How do I learn turnout schematics?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I have ten turnouts on my layout, I finally temp installed the Caboose ground throws, they work great but I can’t for the life of me remember which way to throw one to avoid a derailment. I have seen pictures of layouts where they have a schematic on the fascia board.

How do I read one of those? How do I design one of those?

Thanks.

2

When I used to use Caboose ground throws I painted the levers red on one side green o the other so that when the turnout was thrown for the mainline the green side was facing up (showing) and when thrown for the siding or “alternate route” the red would show.

I now use Peco turnouts manually…I just look at the turnout itself & see which position the throw points are in…can be done in a glance

3

The levers (in a yard) are typically all on the same side of the switches so that the conductor does not need to cross the tracks to reach different switches. LION thinks that a lever in the forward position (away from the points) would stay on the yard ladder, where as a lever thrown the other way would lead to the side track.

The LION could be all wrong, but what the heck, it is an answer. You see in 1:1 the C/R is on the ground and can see the switch as he guides his train over it.

I would not know about a fascia schematic for hand throws. That does not seem useful. I mean what conductor on a 1:1 railroad would walk over to the edge of the layout and look down at the fascia to see if he did them right.

As they say with the big boys, “Know your Iron”

In an interlocking tower levers in the normal position = turnouts in the normal position. You can look at your levers and know if a switch or a signal is in the reverse position. You may have to look at the lever number, and then look up at the model board to see what switch this is. But mostly the operator knows his board and after a time could work in any tower and expect the same design to the lever layout.

LIONS do not like ground throws. All switches are operated from the tower. Of course LION is a tower operator, not an engineer, once train leaves terminal little itty bitty 1:87 motorman runs the train. LION only has to watch.

ROAR

4

Thanks, both of you. I like the idea of painting them but it still comes down to looking at the points I guess.

My problem is I have trains that run forward through the points and some that run the other way so I have to know how to read the points. Just a memorization thing I guess.

I’d still like to know where to find info on those schematics anyway as I’m curious and I have nothing in all the books and magazines I have. How do you learn that stuff?

5

Paul usually the schematics on the fascia are for turnouts thrown electronically. They will turn red or green depending on which way the turnout is thrown. I’m not sure I understand your problem though. If you have hand thrown turnouts, like I have, you have to look at the points to see which way they are pointing before you move the hand throw. I paint my handles white when they are in the mainline position and leave them black on the other side. A quick glance tells me the story.

6

As you can see in the photo it is a basic single line drawing of the track plan…you can then mark the lines with red & green dots on the tracvk plan to coorespond to the painted ground throws

7

Probably incorrect; but, I only used red lights to mean reversed. Green lights were a luxury I figured I could live without (no light means normal).

8

Thanks, this is what I’m gonna do.

9

This is what I was looking for, this is exactly what I was looking for. So with this drawing and since I am not using electronic throws I am going to use the advice from all of you guys. Make a drawing like this and paint the handles.

Cool! Thanks a lot, I appreciate it.

Paul

10

Probably incorrect; but, I only used red lights to mean reversed. Green lights were a luxury I figured I could live without (no light means normal).

NP2626…you could use a two color LED… still one “lamp” but would change from red to green depending on the position of the turnout

Also, some people actually mount the toggle switch that controls the turnout in the diagram…using the position of the switch handle to indicate which way it is thrown

11

A dark signal should be regarded as the most restrictive indication that can be displayed by that signal. If a red bulb burns out, would you assume the signal was meant to be green?