage at less than a dollar! I mean a Atlas code 55 turnout costs about $8.00 why pay more than that to flip it back-n-forth ??
Tony- A real good question. If nobody responds in the affirmative, the only reason to use the edge connectors would be if the layout is to be dismantled, and maybe not even then.
If you want easy disconnect ability, no soldering and inexpensive, just tap the contact areas on the Tortoise and install screws. I used MTL coupler screws here as the existing holes in the Tortoise could be tapped as is, but there is enough room to drill out and tap for a larger screw if needed.
Mark, Terminals 2 through 7 are for the built in switches. They can be used for signaling and powering turnout frogs.
