Right now I have Atlas snap switch (that I hate) in my turnouts (also atlas). I a pretty sure I can work out the ‘mechanical’ part, by mounting the tortoise horizontally. I got the idea from an article in Railroad Model Craftman (august 96). But can one Tortoise actually trow the 2 turnouts at the same time? Do anybody have any ideas?. I am just trying to save some $$ and will only use this -obviously- for the crossover ( have about 4 pairs)
Thank you
Lourdes
If you can work out the linkage problem between one Tortoise and two separate turnouts, it should have plenty of torque to operate both of them.
The linkage will be the issue. I have had to increase the size of the activation wire on mine even with one turnout. That is not hard to do. Another option is the Humpyard levers.
Yes, we have crossovers on the club powered by a single motor. It is a bit harder but all four turnouts of a double crossover can be powered by a single stall motor too.
We used piano wire “cranks” and the stall motor just moves a “bar” that runs between the multiple cranks.
Texas,
Would you be able to draw a picture of that? I am interested to see the concept… I have a double crossover I have to setup and I am groaning at the $75++ worth of tortioses that will cost me. Just wondering… Thanks, m8.
Brian
I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned this before… it will depend a lot on what you feed the tortoise…
([:I] Sorry! I’ve been resisting this post for days…)
On a serious note… you might find that bowden cable (the stuff push bike brakes are worked with) is useful for linkage… keep it greased with a very light grease rather than oiling it… if the switches start to not drive well check that the link is still lubricated… At first you might want to put some newspaper on a sheet of plastic under the ends of the drive to catch any grease that oozes out… this is why you don’t use oil… you shouldn’t need a lot of lubricant.
Another trick is to run the cable through very small screw in eyes at about 1" - 1.5" spacings.
Still using bike bits… if you can find the right sized thread dye you can use short bits of cycle spoke carried in the same eyes and joined with the spoke nipples… use bell cranks to go round corners. The nipples can also be used as adjusters to set the amount of throw. (You may be able to get a scrap wheel for nothing from your local bike shop if you explain your strange hobby to them).
You can cut bell cranks (L shaped cranks… the arms can be of equal or unequal length) out of any sheet metal… you don’t actually have to cut the L shape if the metal isn’t too heavy… but it probably helps… you could just use a square of metal with a hole in each of three corners… the more acurately you can distance the holes apart the better. The thing will be easier to locate and it will be easier to adjust the system the more accurate the holes are. The metal does not need to be hard so you could sandwich four or five sheets of metal together (while they are still squares would be easier) to drill the holes. Then you can reduce them to Ls later… the location of the holes not an exact L shape is what is important. The middle, pivot, hole may want to be larger depending on w
Also, the Tortoise people (interesting visual) sell a kit that has the stuff to control a second turnout, though a wire in a tube system.
Texas, Dave and others…
Thanks for the info. I am still trying to visualize your idea Dave, but I think I get it. Texas, where exactly is the pivot point on the bar… in the middle? Just wondering. Anyways, thanks for the great ideas. I will try to post pictures when I make mine (likely this winter!).
Brian
P.S. Anyone else have pictures? It would be interesting to share…
The bar itself doesn’t pivot. It just shoves one way or the other. However each of the cranks pivot in/on the bar. I’ll get a photo next time I get the camera under the layout.
As promised here are two photos. These two are just on parallel tracks rather than the opposite ends of a crossover. The throw bar of a crossover is just much longer and so the “cranks” are too far apart to get a good picture of. The concept is the same.
In the photo below the points of the turnouts are exactly parallel and the linkage to the points are bent the same direction (point pens). So in order to make them throw opposite (toward each other), the bar has to run diagonally between them.
Ingenious… very nice. I will have to employ! Thanks for posting the pictures!
Brian
