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Brakie, we have quite a few crossings like that in some of the older industrial sections of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. I thin most are worked at night and those crossings are all in industrial switching areas as opposed to mainlines. All mainlines are protected by crossing gates as well as the signals and any nearby traffic lights are switch to flashing red/yellow depending on direction when ever the crossing gates come down. These industrial branches are usually switched at night, and a switchman or brakeman becomes a flag man when the train has to cross the street.
In fact on the LAJ in the city of Vernon, District Ave is a 4 lane wide street with a crossing about every 50 to 100 feet and no lights at all! I think they use a crew man with flares and/or flash lights to protect the crossing when they work the area. I think the LAJ only works District Ave late at night.
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Russ, that's great info! And it does jog my brain; the traffic signals were tied in with the flashers; more stuff to model!
The vernon district sounds like it would be a very sketchy switching job, moving very slow. Another reason to model it.
As a kid, I seem to remember the east end of the Burbank branch was worked around 11am.
John
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Johnny, for the photo of the street crossing, were you driving an 18 wheeler?
Three Foot Rule In Effect At All Times
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Gary S Wrote:Johnny, for the photo of the street crossing, were you driving an 18 wheeler?
HA HA; Gary it sure looks like it doesn't it? The kind folks at Google supplied that image and were kind enough to photograph many of the locations alone the line. I only wish I had taken more photos when the line was active. But as a youth I thought the SP would last forever...... So if you see something you like get the pictures now, lesson learned.
John
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Say more about what you mean when you say:
Quote:It has sufficient throw to close the points I just can't seem to get the right set up.
If it's closing the points, then what's the issue?
I like the use of the bell cranks. I'll be working on a similar arrangement with blue point machines and a double crossover, at some point in the not-to-distant future (I hope).
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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Galen,
The points shift freely, and the Tortoise and connection rod have enough throw, but when I activate the Tortoise only one set of points is thrown all the way. The other set is left in the middle of the throw. When I get back to the layout I'm going to try moving the connecting rods from the Tortoise to the inside position of the bell-crank horns (closer to the pivot). If my thinking is correct, this should give me more throw.
John
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Pivots and Levers ...
Closer to the pivot equals more power but a lesser amount of throw.
Farther from the pivot equals less power but a greater amount of throw.
... at least that's how I remember it ... :?
biL
Lehigh Susquehanna & WesternÂ
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~~Abraham Lincoln
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Hmmm...thinking... :|
Seems to me that if the distance the tortoise travels is equal to the distance the cranks move, then the adjustment needs to be made between the cranks and the throw rod itself.
I'm not sure if moving the throw rod closer to the crank hinge/screw will help (putting in a different hole) but you may try that. I think biL is right, but perhaps in this situation, the way you've got it set up with the bend in the throw rod, you may end up having to move the whole crank assembly farther from the throw rod to increase the overall travel, vs. just shifting the rod. Not what you wanted to hear, perhaps, but it may be the best solution.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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Also, you've built into the system some tension where the throw rod meets the crank. So it's only going to go so far unless the throw rod meets the crank in a slot, not a hole. That way it is free to move in an arc. It will only travel as far as the slot or hole allows (unless the crank and pivot of the throw rod are the same).
That may be your solution. Ream the hole or saw it into a slot with a jeweler's saw. Good luck. 
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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The normal method of increasing the throw of a Tortoise is to move the machine farther away from the table so that the wire traces a longer arc. I'm not sure how your Tortoises are fastened to the bell crank mechanism, but if you can fit some washers for shims between the Tortoise and the bell crank, you should be able to increase the throw.
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Russ Bellinis Wrote:The normal method of increasing the throw of a Tortoise is to move the machine farther away from the table so that the wire traces a longer arc. I'm not sure how your Tortoises are fastened to the bell crank mechanism, but if you can fit some washers for shims between the Tortoise and the bell crank, you should be able to increase the throw.
I think the throw will still be the same because the bell cranks are the point where the throw is reduced. I still think the solution is a slot vs. a hole to allow the bell crank to move further. Once that modification has been done then moving the tortoise may have an effect but the way the bell crank is attached to the throw rod is the limiting factor.
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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I have finally made it back to the layout room! Installation of turnout motors and wiring is underway once again. I have a question regarding the Tortoise switch machine and wiring 3 lead BiColor LEDs. Does anyone have a diagram of how to do this? (I do not have 2 lead BiPolar LEDs so I can't just wire them in) My thinking is that I connect the common anode to either pin 1 or 8 and then wire the 2 individual cathodes to pins 2 and 3 (or 6 & 7). and use pin 4 to power the frog of the turnout. Any thoughts?
John
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Did you resolve the turnout throw issue?
Galen
I may not be a rivet counter, but I sure do like rivets!
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ocalicreek Wrote:Did you resolve the turnout throw issue?
Galen Hey Galen, yes and no to your question. I took the easy way out, each turnout in the crossover has its own Tortoise, they will be cross connected. It came down to time and frustration level. Still under the layout playing with spaghetti, hoping it looks and works like wiring when I'm done. Not my favorite part of the process.
John
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