OK, one of those layout building “moments of truth” has arrived. On my mainline the turnouts are all hand thrown, or in places where the fingers may intrude to much, I will use mechanical means from the fascia. But at the entrance to the staging yards, where in essence the “modeled” portion of the railroad ceases, the staging yardmaster will control all the yard and yard throat turnouts with switch motors. For appearances sake I do not like the side-mounted option that Peco offers, and for some practical reasons it won’t always be possible to (nor am I anxious to) use the extended pin PL-10e motors mounted beneath the benchwork.
So that means an opening needs to exist for the under-the-turnout PL-10. Unfortunately it is just a little too thick to mount merely by cutting a trench through the cork roadbed and the 1/2" homasote subroadbed.
One bright idea is to elevate the track even higher at the yard throat and into the yard – a combination of homasote, N scale cork roadbed sheet, and standard HO cork roadbed seems to create enough clearance for the Peco machine – provided the bottom of the pin is snipped off.
So other than that bright idea, which I am not totally enthused about, what have other guys (or ladies of course) done in terms of excavating space for the Peco PL-10 used in beneath-the-turnout mode? Do you just chisel out some of the benchwork top or …?
This is not the time or place to lament that Peco has had decades to redesign the PL-10 to a thinner profile.
Dave Nelson
You don’t have to use the PL-10 to power the Peco turnouts unless you have already purchased them. The Tortoise machines, and also servos, will work. You just have to mount them under the turnouts on the bottom of the benchwork or subroadbed and provide a linkage up to the turnouts.
Thanks Elmer. Just to clarify yes I do already own all the PL-10s that I will need. And the under the layout mounting for Tortoise is as impractical as the similar (if less elegant and enchanting in operation than the Tortoise) under the benchwork mounting that Peco itself offers. A significant amount of structural supporting lumber is exactly under where the yard throat begins. In fact wiring the switch motors will be an interesting event as well but for now, my question takes as a given using the PL-10 as designed, snapped into the turnout bottom.
Dave
Dave, I use the PL-10’s with homabed over 5/8" ply, and I jig saw a rectangular cutout all the way thru. I used thin styrene to make spacers that trap between the underside of the turnout and the top of the PL-10, to keep the ballast from falling thru before its glued. And no, not all my cutouts were perfectly sized or positioned, so a little clay or putty filled any gaps. I pre-wired the motors, and lowered the assembly into place.
Some photos of this on my blog linked below in my sig - see the August 28, 2010 post.
Hi Dave,
Same thing came up a couple of weeks back. Unless you have a lot of hardware, nails, screws, etc. in the way and the wood work ain’t gonna drop to bits I’d go in with a 1" spade bit to get a 2x1" hole and square it up with a saw or chisel.
I use photo card to cover up between the point and motor to cover the hole, I also wire up the motor before fitting. I use the hole for track feeds when required so you might need to cut a couple of grooves in the cork.
Be in touch.
pick
PS. If you intend motoring other points on your layout, I’d use a seperate CDU for your staging.
Good luck, been there, done it and it worked.
Very helpful, “Pick,” thanks. Is there any particular capacitive discharge unit (brand, or rating/size) you use and would recommend? I see the need because on a yard ladder I am likely to be powering several sets of “points” at once. Even with the fairly low-power Atlas switch machines of years back, that tended to take up power.
Dave Nelson
Hi Dave,
Ah right, I got a junior at the club to knock my last up copy of one as a practice job. Haven’t bought one in years so couldn’t help as to ratings.
I think there’s one called A Snapper over your side of the pond; most good model shops over here will stock propriety ones or know were they are available. Sorry not been much help
Be in touch.
Pick