03-22-2019, 12:25 PM
I have a mix of switch brands, but most were originally Atlas, and were manually controlled with Caboose Industries ground throws. I also have some Shinohara switches, also controlled by the CI ground throws. One of the Shinoharas, a wye, is under a low bridge, and is currently the only motorised one, with a Tortoise, run from a variable-output wall wart.
When I added the partial second level to the layout, I used more Atlas and Shinohara switches, along with the CI ground throws, but was given a number of Micro Engineering and Peco switches. With their spring-loaded points, the ground throws weren't needed, so I simply added Central Valley switchstands, which, for photo-taking purposes, can be aligned to match the position of the points. In normal operations, though, I seldom bother.
There are a number of switches on the upper level, mostly for industrial areas and mostly not-yet installed, that are or will be difficult to reach, and I have a number of BluePoint manually-operated controllers which will be activated from the layout fascia.
Adding that second level also affected the portion of the layout below it. While many switches near the aisle are easy to operate manually, those behind structures or farther back from the fascia are now more difficult to operate without bumping into other stuff.
My hope is to mechanise them, and while some can be done with the BluePoint machines, I also have four Rapido "Rail Crew" switch machines, bought for an exceptionally good price when my LHS closed last year.
In addition to those, I have four Fulgurex "Slow action switch machines", one bought cheaply at another LHS closing sale, and the other three, free, from a Member on the Model Railroader Forums. Marketed by PFM, these are motor-driven through a gearbox.
I used one of these, many years ago, to power a scratchbuilt curved switch, roughly a #12, with a moveable frog. Both the machine and the switch worked flawlessly, and if I had been able to afford the machines, the entire layout would have been so-equipped. I don't recall the exact price, but somewhere around $20.00 apiece, in the mid-'70s.
I've already converted many of my Atlas switches to "sprung" manual operation, removing the Caboose Industries ground throws, and adding a homemade spring, bent from piano wire, to the point rails. This spring is enough to keep the points in the position in which they're placed by a flick of a finger. While the Caboose Industries ground throws work great, they do loom rather large in photos. When I have enough of those converted, I'll likely offer the CIs here in the Swap Meet.
I also have a couple of Central Valley switch kits, two yet to be built, and one in operation, which uses the homemade spring-between-the-points.
I hope to start installation of the Fulgurex machines soon.
Wayne
When I added the partial second level to the layout, I used more Atlas and Shinohara switches, along with the CI ground throws, but was given a number of Micro Engineering and Peco switches. With their spring-loaded points, the ground throws weren't needed, so I simply added Central Valley switchstands, which, for photo-taking purposes, can be aligned to match the position of the points. In normal operations, though, I seldom bother.
There are a number of switches on the upper level, mostly for industrial areas and mostly not-yet installed, that are or will be difficult to reach, and I have a number of BluePoint manually-operated controllers which will be activated from the layout fascia.
Adding that second level also affected the portion of the layout below it. While many switches near the aisle are easy to operate manually, those behind structures or farther back from the fascia are now more difficult to operate without bumping into other stuff.
My hope is to mechanise them, and while some can be done with the BluePoint machines, I also have four Rapido "Rail Crew" switch machines, bought for an exceptionally good price when my LHS closed last year.
In addition to those, I have four Fulgurex "Slow action switch machines", one bought cheaply at another LHS closing sale, and the other three, free, from a Member on the Model Railroader Forums. Marketed by PFM, these are motor-driven through a gearbox.
I used one of these, many years ago, to power a scratchbuilt curved switch, roughly a #12, with a moveable frog. Both the machine and the switch worked flawlessly, and if I had been able to afford the machines, the entire layout would have been so-equipped. I don't recall the exact price, but somewhere around $20.00 apiece, in the mid-'70s.
I've already converted many of my Atlas switches to "sprung" manual operation, removing the Caboose Industries ground throws, and adding a homemade spring, bent from piano wire, to the point rails. This spring is enough to keep the points in the position in which they're placed by a flick of a finger. While the Caboose Industries ground throws work great, they do loom rather large in photos. When I have enough of those converted, I'll likely offer the CIs here in the Swap Meet.
I also have a couple of Central Valley switch kits, two yet to be built, and one in operation, which uses the homemade spring-between-the-points.
I hope to start installation of the Fulgurex machines soon.
Wayne