Several questions:
1. what is the difference between rigid and sprung ground throws?
2. Could someone give me a listing of switch manufacturers and the pros and cons of each one. I have been trying to decide on some right and left switches and cannot decide which brand will be durable & work well.
I have never used ground throws to control switches for the same reason I use magnetic couplers. I don’t like that giant hand from the sky intruding on the scene.
On my last layout, I used throttle cables that could be bought cheap at auto parts and lawn mower shops. They have a little knob that connects to a wire that threads through a spring wound flexible cable so it easily transmits motion to any direction. I mounted them adjacant to the switch on the front fascia. I used two screw eye bolts under the layout to support a dowel with a vertical rod that protruded upward into the center of the switch throwbar. The wire was cut short and bent into a ninety degree angle and inserted into a hole drilled into the dowel. It is necessary to clamp the end of the cable near the dowel which will allow fine adjustments to the throw.
Rather than control the ground throw device, I controlled the switch motion. A linkage from the switch throw bar then turns the ground throw signal. VOILLA! No giant hand!
I concur with BigRusty on switching ‘remotely’ - he has posted a very good technique.
I use a variation of this on my temporary shelf layout. (Pics are posted on my homepage below). The springs of the peco switch are invaluable to keep the switch in the position you want. You can however use Red Caboose ground throws placed on the edge of the layout with a rigid wire connected to switches that aren’t spring loaded. They will hold the switch in the selected position.
switchme
First, what scale are you working in?
I’ll make the big mistake here [:D] and assume it’s HO. If you have a smaller layout (like a 4X8) you may want to go with Atlas snap switches. If you have more room, you want to use a higher turnout number if possible (number 6 instead of a number 4).
Atlas make good switches, affordable, in code 100 and 83
Walthers (Shinohara), Peco, Micro Engineering all make good switches but usually a little more pricey…
I have used all of these with no problems in DC, DCC brings about its own challenges with turnouts.
I use Caboose industries ground throws, rigid. I have not used a sprung gound throw.
Rick
switchme,
The sprung ground throws include springs which absorb the overtravel of the ground throw past where the turnout points are already closed. The rigid ground throws lack the springs, and you should mechanically link them to the turnout throw-rod such that the linkage will absorb the overtravel.
I don’t have tons of experience, but I’m about to start laying turnouts for my first real layout. I bought a bunch of Caboose Industries HO-gauge sprung ground throws, and I’m using Atlas Code 83 customline turnouts. I tried one N-gauge ground throw, but it didn’t quite have enough travel for these switches. I am hoping to mount the ground throws along the front edge of the layout, maybe just below the level of the decking, and connect them to the switches using long wires. Some turnouts will not be mounted parallel to the front edge, so these may require a slightly different approach. I did see cable controls at the hobby shop today in the model aircraft section. I’ve also heard of making these out of house-wire insulation and smaller-gauge music wire. Joe Fugate has posted information about rigging up music wire at the switch and pulling on it with a string from the facia using door bolts. I think it will take some imagination, but I’d like to avoid having to reach into the layout to throw the switches too.
Jim
switchme wrote:
Several questions:
what is the difference between rigid and sprung ground throws?
Could someone give me a listing of switch manufacturers and the pros and cons of each one. I have been trying to decide on some right and left switches and cannot decide which brand will be durable & work well.
Anything else?
2. All Prefab switches work reasonably well, and are all probably durable enough.
Sectional track with Roadbed is probably easiest for first-timers. Kato gets the most ‘raves’ , Atlas users like the price, and Bachmann has had the most complaints.
Peco turnouts are very good but require more work such as adding roadbed and forming curves.
BRANDS such as Shinohara, Walthers, and Micro-Engineering appeal to the more advanced who want tighter specs, a more realistic look, @ a higher price. Everyone has their favorites.
As you can see, different products are aimed at different peoples ‘skill’ levels. What’s yours?
Perhaps you can g