Hello,
I’ve just hooked up my first tortoise switch machine, but when I flip the switch, the motor moves, but the wire does not move the switch on the turnout. Any suggestions as to what to do to make the switch move? Ive moved the fulcrum up and down and it dosent help. Thanks in advance.
Dave
Remount the Tortoise so the wire moves at ninety degrees to the track.
Tom
Make sure the points move freeley when you move them by hand, or check to see ifthe wire is hung up on some plywood splinters in the hole.
BTW, how much room under the benchwork does a tortoise machine take up?
–C. Alan
C. Alan,
A tortoise measures 2x2x 2.8 tall but with the throw bar add .2 to one of the 2" sides.
I’ve had this problem. My switches were mounted on a cork bed which provided too much friction for the wire to overcome. I removed the switches and used a dremel with the small router bit and carefully removed a layer (1/32-1/16") under the switch tie so that it was free swinging. That worked for me. You didn’t mention your switch brand, don’t try this with Peco switches, it won’t work (well…, it didn’t with me, has it worked with anyone else out there?), with Peco, you have to use Peco motors.
I agree with “Hauckra” that you need to make sure your switch points can move freely, but I also think the wire supplied with theTortoise is too small and flexible. I replace it with .047" steel wire (music wire) available in the K&S line sold in most hobby shops and hardware stores.
The Tortoise certainly can be used with Peco turnouts, although for that application I remove the toggle spring that Peco uses to hold the points. You don’t need it, because the Tortoise is always pushing when the layout power is on.
So long,
Andy
NOT visit http://www.comrail.org all turnouts but one are Peco, and many have Tortise machines, never had a failure. The rest are hand thrown. There is even a double crossover, with all four Peco turnouts controlled by one Tortise.
Hey Andy, thanks for the tip on the .047 piano wire. I’m going to have to try that out! I have some Peco switches that were given to me that are missing the toggle spring. My son really don’t like the Peco’s switch motor, says it “growls” at him every time he uses it. We’re in the process of planning for a new layout, he’ll be happy change over to Tortoise.
Nigel, checked out the comrail site, gosh it’d be nice to run some trains on that big layout! Looked at all the links, any detail on how the four Peco turnouts are controlled by one Tortoise. This info might come in pretty handy during our next layout my son and I are going to build.
Hauckra,
I too would like to see the detail of the linkage they used. I e-mailed them, no response. Thirty-days later I e-mailed them again, still no response. I’m guessin’ it’s a “secrect plan” and those of us without a clearance aren’t allowed to see. [:D]
I have just purchased 5 tortoise switches and I have a double crossover too! Man, would I like to see how to run it with just one.
Greatn,
From what I could dig up on this subject I found that it is a linkage thing. When the switch is thrown one way all turnouts go straight through. Switched the other way all turnouts go the the divergence.
I just haven’t figured out the linkage thingy. It was suggested to me to use R/C aircraft linkage - that’s a good suggestion but then what…
[:D] [:D] [:D]
Any mechanical engineers out there that woulda, coulda helpa ?
I would like to use the contacts on the tortise switch machine to make a track live or dead depending on the throw of the switch for stagging tracks. Will the contacts be heavy enough to with stand the amperage? I know Atlas switch machines can. Just hoping the Tortise can too.
Allan
The contacts are rated at around one Amp if I remember correctly, Yes, they can be used for power routing tracks… One thing to remember though is that they are Make before Break contacts but for simple power route control, that shouldn’t matter…
Good luck,
Jeff
.
Re Tortoise use on Peco switches.
I think the recommendation in a magazine article(somewhere) is to remove the spring in the Peco which makes the throw side to side positive. Positive being spring pressure against the rail once thrown. Removing this spring makes the Peco comparable to the Atlas-free swinging.
Maybe someone on the forum can confirm this.
Jon
Make sure you have the fulcrum in the place. I left that out once and nothing on the switch moved. Very puzzling until I figured it out.
-Tom