I will endeavor to frame this question in a way that makes sense to some of you. I am building an HO 4x8 layout using “Tortoise " switch machines for my turnouts. I have a sub-roadbed consisting of 3/4” plywood with a 1" foam insulation as the top of my table, on top of that will be cork roadbed. I can fully tilt my complete top to 55 degrees vertical so as to work on my wiring. The question is how can I locate my “Tortoise’s” exactly under my turnouts on this thickness of bed which cannot be changed. Also how can I mount them when they are so far physically from the surface.
Easy, you cut a hole in your plywood/foam base just big enough to fit a Tortoise through, and then build a “bridge” out of a wooden board (1/4" or 1/2" thick) which supports the turnout and where a Tortoise can be installed under it. Check this out:
The problem with that is cutting the square hole in the plywood. I don’t have plywood under my foam so the 'bridge method has worked well for me. However, I don’t intend to continue this way. For the future I plan to just stick the Tortoises under the foam with latex caulk. To work over the longer distance, you just get some thicker piano wire than the included piece. The Tortoise has plenty of throw to work over 2".
I agree. 1-3/4" isn’t a long throw at all for a Tortoise. I use some Tortoises with throwarm lengths of over 6". Just drill a 1/2" hole under the turnout and use thicker piano wire is all. I don’t like the “cutout” method noted above for tortoises, I find it much more work than just a standard mounting with a longer throw, and too hard to modify/fine tune.
I’ve mounted many Tortoise motors through hollow-core doors that are topped with 1" of sound board plus roadbed. I normally drill a 1/4 to 3/8" diameter hole from the top and then enlarge it from the bottom with a tapered drill bit so the bottom of the door has a larger hole than the top.
I fabricate a throw rod from a longer-than-necessary, .032 music wire using the pattern included with the Tortoise. mount it to the motor, and feed it up through the turnout from below. I temporarily fasten the Tortoise with double-sided white foam tape, and make final position adjustments before drilling holes and putting in mounting screws. Then I clip off the excess wire from the top.
Thankfully the Tortoise machines are quite forgiving when it comes to mounting.
The thickness you have is no challenge to a Tortoise. I would recommend a hole a little larger than 1/2 inch. Or cut additional cork bed from the sides of the 1/2 inch hole on the sides in relation to the throw.
Use a larger diameter wire, and move the Tortoise fulcrum DOWN to increase the throw.
