Hi guys,
Maybe someone can help me. I have installed Peco switches on my layout. Now I am installing tortoise motors under them. How would I disable the spring locking devise so that the tortoise can move the switch?
you don’t want to disable the spring…what you need to do is throw away the spring rod that comes with the tortoise machine and install a piece of .039 spring steel in it’s place…the spring wire that comes with the tortoise is only .025 and not ridgid enough to move a peco turnout, it usually bends instead of throwing the turnout points…you will also need a drill bit to make the hole larger where the spring steel fits in the tortoise …most LHS will carry .039 spring steel and the drill bit you will need…another helpful tip is to mount the tortoise to a scrap piece of hardboard or 1/4" plywood that extends 2" from the sides of the turnout…this way you can hold the tortoise in place, align it so that the spring wire is throwing the turnout points correctly ,and then you can drill pilot holes into subroadbed and into the scrap plywood and run two sheetrock screws into the pilot holes from the top of the layout…it’s a lot easier than trying to line it up from the bottom of the layout…Chuck[:D]
I have removed the spring from Peco turnouts that are connected to Tortoise machines, although that may not have been necessary. You might need to remove the spring if you’re going to try using any type of twin coil machine, though. On the bottom of the Peco are two small tabs that hold a cover over the spring. Bend the tabs up to remove the cover and spring.
Chuck,
Could you expand on your Tortoise install a bit? Are you saying you mount the Tortoise to the 1/4" plywood, lay the plywood/Tortoise over the track and line up the turnout? I can’t quite figure out your plan.
sorry about that…what i mean is to mount the tortoise to a piece of 1/4’" plywood…(use the template to mark the holes on the plywood…then drill them out…then mount the tortoise itself to the plywood…the piece of plywood should be long enough to extend past the turnout about 2"…now line up the tortoise that is mounted to the plywood to the turnout from UNDER the LAYOUT…adjust it so that the tortoise drives the turnout correctly…then secure the tortoise from the top of the layout by drilling pilot holes and running the sheetrock screws into the plywood from the top of the layout…the two screws will hold
I am getting ready to begin my second layout. I think I should at least try a couple of Tortise machines. How much do they typically cost? Since my LHS has closed, where should I go online to get them? Thanks - Ed
they run from about $13.00 US dollars a piece to as much as $25.00 depending on who you purchase them from…I buy them in what is called a twelve pack which reduces the price to about $11.00 each for 12…I got mine from internettrains.com and discounttrains.com …surf the web for suppliers and get them from whoever has them the cheapest…sometimes you can catch them on sale…the price of the machines plus the shipping cost will still make them cheaper if you order them by mail than purchasing them from an LHS…Chuck
I know the reputation of the Tortise machine but are they worth the extra expense? Has anybody used the Peco Turnout Motors, and what is your opinion of them? I have Peco Code 83 Turnouts and a few of these motors from an ebay auction, and I was debating on using them.
I can’t speak for the pecos motors but the tortoise compared to the atlas UTTSM is the difference between night and day…I used to use atlas on all my layouts and they gave me problems continually…they wouldn’t make the switch sometimes and they really slam the track points very hard against the rails…the tortoise is very stout, slow motion, and has a built-in DP/ DT switch which is a great plus because it eliminates a lot of train detection circuits for target lighting that normally i’d have to install in some cases …the extra expense of the tortoise is well worth it…and another thing to look at is if you buy an atlas UTTSM and the Atlas Relay…the price is about the same as the tortoise alone…Chuck…
I use a lot of Peco motors, as well as a pair of Tortoises and a lot of other ones.
I don’t have any problems with Peco motors on Peco turnouts.
I have started using the under the roadbed mounting, rather than the clip to the turnout one. I get the motor with the long operating rod or the extension and screw it to the under side of the roadbed (just the Homasote, 1/2" down). This only requires a small hole (3/8" or 1/2") rather than the big square cutout.
I wrote up my method some time ago, somewhere in these forums!
I’m starting my second layout and will be using some tortoise switch machines for the first time. My plywood underlayment is nominal 3/4", homosote 1/2" and, on mainline, cork 3/16". With what is in fact 1 3/8" thickness, can I expect a tortoise mounted against the underside of the plywood to work? I saw that a .039" is suggested, would that be sufficient for a wire long enough to reach the 1 3/8"? Also, LHS does not carry springwire. Any suggestions on where to get some?
I have a N scale empire on which I use Peco turnouts. Some of the turnouts will be/are powered by Peco motors. I have mounted PL10 (or PL10E price and availablity, I cut down the extended arm) on adaptor bases PL12. The PL12 is meant for “above baseboard use” but I mount the assembled PL10 & PL12 on a 1.75in by 3.25in .5in ply base along with a small terminal block for the wires. I then take this unit and mount under the layout subbase (which is .5in ply). The connection to the turnout is via a #10 paperclip bent to shape through a small hole drilled down. All assembly after track is laid. When connected to a power supply and capacitor discharge unit the turnouts work great.
Tom
