I watched a video recently in which the operator of the layout was using his fingers to manually throw the Peco turnouts with the spring installed. So, no device was used such as a Tortoise or servo or ground throw to operate the Peco turnout.
Will this finger method eventually cause the turnout to fail?
Rich
No, it will not cause it to fail because Peco turnouts are made to be manually thrown if you so desire
We manually throw around 50 Peco turnouts on our HO scale club layout, have been doing so for 20 years, and have never had one fail.
cacole, thanks, that is both interesting and encouraging. It never crossed my mind that Peco turnouts are made to be manually thrown, but perhaps that is obvious by virtue of the spring.
On my current layout, I have a ton of Atlas Custom Line turnouts, most of which are controlled by Tortoises with several others controlled by Caboose Industries manual ground throws.
I am contemplating building my Dream Layout, and I am seriously thinking about using Peco turnouts and throwing them manually with my finger.
Rich
My layout has all Peco turnouts.
At the time I started the layout turning them by hand was the macho thing to do but after a lot of derailments I powered all that I either couldn’t see or reach from my operating station. For me the Peco (PL 10) switch motor works fine.
Pushing the toggle switch upwards means that the turnout is in the through position.
The Peco accessory switch PL 13 is also works well.
With all this said I have 2" foam in which to bury the motor and accessory switch.
Bob
I also use the Peco machine for the Peco turnouts on my layout. I only have half a dozen of them. The “small” ones have a geometry similar to the Atlas, but they are more solid and not as prone to derailments, particularly on the diverging path. Half of my Pecos are curved turnouts which are amazingly useful when working with tight track geometries.
The Peco machines are also rock-solid. You do need a capacitive discharge circuit for them. They have to get over that spring tension, so they need the extra jolt of power you get from the CD circuit. Being twin-coils, you can still throw them manually by pushing over the points.
A large layout I visited used the skewers that they uncoupled cars with to throw the Peco turnouts. This keeps sweaty, oily fingers off the rails. Some folks have more of a problem with that than others.
Turnouts in hard to reach places still justify machines.
Have fun,
Richard
Rich, As others have said, the PECO turnouts will work fine without a machine or ground throw. If you do want to use a machine, use the PECO machine or remove the spring to use Tortoise machines.
The new PECO code 83 line is very nice, but pricey. I do not like their other turnouts because they have curved frogs - not prototypical for North America, and generally too sharp for my taste in trackwork.
Also be sure to understand the difference between their two frog/wiring types - electro and insulated - there are pros and cons to this as well - another reason I would stay with ATLAS. I have ATLAS code 83 and am very happy with them - no problems. I’m not convinced that ANY of the more expensive turnouts are enough better, or any better for that matter, to justify the cost.
I don’t rely on the turnouts to direct power, that’s another reason I like the feed through design of the ATLAS. I power all my frogs, either with contacts on the machine, OR, my manually thrown turnouts are actually thrown with a small DPDT slide switch. One set of the terminals powers the frog - the other is used to direct power in my control system. All of that would require modifications to a PECO turnout.
Just my thoughts…
Sheldon
I use Peco Code 83 Streamline “Insulfrog” # 6 turnouts exclusively where I have used commercial turnouts. They are very good, and very reliable. I wish their points were more realistic, they being flat or blade-like, but other than that they are fine turnouts. I sometimes use a finger nail to flick a point rail, but most often I prefer to insert the sharp point of a bamboo kabob skewer, several of which I leave lying here and there around the layout for uncoupling and points throwing.
Crandell
Thanks for the additional input, guys.
I have previously used a few Peco Insulfrog turnouts and crossings on my layout, and I really like them.
The notion of manually throwing the point rails with my finger appeals to me because of the simplicity of the action. The thought of re-installing 60+ Tortoises on my Dream Layout holds little interest for me, and the unrealistic look of the Caboose Industries manual ground throws turns me off.
Rich
Gosh, no Peco turnouts on my layout… I threw them all away.
Rich,
Again, if the idea of all manual turnouts fits your track plan and operational plan, then PECO is likely the best choice.
For me, I’m into the signaling and CTC thing. On my layout mainline turnouts that are controlled by towers are electric, and can actually be controlled from two different locations, the main CTC tower or a local “tower”.
But turnouts that would have been controlled manually on the prototype - yards, industrial sidings, etc, are controlled with ground throws - but if they are on the mainline, they trip a signal indication just like real life.
And my control system uses turnout position to control relays that control power routing, so every turnout needs electrical feed back based on position - this makes using PECO turnout in that manual mode not a good choice for me.
You might want to be really sure you are not interested in signaling or CTC before you go down the manual only turnout route - much easier to do while you are building the layout than to do later - no matter what brand of turnout you choose.
Sheldon
Sheldon, those are good points that you raise. My only interest in signaling is the use of Tomar Industries searchlights and dwarfs that I connect to the Tortoises controlling the turnouts. Green=straight through and red=divergent route. But, I could do without those and simply have non-operating signals. Once I am standing over the layout and operating trains, I barely pay any attention to the signals.
Rich
Rich,
The problem I had with turnouts was that when running trains I would always have a turnout thrown the wrong way and have of course a derailment.
Your layout is going to be much bigger than mine so you might want to think about this. Unless you are going to follow your locomotive around I can’t see you not having trouble.
Atleast having switch machines you have a better chance of avoiding this problem.
It’s another pay me now or pay me later thing imo.
Bob
Bob, while I agree and understand your point, I think from what he has said here, and other conversations I have had with Rich, that is exactly what he plans to do - walk around operation - which has been a very popular mode of operation for many years now.
Even with signaling and CTC, and using DC control (with wireless throttles), my layout is setup for engineers to walk around with their trains, and they can position turnouts as they go along if no dispatcher is on duty. Also, they must throw turnouts that would have been manual in real life - because they are manual on my layout as well.
If Rich is sure he will be happy without signals and such, then I think the PECO turnouts with no motors is a good idea.
Sheldon
LION does not throw his turnouts, manually or otherwise. That tends to break them. Although I do have some that should be thrown into that round bucket, but what it is full, and I do not have a donkey to carry it out to the dumpster.
ROAR
Bob, I cannot disagree with you on that point. The use of signals and control panel LEDs have save me on many, many occasions.
Any way to use Peco turnouts without switch machines and still have some way to control the signals?
Rich
Not that I know of but there is an alternative to signals and LEDs.
The Peco switch motor requires a SPMT toggle switch and can be wired so that when any of the toggles are pushed up then the turnout is in the through or divergent position.
Even then you can forget to push one for the proper direction, but I guess you can overlook a signal as well.
Decisions decisions
Bob
Gentlefolk, a point of order.
You can THROW a switch (or, in Peco-speak, the points) but the turnout just lays there inert.
Of course, if your turnout came in a bubble pack or box it can be thrown. The usual target is a trash can…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with hand-laid specialwork)
Chuck,
Heh,Heh,
Cheers,
Frank
From Lance Mindheim’s Blog entry dated March 24, 2013:
"One of the key components of our hobby is the basic track turnout. It’s a amazing the inventions that have arisen to solve the simple task of moving two strips of metal, the points, an eighth of inch one way or the other. Solutions vary from switch machines, oversize ground throws, to complex systems of rods, sleeves and wires. The question William of Ockham would ask if he were alive (and cared) would be this, “If you can simply flip the points with your fingers and they would stay in position (which they do) why would you not do that? Why add a machine to solve a problem that doesn’t exist? If the points are loose, a simple shim under the throw bar will hold them in position. Spring loaded turnouts such as those by Micro Engineering and Peco are generally more than adequate for most situations. After painting, the points of Atlas and Walthers turnouts will generally stay in place simply by throwing them by hand. Taking this simple approach to throwing the points saves time, cost, and frustration.”