I was reading a very interesting article in RMC (Yes, the mag that shall not be named on this forum) called Click-it turnout control.
The author modified a Bic pen to manually operate a turnout. My first response was, “That’s totally cool!” What a fresh and new idea.
Have any of you come up with an unorthadox yet practical solution for turnout control?
Years ago I took 20 different turn signal arms from different cars, fabricated an aluminum base plate for them and connected them to the turnouts with fishline, springs and bell cranks. It really looked different. This time around I used Humpyard levers.
Thumb tacks till I get the $$$ for my switch machines.[V]
Suggested by an article in Model Railroader in the 1960s…
Used a piece of Nichrome wire which lengthens significantly (about 10%) when heated. Anchored one end; attached the other end of the Nichrome with a spring and pivot. Wire was heated by applying current from a toy train transformer and a toggle switch. FWIW, Nichrome wire was (is?) used as the heater wires in toasters and the like.
Only built one. Didn’t like the idea of 10-20 very hot wires under the layout. Finding power to keep several activated at once was another issue, as were drafts cooling the wire. But it was a pretty good early attempt at a slow motion switch machine. I needed the slow motion to prevent damage to my handlaid code 70 turnouts. Within the next year, the first screw motor switch machines came out at the horrendous price of $8 each! But given the labor to construct and the obvious hazards and problems of the hot Nichrome wire, I was glad to move on.
Fred W
Electrical switches as manual turnout actuators are nothing new - but:
One application I saw mounted slide switches (the kind with ±1/4" square ‘handles’) in the right-of-way, linked by short wires. The area was sceniced, and the switch handles looked rather like equipment shelters.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)