Upgrading Tortoise wire levers?

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Remind me please - what is the recommended size for the upgraded (stiffer) Tortoise lever wires, and what is the type of wire that is used?

Thanks,

Dave

2

Unless they changed it, all the Tortoises I have, over 100, came with .025" music wire. I am fortunate to have a rather large assortment of the stuff and I have found that increasing that to .035" (music wire gauge #15) is plenty stiff enough.

I’m sure the stuff I have is over twenty years old, it is from Sukor Metal Products, Burr Ridge, IL. It is made to ASTM A228. Another make I have is Precision Brand.

I’ve heard it refered to as Piano wire; Music Wire and Spring wire.

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Smooth-Diameter-Precision-Tolerance/dp/B002A0BH50/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506505955&sr=8-1&keywords=music+wire+.035

Good Luck, Ed

3

As soon as I open the box on a new Tortoise, I replace the factory wire with a length of 0.039" wire.

Rich

4

Depends on how deep the subroadbed is - if we’re talking 3/4" plywood with cork, then the included wire is plenty strong enough, especially with all Atlas turnouts since they are very free moving. For servos on my last layout (linkage was really the same as a Tortoise, the wire tilts back and forth), I used .035, that was through 4" foam, 1/4" of plywood, and cork. There was PLENTY of ‘snap’ if I pushed the points to the opposite side and let them spring back.

–Randy

5

Most generic hobby shops (not the craft stores that call themselves hobby shops) have a selection of piano wire usually in a K&S display http://www.ksmetals.com/

6

For those dabbling with piano wire:

I tried cutting some, once, with diagonal cutters. Got a nick in the blade.

Ever after, I have used an abrasive wheel to cut it.

You, on the other hand, may be lucky. You might have fiercer diagonal cutters or wimpier piano wire. Or not.

Ed

7

Whichever larger diameter wire one chooses to use, make sure that it will slip into the hole under the screw on the Tortoise machine as well as through whatever hole being used on the turnout. Nothing more frustrating than getting everything mounted and then finding out those holes are slightly undersized.

8

Eh? LION uses 1/16th " welding rod.

No Problems!

(Well, it will move the entire turnout if you do not do it carefully.)

ROAR

9

I bought a pair of Knipex 0202200 8-Inch High Leverage Combination Pliers for cutting piano wire at Home Depot. They are very nice high quality side cutting pliers with 2.2mm-3/32” piano wire cutting capacity.

Mel

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

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

Bakersfield, California

10

Interesting.

Perhaps I need to buy another tool.

It’s been a whole day, now. And I’m getting withdrawal. It is not pleasant.

Ed

11

I gave up trying to use that darn little hole. Here is what I do and it seems to work pretty well and its a whole lot less hassle. I bend the wire to make a diamond shape using a pair of needle nose plier and then just pass screw through it. I have 50 machines setup this way without issue. I do use the stiffer wire as well. I use both 0.039" and 0.045" depending on how far away the machine is.

TortoiseWire

12

I get my music wire at the local True Value Hardware store.

13

https://xuron.com/index.php/main/consumer_products/3/17

Once the wire is installed through the throw bar I cut it with a robust pair of Klein side cutting wire cutters:

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/high-leverage-diagonal-cutting-pliers-angled-head/diagonal-cutting-pliers-high-leverage

Be sure to hold the free end of the wire with another pair of needle-nose pliers.

Wear eye protection!

Have Fun,

Ed

14

Thanks everyone for the information and suggestions.

Dave

15

When cutting music wire/piano wire/cable etc. it is always best to use a circle jaw shear cutter…easy and will not distort the cut of the wire like side cutters…even the hardened jaw type.

I use a lot of music wire for building My miniature models and that is all I use are the shears…one in particular is the one in the link: I also have a much larger one for cutting over 1/8’’ hardened steel wire.

https://www.micro-tools.com/products/xur-2193?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=35506443206

I also have a 3ft. long pair that I used to cut case hardened steel bolts/steel cable that is used to seal trailer/container doors for customer high security loads.

I use hardened brass rod on My switch machines…works fine for Me.

Take Care! [:D]

Frank

16

Bonus, the back (flat) side of my hardened cutter is what I use to burnish the rails (only part of the ‘gleam’ process I do).

–Randy

17

Frank,

Thanks for the lead on the micro shears.

Dave