Anyone out there making their own operating switches?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

How’d you go about making your own operating switches?

Any recomendations on switch plans (free or purchased) describing how to build your own operating switches in various configurations. What components did you purchase and which did you make? Where did you buy the electric components to operate the switch? Are you happy with the finished product and would you make them again?

2

Yes, David is. Look pretty good.

3

Thanks Chief!!!

David can you share how you went about building the switches?

4

Thanks, Chief for posting again.

rrcrossing, the info is in here: http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16955

Didn’t know anyone was interested.

This coming weekend, I’m going to begin on a more complicated one; crossovers and a very tricky crossing nearby. Purpose is to simulate an interchange and to get my trains from the upper level track to the tracks that will go to the helixes at each end of the layout.

I haven’t yet shared with you my double-helix idea, which I call “DNA,” but will eventually give you the details. I’ve also added a 3rd level to the layout.

Dave Vergun

5

BTW, some of the switches will be manual and some tortoise-powered. I prefer manual for spurs and auto for mainlines.

Doing your own turnout is really a piece of cake requiring no special tools or skills.

6

Dave,

I’m not familar with the term tortoise-powered, any place I can see an example? Also, did you do this all from scratch or were you following plans?

Mike

7

Mike,

Here are some really good buys: http://www.blwnscale.com/Circuitron.htm

I may order some myself today.

I followed plans here by printing out the switch and blowing it up to O scale on the copier:

http://www.prototrains.com/turnout/turnout.html

and for background info, I went here:

http://www.usace.army.mil/inet/usace-docs/armytm/tm5-628/chap8.pdf

I’m going to NY this weekend but the following weekend I’m going to build some elaborate crossovers. Let me know your progress and please ask questions.

dav

8

Thanks Dave I’ll keep you posted.

Mike

9

David:

Where will you be in NY this weekend?

Tony

10

Gloversville and Troy, Friday thru Sunday, possibly Monday. Be happy to visit w/anyone in those areas!

11

Nice work Dave, looks almost scale instead of toytrain… Emagine the middle rail being blackened, that really would be invisible…
But making your own switches with tubular…?
May be I’ll try it, with a good dremel cutting disc it should be possible…

12

daan,

If you look close the center rail actually is a 14 gauge copper wire that is much smaller than anything on the market and the copper color blends with the ties and ballast. I’ll have a better picture in a couple of weeks of a major piece of trackwork I’ll be completing.

What is interesting is that this 027 rail looks more hi-rail than Atlas or Gargraves when you fix her up a bit.

13

Dave, are you telling me that it IS tubular rail?? (you talk about “this 027” rail, so I’m surprized, that’s mostly tubular rail…).
If so, it’s a very good look you achieved with it ! (Then I MUST try myself too!)

14

daan,

Yes, all the outside rails you see are, incredibly, 027.

When you cut tubular track at an angle, as in the points, it often fuses together to look solid. However, if the hole appears, simply fill it with Weld.

I also, BTW, experimented with RealTrax rails (not pictured). They too work but the rails are much much harder to bend but with some coaxing, they do, in fact, bend.

How did I separate the rails from the tracks on Realtrax? I chiseled them out but that was time consuming so I brought out a pile of real trax onto the patio outside and laid them on a steel plate. Then fired up my propane torch and melted the plastic and pulled the rails away with lineman’s pliers (wearing heavy gloves). The rails break cleanly away and there’s no goo or mess.

I’ve also experimented with Code 148 Atlas rails, which are even easier to bend and to work with and look most realistic of all rails, but the thing I didn’t like is that the 14 gauge single copper strand center rail looked way too big next to Code 148 (which, incidentally has enough flange clearance if you are making your own switches).

The 027 rails are lower profile than 0 gauge full tubular so the 027 were perfect, less costly, and easiest to bend. They bend easy because they are tubular and have micro ridges running vertically on the rail neck.

15

Dave,

Do you have a series of pictures that show construction from start to fini***hat you could share? I’d also like to see how you attached the tortiose-powered motors.

Mike

16

Mike, I promise to do a series of photos on the next one I make. BTW, on the train home every day, I study turnouts and have seen a lot of variation in the way that the points work. Some of the yard switches don’t even have the guard rails and others do.

Also, the switch stands have a lot of variety from the fully auto-pnumatic to the simple hand throws. It always amazes me how thin the point rails are in the prototype

17

David:

Maybe that’s one reason the turnouts work so reliably? (I’m not trying to be sarcastic or fascitious here) I do know they also have more room & use larger numbered turnouts than we do.

Let’s see, 1147 foot radius turns (or larger), #12 turnouts…Anybody have the money to buy the Javitts Center & then build a layout?? [:D][;)][}:)]

Tony