Does anyone have a suggestion for manual turnout controls on an HO layout? I don’t need any electrical indications for power or throw, just a simple way to control the turnout, some being as far as 4 feet from the fascia.
The answer depends somewhat upon what brand of turnout you are using. But generally a Caboose Industries ground throw (I like the 202S) will work on most turnouts within your reach. At a distance of four feet you may need some sort of remote device, either an electric switch motor/machine (such as a Tortoise) or a manual push/pull device (such as a BluePoint switch machine activated by a rod in a tube). The latter can be found at radio control hobby shops.
Good luck!
The Caboose throws are good and great when you have a tight spot and need to but the throw on the other side of the track. For simple electric throw Atlas turnout with the snap switch is easy to wire up for the hard to reach places.
Why do you want to use manual control for a turnout that far from the edge? Personally, I’d just install a switch machine and be done with it, but I’d rather come up with a solution that’s right for you.
One thing you might want to look at is Humpyard levers. I don’t use them myself, but I think they look pretty good.
Piano Wire.
Actually, LION prefers 1/16" welding rod. These come in 36" lengths, (one pound for about $5.00–more then you are likely to need, albeit the LION has gone through several packages of them). If it is not long enough you can solder another piece end to end.
Ideas:
They will work above or below the table, and they do not need a tortoise to move them, you can do it from the fascia. I used them here on the surface because there was no access to the table under this track.
ROAR
I initially installed a lawnmower throttle cable, the kind that runs inside a semi-hard plastic sleeve to actuate a Peco #6 inside my spiral tunnel mountain. It turned out to be too coarse an action. So, I resorted to a piece of cedar scale lumber, essentially a 10" X 4" in scale, with a track nail driven through it. I fastened it to a 4’ length of half inch wooden dowel running out to the fascia so that it acts strictly push-pull. That works a lot better.
If you want something like a steel rod or a wooden dowel in push-pull with something acting as a pin up into a hole in the throwbar, that is what works for me. Cheap, simple, quick to install.
Crandell
You-Tube has many examples. Here is one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EoPhNLs-t0
Also if you Google your question, you will see some creative solutions.
I wish I could be so creative.[(-D]
Here’s another couple of examples from Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w50ftJMLJUY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5sZnPcy0w&feature=share&list=UUtdbOhcqRKniYdkl8uNA_Yg
I have the humpyard levers and they work as well as anything and look cool. They are pretty strong, I have not broken any yet. Here is the application for my yard
The latest (and simplest) iteration of my manual point mover is a vertical wire (like a Tortoise drive wire, but without the Tortoise) hinged below the roadbed and powered by a length of fishing line. The line extends from an electrical slide switch at the fascia to the drive wire, and then to a free-hanging weight. The weight holds the points in the normal position, while the line from the slide switch, when thrown, moves the points to the reverse (less used) direction. The fishing line passes through miniature screw eyes which guide it around obstructions. The whole business is under tension - no trying to push a rope.
The slide switches I use are CHEEP - DPDT four for a buck in bulk. You can use them just for the locking spring (to hold the points reversed) - but the electrical contacts are there if you decide to add signaling or panel indicators. I do use them, for track power routing and hot frogs.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Lion
Once the rod gets below the turnout how do you connect it to actuate the throw of the points?
wdcrvr
The rod has a 90 degree bend in it, and i just poke it up through a hole in the throw bar. Sometimes you much make the hole bigger, no big deal, just do it carefully. As you see, the ones in my picture run in a groove cut in the surface of the table, thus the table holds the rod in place. Were it to be under the table, you would probably best be using a board with a little hole in it to hold the rod up. That board can then be glued or screwed to the underside of the table.
On my layout I put the rods in first and then laid the track on top of them.
ROAR
Some more great ideas for manual turnouts, there must be a thousand methods of manually using methods for operating turnouts, wire, rods, cable, thread, fishing line, the list goes on, nice to see a few new additions, carry on.
You can instal a simple over center spring like Peco uses. Move the points with your trusty uncoupling skewer.
This example is for N scale but also works great for HO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rfZpe1LNjk
Pete
I’ve used a couple of manual systems made from articles in MR. Started with a complicated system from Hawaii Boone, Works good, but is harder to make. Finally tried the DPDT Radio Shack slide switch, again in an article in MR, Simple to make and dependable, with frog polarity contacts. Great. I have about fifteen of these that have worked well for years. They are actuated by heavier piano wire from knobs in the fascia. Works good up to three feet.
Pete,
I believe,if he uses his trusty uncoupling skewer,it’s going to have to be at least 4ft,long…
Cheers,
Frank
I have used the Humpyard throws ,very happy with them. you can use the from up to 6 feet away.At this point they have worked well for me anywhere from 1 1/2 feet to four feet. My next installation for a yard will have few between four and 6 feet away. This is not because the front to back depth is that far but there is some left or right routing from the central throw mounting that will make the tubing that long a run.
The throw connects to a stainless steel wire in a teflon tube that connect to the throw rod. The first couple of installs took some effort but after that it went quickly with others. If you are running the tubing under the benchwork then up through a hole centered under the throwbar rivet a long shank screw driver seems to help with the screws that hold the tubing clamps
Ron High
I use Bull Frog manual turnout controls from fasttracks.
For turnouts within arm’s reach, you could also try these http://bittercreekmodels.com/page11.html .
Image is from the page linked above.