Why Power Turnouts?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

None of my turnouts are powered, but I have no difficulty operating trains (Switching from track to the next).

So why add power feeder to the turnout?

2

Because on some layouts turnouts may not be easily accessible. Before the era of walkaround throttles, it was common for a model railroad to be operated from a single control cab with panel, which contained turnout and block controls. Also, as layouts were often larger with poorer access, it was harder to reach some of them.

In the modern era we aren’t as tied to one control point, and since many of us have far less space, small layouts and shelf layouts are increasingly popular. This mobility and better access makes it much easier to throw turnouts by hand. Also, good-looking hand-thrown turnout controls are a fairly recent thing–and I’m not sure if anyone makes them in N scale.

I don’t use powered turnouts either–one nice thing about Peco turnouts is that they snap back and forth without a switch machine, and so don’t even need a hand-throw to operate (though once I put street track in I’ll have to keep a bamboo skewer handy to operate my turnouts via holes in the street!) But if I had a large layout with relatively hard-to-reach spots, powered turnouts might look more attractive.

3

You can do both. My layout will ultimately have powered turnouts in the staging yard and hand thrown everywhere else.
Enjoy
Paul

4

Because I want to follow prototype practice I have my main turnouts controlled from a central panel powered by Tortoise slo-mo switch machines. Branch line and yard turnouts are manual ground throws. This gives me a good feel of train operation when servicing my grain elevator or switching in the yards while allowing my main line to be operated like the larger prototype railroads.

5

Like Roger, I powered my main line turnouts as it is more prototypical. This gives me the option in the future to have a dispatcher operate the turnouts via a computer. My turnout controls are located where there is an interlocking tower so if we wanted to we could station an operator at each tower. Right now, the Tortise machines control low level signals which indicate the turnout direction.

I did it for flexibility…Ken

6

I once had a small layout (2’x4’ - N scale). Even on a layout this size, having to manually set switches, especially when trying to maintain continuous running, could be very inconvenient.

7

hu! Ok, thanks. It’s not what I meant to ask. I’ll ask again on another title.

8

Personally I only powered 2 turnouts in my layout…that of a main siding to allow two trains to pass. I did this because:

  1. Inexperienced people tend to only change 1 switch thereby causing derailings.

  2. In pairs, the result of misswitching them is simply using the main line or the siding.

Other switches are fine…if they’re PECO N-scale…use your magic finger to switch them…more reliable than a powered motor anyways…

Justin

9

I think the original question was why add power feeders to a switch?

Dave H.

10

it makes it more fun being abel to sit back and watch everything with the control board in front of u instead of being up and straining yourself changing points

11

i like to control everything from my control panel and i’m not going to walk my fat butt all over the layout to switch.