Can it be done?
Anything is possible, you just have to work the design.
I can get an O scale sound decoder in a Z scale VT1000 if I just work the design a little.
tortises on easy track. Hmmmm, It will be more trouble than its worth and you will still end up with a finicky EZ track turnout.
I have my EZ track turnouts working. I even have them lighting a red or green LED to indicate direction. I just want to control them from two locations and have the LEDs light properly. I can do that with a tortoise. So I’ll accept another lighting solution.
Oh I see. Hmmmm I wonder if there would be a cheaper alternative…
Anyway It could be done I guess. You would have to remove the built in switch machine and maybe drill a hole in the “slidy” tie (Im not the best when it comes to fancy terms)
It would take a little extra effort but it shouldnt be too hard.
assuming you can get the tortoise to mate with the ez-track you should have no problem with the lights to show direction , the tortoise has built in switches that can do that
Chip, what are you using now to throw the switches? Are you using the switch box that came with the turnouts? If so, you could get another set of those and just splice the wires to go to both switch boxes. Since you’re using a lighting system to show direction, you would just have to rely on the lights instead of the toggle on the switchbox. It would be more like a 3-way light switch in your house.
Kevin
The trickiest part will probably be drilling a hole in the plastic base for the linkage from the Torotise, without otherwise destroying the EZ-Track. Unless they were nice enough to have a hole or slot in the right spot already.
–Randy
A DPDT and a MOM. The toggle sets the direction of the turnout and lights the LED and the the MOM throws the turnout. I like to have a second set of controls for part of the track, but then I would have to eliminate the LEDs because they would not follow the direction of the turnout. I like the LEDs because I can tell my son to keep them green unless he’s turning.
BTW. IF I have to tear out the turnouts to install tortoises, I’ll replace all the track with flex and regular turnouts. I don’t want tortoises and lights that bad.
B.S.! [:D]
you know what chip…maybe it’s time you start to advance in the hobby and get rid of the e-z track…time for the old switcharoo to flex track, cork roadbed, and some really cool shinohara, or pecos turnouts, tortoise machines, train detection circuits, target searchlight indications, need i say more…I kind’a really like all those lights, and bells, and buzzers, and flashers and all …chuck[^]
With 17 turnouts that now work, ripping them up and spending $25 per= $425.
I don’t want them that bad.