Basically I like the KISS principle. I like the idea of manual control for my turnouts where possible, particularly with Peco sprung turnouts.
I’m looking for as many ideas as possible for flexible ‘cable control’ of turnouts.
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The staging level shelf (deck) is outlined in the black mark. It fits along the edge of the room and then projects out towards the center of the back wall via that unusual form (horn?). It all sits 8" under the main deck shelf that is represented by the larger brown paper form (with its aisle).
I’m hoping to rig up some ‘fixtures’ mounted on that strip of shelf just outside of the turnouts that will allow a cable type manual operation of the individual turnouts, ie, wire within a plastic tube that would come up to a small panel mounted of the front face of the main deck’s edge at the front of the aisle.
As you can see some of those turnouts get pretty far up under the main deck, particularly the very first ones the train reaches as it comes in from the helix area. And the turnouts that control the peninsula staging are rather un-accessable for finger-flicking. but a little wire-within-a-tube type cable could work well. I think model airplane guys use such items.
Anyone with ideas (links) to that subject matter??
google search for turnout control
the club uses the following type of linkage with a toggle switch (which provide spring loading)
I think I remember that article, greg …
I plan to use cable/sleeve system a lot on my layout especially anywhere there is a mounting issue. I flew model airplanes for years and never had an issue with cable control. R/C shops will also have a wide selection of bellcranks and other doodads to make hookup even easier.
I think the modern sleeve is made out of PVC. If you can find a supplier for that other than the R/C shop your cost will come down. Tubing and cable are something I would likely get direct from China and it would be dirt cheap. Bell cranks and other hardware could likely all be found from China. It is made there anyway so why not.
Last year I lost all my R/C planes when our crawlspace flooded. I was able to salvage a bunch of cable and hardware I had forgotten I even had, along with a ton of balsa and hardwoods including about three dozen lengths of dowel.
I saw a layout where the guy had a small shelf at the edge where he mounted standard Caboose Hobbies ground throws. He linked them to the throw rods with piano wire, and routed that through telescopic brass tubing–this all being a straight run–no curves. The tubing was mounted on the top of the layout, and was to be later covered with scenery. The ends of the piano wire were bent at 90 degrees for attachment.
The track was mounted on cork roadbed, so there was vertical room for the bent end under the throw rod.
Because the brass tube was (usually) sitting on top of the plywood, it was easy to support and to tie down.
Aside from being comparatively inexpensive, this system was also on the top of the layout, so it was easy to install. And adjust. Very simple, too.
Also, since the throws are “off the layout”, there’s less chance of ding-ing something “on the layout”.
If I were to ever again do manual throw switches on a layout, I’d do it this way.
Ed
In R/C aircraft I was taught not to put piano wire through a metal tube as it could cause radio noise when moving and interfere with the signal from the ground. I don’t know if it would affect a DCC signal or not, I am only smart enough to know to ask.
I would be interested in reading about this R/C problem.
The layout I observed was DCC and operated flawlessly.
And the music from the radio was also flawless, so I doubt there were any radio emissions.
Ed
When I flew the radios were analog, I wonder if the issue no longer exists now everything is digital? Like I said I am only smart enough to know I need to ask. [(-D]
don’t overlook wooden dowels
I had several setups using dowels, knobs and slide switches. Very reliable.
Good Luck, Ed
We would also use dowels with piano wire at each end in our planes, depending on how much room we had. We would put a ninety in the wire and into a hole drilled into the dowel, then wrapped the piano wire to the dowel with thread and cover the thread with 5 min epoxy When my planes came out of our flooded crawl space I purposely looked at how those connections stood up after fifty years and they were as good as the day I did them. Then it was off to the dumpster with them.
Have you considered choke cables from an auto parts dealer. Not sure how they compare pricewise.
Good luck,
Richard
That’s what I was thinking, Richard, along with generic lawn mower throttle cables, found in hardware stores that sell misc. lawn mower parts, or an outdoor power parts dealer.
Mike.
Our Home Depot sell cable of many different gauges and sometimes (not always) they have PVC tubing the appropriate size. It is hit and miss. If $$$ are a concern, you are unlikely to do better than direct from China.
Here’s the “choke cable” you want - RC airplane product called Gold-N-Rod. It’s been around for years. Like anything that’s been around a long time, you can find some disgruntled users, but most problems come from picking too small a size for the size and speed of the airplane.
…from another forum by Michael
Old pressure gauges were connected with a 1/8" nylon tubing sold in auto parts stores by the roll. Just cut this to the length required. As for the wire… you can buy, like 18ga. silver, non insulated wire on a spool that is used around the shop for all kinds of stuff. It is not ridged at all, but it doesn’t need to be because it will be inside the tubing. Get the tubing first and then find the wire to fit it.
Hump Yard Purveyance makes levers and cable assemblies.
You can get linkages from Circuitron as well.
A gentleman from Canada sent me this internet search he performed from up there,…
Looks like he utilized Yahoo to do a search for “Model railroad remote manual turnout control”
Certainly turned out to be a much more ‘productive search’ for good sites than I get with a google search here in the USA???