Using Shinohara Code 70 turnouts. Any suggestions/experiences for the best Caboose Industries ground throw to use? Tempted to use N-scale ones w/the Code 70 and 55 rail going down but I’m concerned with the practicality vs. appearance.
The determining factor with Caboose Industries ground throws is the distance of the turnout throw, and whether to use sprung or rigid, more than scale.
You need to determine the distance that the throwbar travels and get a ground throw with that much travel, plus a little fudge factor.
I always use the sprung throws to allow for variances in travel distance.
If the Caboose N-scale ground throws have the same travel distance as the HO scale, the N-scale ones would look better.
Use mini slide switches. Better than Caboose Industries - cheaper, smaller and they contain contacts for powering the frog and signals.
JK, Can you describe how to mount the mini slide switches. I’m assuming you mean under the layout, activated by a rod of choke cable and connected to the turnout by piano wire through the sub-roadbed? Thanks, Ken
It depends on how fancy you want to get. If you start with the presumption that the person was considering using a Caboose Industries (CI) ground throw, and therefore accepted the fact that:
- the CI ground throw would be visible;
- the CI ground throw would be mount next to the turnout;
- unless using the CI ground throw with contacts built-in that there would be no way to power the turnouts frog,
then the mini-slide switch is a very easy to install alternative that can provide 2 sets of contacts to power the frog and a signal or led, and can be less visible.
You simply mount the slide switch so that it tthrows perpendicular to the rail. You contact the ‘handle’ of the switch to the turnout with piano wire. Drill an approriate sized hole in the handle and another hole in the throwbar of the turnout. If you bend the wire like a “Z” you’ll have some spring tension then. Mount the turnout by either drilling/cut a rectangular hole in the base or a cork mounting block next to the turnout. Pre-wire the contacts, feed the wires through the hole and mount the switch with some track nails. Once you ballast/scenick over the mounting tabs on the slide switch all that’s left that is visible is the switch handle whic is about .25" and .25" tall. If you what it to be more visible, paint it yellow so operators can find it.
You could also mount the slide switch under the turnout and throw it with some kind of chole cable or piano wire coming through the fascia, but that is a more difficult installation, but still possible.
The person (me) is modeling a shortline and wanted to model the physical activity of switching which is why I decided against “remote” manual control turnout control attached to the fascia.
Will the same ones work on code 100?
Code won’t matter for the ground throw’s operation. I was just curious if anyone had considered this with Code 70…does using N-scale groundthrows make that much of a difference from appearance’s sake to deal with bigger fingers/smaller handthrow. Wondering if the logic of using Code 70 (truer to scale in appearance) will be moot next to giant HO throws.
Thanks, That’s what I thought.