I would like to build a small shelf layout using foam insulation as sub roadbed. How can I go about securely mounting switch throws such as caboose industries ground throws or the tortoise switch machines.
Thank you.
Mike
I used Midwest cork over my foam for roadbed. Track on foam can be noisy. I use lo temp hot glue to secure a small scrap of cork to mount the Caboose throws.
ratled
Myself I used pin nails with a dot of gel super glue to mount my caboose industries ground throws to the foam. The glue goes under the mounting pad, then under the ground throw. Be careful not to glue any moving parts.
I noticed that around Vancouver the throws are on pads of concrete. It probably has to do with all the rain.
So I had the crews come in and pour little pads of cement one day. (Plastic Molding strips) I then attached the throws with caulk. It holds great. I drilled holes down through my concrete pad and inserted pins and painted the heads black. The pins go through my throw, my concrete pad and into my foam. I put a bit of caulk into the hole before I pushed the pin in.
I will weather the concrete pads once I get to adding the ground cover and ballast. Then it will then look like is set into the dirt more.
Brent
What I did was mount my tortoise switch machine to a piece of hardboard that then I installed into the foam making the top of the hardboard flush with the top of the foam.
I made a youtube video of how I did it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d87H-zF7wXg
Chris
Lancaster, CA
I mount caboose throwds in the following manner. I am using cork road bed on one inch foam board. I cut a small piece of cork to snuggle up to the road bed. I then position the caboose throw and insert 1-1/2 inch straight pins, dipped in white glue through the two holes in the throw. This holds them quite well and still makes it easy to extract the pins if you need to replace the throw. My layout is 12 x 14 and I have twenty eight switches mounted that way and have no problems.
Thanks for all your solutions. Lookin forward to trying them all.
Mount the ground throw on a pad of what ever you prefer and secure it and the ground throw with DAP 3.0 latex adhesive caulk. It sets up in under 3 minutes and it ain’t going no where, also the best way to mount track as well.
I mount them on a cork pad with lo-temp hot glue. I have also mounted them to the foam directly with the hot glue.
OK, good timing. I’ve just been installing my first Tortoise machines on my own 2-inch foam layout.
I found some scrap 1/4-inch plywood in the garage. I cut 3-inch squares, and drillled a quarter-inch hole in each one. Then, I positioned the turnouts and drilled a quarter-inch hole through the foam. (“Drilled” is the word. Not “rammed a hole through with a pencil.” Drilled, with a drill and a 1/4-inch bit. If you just push a hole through, it will close up again.) I used the template provided with the Tortoise to mark the securing holes on the plywood, and punched them a bit with an awl. Plywood is soft, and doesn’t need to be tapped for wood screws.
Next, I found a couple of old carraige bolts in the basement. I dropped them through the holes in the roadbed and layout, and put some glue on the plywood squares. I mounted the squares in position, and secured them temporarily with the bolts while the glue set. After the glue dried, I removed the bolts, attached the Tortoise machines and mounted the turnouts. So far, so good. The first square was mounted with latex caulk, and the second two with white glue.
I used .039 music wire from the hardware store. The wire supplied with the Tortoise machines is too thin and too short. I cut about a 5-inch length, bent it per the instructions, and used.that. I used a #58 bit in my pin vise to drill out the hole in the Tortoise mechanism.
This was all amazingly easy. The 3 turnouts I’ve done so far are perfect. Tortoise mounting seems to be very forgiving.