I really need to know how slow a tortoise switch machine is. If you hit the momentary contact, how long before the track is switched? One Second, 2, or 3? Would this be the same if hooked to a Tomar crossing buck? How long from contact to dropped gate?
BTW, the instructions and web search aren’t helping, So my question to all of you who have them installed already.
Thanks in advance.
The speed of a Tortoise machine can be adjusted by changing the value of the resistor that you put into the wiring. I am using 1.5 KOhm resistors with a 12 Volt computer power supply and they are working great.
Cacole,
If I am understanding you correctly, where can I get the information 1.5 Kohm Resister = ? Seconds.
1.0 Kohm Resiter = ? Seconds, etc?
Thanks,
It is about two seconds from one extreme to the other.
I suggest you puchase a Tortise and a couple resistors.
If you are using 12 volts try 2K, 1.5K, 1K and see if the speed is what you are looking for.
You can also drop the voltage further by using diodes in the leads.
Each diode will drop the voltage about a volt.
You can also use a variable pot in the 2K range and when the Tortise operates at the speed you want by adjusting the pot simply remove the voltage source and check the resistance of the pot at the current setting.
You don’t use momentary switches. You use a toggle that leaves the power on all the time. I don’t use any resistors, I bought two surplus power packs and wired as directed for two pacs and they work great except the piano wire needs to be thicker on my applications. I use DPDT micro switches (also from surplus store).
ARTHILL,
I think he is trying to use the Tortise to operate a crossing gate. And wants it to operate at a slow rate as opposed to slamming down or up.
And momentary switches do work with the Tortise.
The reason to use toggle switches is to maintain pressure on the point rails in turnouts.
But there is no requirement to only use toggles.
caellis is correct, I am wanting to use a tortise to operate a crossing gate. But my speed question isn’t really about how fast I can make the gate drop. But more of if the gate takes 2 seconds to drop, then my “trigger” to operate the gate has to be 2 seconds at say 40 mph HO scale distance away from the crossing so that the gate is completly down by the time the train reaches the crossing. The switch moving seems slow enough for me by default, but how long is that in seconds.
I am in the track installation stage and setting up this trigger will come long before I can install my first torotise and time the movement.
Based on my experience on an HO scale club layout, you need to have your trigger sensor at least 4 to 6 actual feet before the road crossing in order to give the gates time to go down at a prototypical speed.
Real railroad crossing gates are usually down for several seconds before the fastest train that uses the road actually enters the crossing, because the railroads adjust them that way on purpose. For example, road crossings in Benson, Arizona on the Union Pacific’s Sunset Route where Amtrak trains are allowed to travel at up to 60 MPH and freights at up to 50, have their signals triggered in such a way that the gates are down before the train is even within view coming around a curve.
You need to conduct some experiments with a Tortoise switch motor adjusted to the desired speed in order to determine where your sensors will be placed. On the club layout we started with the sensors about 3 feet before the crossing, but wound up moving them out to 6 feet away. Even then, some members had trains that would be beyond the crossing before the gates had gone all the way down because the circuits we used had a 2 second delay from the trigger time until the gates started moving.
I’d be inclined to put a potentiometer in the circuit. Then you can adjust the speed whenever you want. A 250 ohm pot should give you plenty of control, and they’re pretty cheap – I got a dozen on eBay for just a few bucks. I use them to adjust lighting in various buildings, streetlights, etc,. but they should work fine for this purpose, too.