As some of you may know, I’ve torn down my beginner 8x4 HO scale layout and have embarked on a more “Operationally Active” U-Shaped Dog-Bone measuring 14x10 (overall square footage including the inside of the “U”).
This new layout features some nice long runs, some double track runs, and a grand total of 16 turnouts (not many for some of you, but a big upscale for me…I only had 4 Tortoise Slow motion switches on the old 8x4).
Long story short, I am in the process of shopping the internet for another dozen machines. I like the Tortoise, but find the price a little daunting (even before the increase!) Can you guys recommend alternatives? What Slow Motion Switches do you use? If you know relative pricing that would be greatly appreciated. In the end I may have to suck it up and buy the dozen Tortoises. I’d like to know what options are out there and your opinions of them. Naturally as I google searched, the individual manufacturers say their product is great. I’d love your opinions on the Deluxe undertable Atlas Switch machine. How does it compare to the tortoise? It certainly has a larger footprint! What do you think of the Switchmaster product?
A lot of questions, but I know you’re up to the task.
The Deluxe Undertable Atlas is still an Atlas twin-coil machine. I think it is the standard under-table machine with contacts added for indicator lights or powering frogs, etc. It has a vertical throw rod about an inch long, so it will barely work if attached under a 3/4 inch plywood base with roadbed. If you’ve got 2-inch foam like me, then you would really have trouble mounting one of these. Also, Atlas machines can’t be thrown from the track by pushing the points over, so your only option is throwing it electrically.
I like the Peco twin-coil attached to Peco turnouts. The mounting is solid to the bottom of the turnout, so there are no alignment issues. The machines themselves are fairly small, but they do require a cutout. You can get an attachment to provide contact closures, but then that’s extra money. The Peco turnouts are spring-loaded, so the points hold well against the rails. You can throw them solidly by pushing the points over. This spring means the switch machines need more force to throw the points, so you will probably need a capacitive discharge circuit to provide the voltage kick. For twin-coils, the circuit is a worthwhile investment anyway.
I’m less than a year into construction, and most of my track is down. I’ve installed mostly Atlas snap-switches, and I’m realizing too late that I hate the appearance of the above-table switch machines. (I have no complaints so far about the turnouts themselves, by the way. They seem to work fine.) From now on, it’s Peco’s for me.
Peco, by the way, makes a number of interesting geometries for their turnouts. Curve-on-curve, 3-way and Y-turnouts can solve some tricky track plan issues, and I think they also make for visually interesting tracks.
I’m going Peco too, expensive over here but worth it. My layout is round the walls, 30" reach is the max so I’m doing it all manually with a push-pull rod to the fascia. A DPDT switch mounted on the rod will take care of signaling (simple signaling!!) I will attempt to build a throw like the fascia mounted ones from the humpyard guys.
The Atlas machines are pretty lame(even the new one). Since they are a ‘twin-coil’ type of machine, you are going to draw lots of current. The ‘Tortoise’ is ‘spendy’, but it is rock solid and has very little current draw. The ‘SwitchMaster’ is similar, but last I heard you had to by teh motor, RIX brack, and the micro-switches and assemble it yourself. I have picked up used Tortoises at train shows for as little as $5.00 each. They are just about ‘bullet-proof’ and used one are just as good as a new one.
Ditto about used Tortoises. I’ve bought at least two dozen on eBay. Some looked like they’d gone down with the Titanic, but work just fine! I have about a hundred now, and exactly one (of the cheapest used ones, under $4 as I recall) has ever failed. That includes the two relays.
I’m gonna type this mainly to kick this up in hopes that Fergie will answer and explain his new method better, but in short, he isn’t using motors, but aircraft control rods to control each switch manually.
Micro-Mark sells a slow mo called a switch tender. Haven’t used one so I can’t vouch for the quality.
Price is $16 each, $14 each for 10 to 24 and $12.50 for 25 or more. You probably find better than that.
Personally, I think the Micro-Mark machine is just about useless. It costs the same as a Tortoise, and has no contacts for frog power. I believe it also needs a resistor to limit the stall current - someone did a review of them somewhere and mentioned all this. If they were less than $10 they might be a worthwhile alternative - at that price, just buy the Tortoise and get a PROVEN quality product.
I have had no problems with 16 Tortoise machines that I installed so far and some of them are about 10 years old.They are Quiet,durable and don’t subject your switch points ti to harsh forces.