That Hump Yard stuff sure is inviting. I have 30 switches, but I was going to use 8 ground throws and link my crossover switches together for 2 pairs. So that leaves 20 Hump Yard switches. I wish they were a little smaller.
I am using slide switches to control my turnouts. Since I am using Atlas Code 55 , I want to power the frog. Using a slide switch allows me to not only move the points but power the frog at the same time. I am using Miniatronics S.P.D.T sub miniature slide switches model # 38-100-05 They are small and come 5 to a package for $3.95 at my LHS. The may not look realistic, but for less than a dollar a turnout, they are the cheapest way to do the job. BTW, I have over 60 turnouts on my railroad. How much would that cost in Tortoise Machines? Craig
There are much smaller ones. Cypress Engineering makes The Flea III, which is small enough to fit in the roadbed of HO scale track. Unfortunately the only way you can get one is installed on an HO scale turnout. ANEmodel makes the SmartSwitch, which uses a servo to move the turnout. There are also companies that make DCC decoders for using servos to throw the turnout. Although designed for DCC, most of them can also be used with DC by controlling them with pushbuttons. Two companies I know of that make such decoders are Team Digital and Tam Valley Depot. One of the neat things about using servos is that some of the controllers let you programmed the speed at which they operate. For example, the SmartSwitch has 9 speed settings and it can take as long as 20 seconds for the switch to throw or it can be as quick as 0.078 seconds.
Hey Craig, I took a look at that switch you have there and I’d like to know more about how you have it connected up. Do you have any photos?
I believe that someone else has posted pictures on here a while back- that is how I got the idea to do it. Craig
I will be using some Tortoise machines, some snap switches, and some hand-thrown turnouts. I am focusing on just using Tortoise machines in really visible parts of the layout where I might have the most opportunity to "show off." I am not the biggest fan of snap switches. The ones we have at the club are all temperamental and I don't care for the sound or the unprototypical action, but to each his/her own.
Mine move as fast or slow as I throw them, just like on my prototype which had all manually operated switches.
