Hey guys so I am newly returned to the hobby (when I left DCC was in its infancy). I am starting to acquire more equipment and make a track plan. I have a good amount of Atlas turnouts with the surface mounted machines but as you know they look God awful on a layout. Like most I like to save as much money as I can. Tortoise motors are pricey, especially when your track plan has a ton of turnouts and is not even close to being done. Does anyone have any inexpensive options to automate turnouts or at the very least what does everyone do to hide your surface mount atlas style switch machines if you use them?
Do they all have to be automated? I’m planning a layout and am thinking most of my yard turnouts are going to be within reach of my hands so why complicate things with lots of extra wiring and switch machines.
To that end, I’m moving more to Peco or ME switches which have the built in spring so do not even need a manual or powered machine.
I do have a number of Atlas turnouts still so there is Caboose Industries and others for manual throw.
Atlas also makes lower cost under the table machines you can use and cost less and get the job done. I have a few of those still.
The only place I have ever used the above surface Atlas machines is in staging where I don’t care about appearance.
I use caboose industries manual ground throws for all my turnouts except for one which is in a location essentially behind a building where I installed an Atlas surface mount auto switch. You may be able to scenic around the surface mount machine but I am not sure that you have any other alternative other than the ones identified by riogrande.
Yeah I saw the Atlas under table mounted ones. Hopefully the throw arm is long enough. I also hear you can flip the surface mount ones and use a left for right and right for left. I have some scenic ground cover ideas to disguise surface mounted ones but these methods won’t work well in a large yard. I would rather have most if not all automated personally. I guess I was wondering if anyone has found any other motor methods. Maybe with some inexpensive chinese electronics or servos that can be bought in bulk. I know there are some smart and crafty people that come up with some really creative things.
Caboose hand throws for me. I love them. Cheap and easy plus it gives the Kid’s something to do.
I originally went with the Atlas under the layout switch machines when I laid my track thirty years ago but they started giving me trouble about 5 or 6 years ago. The plastic throw arms weaken over time. I tried strengthening them by drilling a hole through them and inserting a steel rod, that works great but it’s a pain in you know where.
Next I went with a Peco mod to the Atlas Custom Line turnouts and Peco PL-10 switch machines.
Looks like peco may be a good option depending on how much they run. The servo option sounds cool if that process can be streamlined… Thanks Mel!
Definitely let me know how you make out. I still need to figure out if I am going to use a servo on my bascule bridge too.
With the Peco mod to a Atlas turnout they behave exactly like a Peco turnout.
While I like the slow moving point rails I haven’t been able to overcome the stall current on the servos without removing the servo power or drive. You might drop Randy a PM to see what he came up with. Maybe he’ll drop in on this thread with some of his advise.
Mel
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I think mine were long enough to reach through a layer of 1/2 inch plywood and 1/2 inch homasote. Also 1/2 inch plywood and a layer of cork, which is thinner.
Yes, you can flip the throw bar and use them on the opposite side; I’ve done that also:
The photo shows one of the turnouts with the flipped throw bar. Those are code 100 Atlas #6. I sold the nine I had recently to switch to Peco code 100 large for staging.
I felt that way on on my last layout but found it was more work than I cared to do to wire them all up and to controllers. Next time around I’m just going to throw them by hand. In some ways less work because I can go straight to the turnout and bam, rather than go to a control panel and look back and forth between the panel and the turnout to be sure I threw the right one, if you get my drift. KIS principle, keep it simple.
As for cheap machines, who knows, maybe China makes something. I think Atlas are the cheapest made for the model train market I’ve seen.
Oh no I meant like flip the machine and mount it underneath but good too know you can flip the throw arm too. Who knows how I will feel once i start building. I may need to put all automated on my upper deck but not sure yet. I don’t mind wiring or electronics at all.
Mel which thread of Randy’s are you talking about?
There’s always the old music wire with a knob in the fascia approach as well, if you don’t need / want the automation.
Mel, those turnout controls really need 2.250 INCH holes for their throw? Or is the 2" in line with the track center? I mean the picture looks like maybe an inch, inch and a quarter wide
Peco motors clip right to the bottom of the turnout, so the hole has to be big enough for the whole thing, not just an actuating rod like with a completely under-table machine.
For cheap, you can’t beat servos, less than $2 each, but you do need a control circuit of some sort. There are many options which come out far less expensive per turnout than a Tortoise. And they are TINY, a 9G servo is even smaller than a Peco motor.
Not sure why you think they are slow, Mel. They are as slow or fast as you make them - in fact if you just toggle between two positions, they move far faster than a Tortoise. You have to actually deliberately slow them down to not get a wham-wham action and act more like a Tortoise. The code for my controller shows that - I only move the servo 2 degees every 50ms or so to slow it down. If I just wrote it so that hitting normal set it to say 40 degrees and reverse set it to 140 degrees, they would go zip-zip back and forth. Most of the commercial controllers offer options to set both the endpoints as well as the speed.
–Randy
I have some switchmaster machines and they points move somewhat slowly and more prototypically than say those that are thrown with a twin coil like Atlas or Peco, which “snap” over fast.
Maybe that’s what Mel is referring to?
Randy do you have a write up and or pictures of the process you used with the micro servos? I would like to gather as much data as I can now and keep it in a folder on my computer so when I finally am able to start building I have to do minimal research. Good idea about the music wire Dan. I didn’t think of that.
Sorry Randy, I meant that you can make the servos operate slow like a Tortoise. That’s an advantage for realism. And Randy is correct about the overall cost for servo turnout switch machines on a layout is the lowest cost way to go. A $5 Arduino UNO or $8 MEGA (China) as a controller and the SG90 Tower Pro servos at $1.50 each (China). I bought 10 Tower Pro servos for $14.50 free S&H.
The UNO has 6 PWM outputs and the MEGA has 14 PWM outputs. I’ve been experimenting with the UNO and a couple of SG90 servos. The servos can be programmed for either “snap action” or super slow moving to suit your needs.
Yeah then I guess for you the Peco motors make sense Mel. Me on the other hand, I am starting from scratch so using servos sounds like it may be a good option. Hopefully Randy has a writeup or some kind of instruction on how to successfully install them.
“The hole in the tie must be centered between the hole in the throw arm from the max point travel”
Mel can you state that another way?
Henry I don’t know how to say it better. It’s an experimental type thing. I worked from the picture below.
That is a Peco turnout. The non moving tie to the right has the spring hole dead center between the rails. It was a guesstimate drilling the moving tie. I drilled the hole in approximately the same place as the Peco and it worked. The only problem I’ve had is making the V springs. I measured the Peco springs at .45mm in diameter and I went with .015” Standard Piano Wire. I tried .02” Piano Wire and it was too stiff. I’ve had to dink with some of the springs a bit for “perfect operation” but I’ve never had one not work. I have replaced 7 out of 21 thirty year old Atlas turnouts and every one works great! Better than the under layout Atlas 65s did new.
Drilling my first 2¼” hole took a lot of thinking and guts on my behalf but again it worked perfect the first time. I just had my grandson c