Operating Switch Stands

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m installing a few Walthers turnouts on the new section of my layout. I’m going to drive them with Tortoise machines. Both of these are “learning experiences” for me.

I noticed a few switch stands in the Walthers catalog by various manufacturers. Some say “operating,” while others do not. Are they designed to actually turn with the switch points?

Which of these would you recommend for Walthers #6 turnouts? Thanks, from a twin-coil sinner who is trying to mend his ways.

2

Hi Mr. B.: I used Details West switch stands that can be made to operate with the throw bar. I followed Wolfgang Dudler’s excellent tutorial on his site. DJ.

3

I have a bunch of Caboose Industries high level switch stands that are considered “operating”, but I use them to manual throw my non-powered turnouts. By “operating”, I consider the term to mean that the painted targets turn to the red or green position depending upon which way the switch (turnout) is thrown. NJ International also makes operating swithc stands.

To my knowledge, these switch stands are intended to be thrown manually and do not work in tandem with a Tortoise.

On my powered turnouts, I use powered signals in conjunction with Tortoises. As the turnout is electrically thrown by the Tortoise, the LEDs in the powered signal turn red or green as the case may be. For this purpose, I mainly use powered signals from Tomar Industries that are wired to the Tortoise.

That is my understanding of an operating switch stand, but I am willing to stand corrected if I am mistaken.

Rich

4

Mr. B,

I just bought a whole slew of these little suckers a few weeks a go down at Timonium they are Tomar Industries lighted operating switch stands. I got them for a song from a guy who was getting out of the hobby. They are really nice but have a list price of around $16.00 each. So if you don’t have to get a lot of them I recommend these, I am sure there are less expensive alternatives.

https://tomarindustries.com/signals.htm

5

Allegheny,

Do you operate them manually or can you hook them up to a Tortoise ?

Rich

6

Mr B

I have seen an article somewhere where they made there own switch targets that operated. If you do not want to make your own then look to NJ International.

http://www.njinternational.com/hoswitch.htm

You will have to make some sort of linkage.

Here is Railway engineering switch stand.

http://www.railwayeng.com/handstnd.htm

Pete

7

Wolfgang Dudler’s moving switchstands

I know this was mentioned earlier, but adding a clickable link. Very neat.