tortoise

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

need to mount the switch machine on top of layout. can this be done with a straight wire about 6 inche long from the throw bar. will this affect the stall of the machine?

Turnout is right above a joist which would be very hard to relocate or remove.

2

My club has had success doing this with model airplane control push rods. These are low friction plastic rods in a sleeve. The sleeve can be secured to the layout with straps of any kind, leaving the rod to slide freely inside it.

3

Would the Remote Tortoise Mount help?

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/tortoise.htm

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Circuitron-800-6100-Remote-Tortoise-Mount-p/cir-800-6100.htm

I have also made offset mountings using brass tube and piano wire with the Tortoise mounted below the deck. To answer your question, though, as long as the linkage to the throwbar moves freely there’s no reason why the Tortoise wouldn’t do its intended job.

You may need to bend a “tensioner” in the actuating rod if you make a direct connection to the points from the Tortoise to avoid placing too much stress on the points.

Good Luck, Ed

4

The Tortoise is pretty powerful! I have several goodies operating with 6’ fishing line as a pull string through mini eye screws for guides and a small spring for return. The Tortoise is easily modifiable to operate almost any movement for about ¼”, even more movement using bell cranks.

Mel

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

Bakersfield, California

I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

5

Thank you for responding. I am trying to figure a way for the adapter but no luck as yet

I am going to try the piano wire and tube. I am not clear on the tensioner in the rod

6

It can be as simple as a “lightning-bolt” zig-zag in the piano wire or you could incorporate some kind of spring arrangement.

With the usual Tortoise mounting under the deck the actuating wire has a natural springy-ness so that the points are held against the stock rail but the travel of the Tortoise machine actuator will not put undue stress on the points.

With a direct linkage to the actuator block you would want a way to allow the actuator to continue to the end of the arc without damaging or stressing the points.

Ed

7

I agree with this. With a conventional below-table mount, the wire from the Tortoise up to the points provide the springiness desired. It allows the Tortoise its own full range of motion, but the points restrict motion on the other end and the wire tension than holds the points firmly against the stock rails.

Here is a picture of the Circuitron remote actuator with an extra end linkage.

The Tortoise itself attaches to the large black assembly and that drives a speedometer-cable like linkage to the smaller units. The standard set comes with one small unit. I bought a second “slave” unit so that I could drive two crossing gates. These things are quite flexible and easy to use, and there are plenty of adjustments to control range-of-motion of the linkages.

8

Thanks. All I have seen is the grey mounting apparatus with a small actuator off of it.

What you are showing I bekieve will work for me. I will let all know

9

Thanks again ( I am new at this)

I will let you know how I make out

10

I am sorry to bug yu again. But wpould you happen to have the Part Number for this remote?

My local hobby Shop does not have a clue about remote accuators. They are ordering the 800-6000 for me to look at ,but as to yours They will get one if I have a number

Thanks for your help Roy

11

The 800-6000 is the Tortoise machine itself.

I included a link to it and the accessories at Modeltrainstuff and Circuitron in my reply above.

Here it is again—

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/tortoise.htm

The Remote is:

800-6100-RTM

and the additional actuator is:

800-6101-RTM

HERE is a link to the instruction sheet PDF for the remote.

http://www.circuitron.com/index_files/ins/800-6100ins.pdf

Regards, Ed

12

Here is the solution that I used to the same type of problem. I fabricated a throw bar from a piece of rail. I cut the rail to the needed length, soldered a peice of piano wire to the rail to use to throw the turnout, and simply drilled a small hole in the rail for the wire from the Tortious to go through and turn the points. The torti were hidden behind the layout and had to be done that way as there was a staging yard under the layout in the way.

In this situation I did the same, but used a longer piece of piano wire threaded through a brass tube to hold it in place and keep it from bending. I had a similar problem to what you have in that there is a tunnel right under where the turnout is and the torti would be right where the trains run. I couldn’t easily mount it anywhere under the layout, so it sits on top.

I then covered the whole thing with a Scratch Built Octogon Blacksmith House. The prototype (built in 1820) is still being used by a farmer in Alloway, NY. The scene now looks like this:

73