About 1990 at my module “Naumburg” were the first operating switch stands and gates. It was very amusing to look at visitors.
They recognized the gates opening and you could count to three, their heads went under the module – or they didn’t look carefully.
The Model Railroader staff had made an excellent drawing in project illustrated, May 2006, p. 122.
Here’s the latest version in video. You find more at my How To .
And here’re the switch stands moving .
And the How To !
Wolfgang
I am a total geek to doing things like this. I had a working semaphore on the club layout ran by a manual switch at the yard limits in great view of of the public thru the windows. Run sessions made it interesting. I intend to push the switchstands further with full lit high level stands, Tomar makes a low level lit, but I found articles on making lit switchstands which is prolly what I will do.
MannMade products had a great switch machine motor that had 3 positions which made it perfect for 3 position semaphores which is what I used on mine, but seems they are outa business.
I think theres a semaphore driver out there that mods a tortoise, but these things are hard to find.
The trainorder signal at my Diamond Valley is powered by two servo motors. They have three positions!
Wolfgang
