Caboose Industrie's ground throws...
#1
I'm offering a number of Caboose Industries sprung ground throws, in both HO and N scale.  All but one have been used on my HO layout, and all work perfectly well.  (The main difference between the N and HO versions is that the base on the latter is slightly larger than that on the N scale version.)

I have 6 in HO scale, and 39 in N scale, plus two with electrical contacts - useful for controlling power to the tracks or whatever else you can dream-up.  One is used, the other new-in-the-package.

My preference would be to sell all to one buyer, and in that case, I would pay the shipping for anywhere in North America.

Otherwise, because these items are so small, postage may become an issue for buyers, as even one or two would have to be in a package big enough to at least not get lost in transit.

I prefer to work through PayPal for this, and want to make it very clear that all proceeds will go to the support of our Big Blue Forum.

Here's the bunch...

   

For those not familiar with this product, an outline of the installation process:

Place the switch points on your turnout at the mid-throw position, then block it in-place using stripwood or strip styrene, although even masking tape will work.  If your turnout doesn't come with headblocks, take a couple of spare ties or suitably-sized stripwood to create the headblocks on which the switchstand will sit.
Place the throw handle at its mid-throw position (vertical), then insert the pin moulded on the bottom of the control arm into a suitable hole in the extension of the turnout's throwbar. 

The ground throw can then be spiked or screwed in-place - I used Atlas track spikes, and in most cases, they can simply be pushed-in using pliers, even in plywood.  Remove the blocking from the turnout, then flip the handle in either direction to make the points move, and flip it in the other direction to change the routing.  The interior spring ensures good contact.
These turnout controls are very durable, and I have never had one fail.  That's why I'm still using them in all of my staging yards.

It's not my intention to discriminate against any buyer, but I'm going to leave this offer on the table for a week, in hopes of attracting someone who will buy the lot.  In the meantime, lemme know your needs, and if no one wants them all, they'll be sent out in the order received.
The price for the ground throws is $3.00 apiece, and for the two with electrical contacts, $4.00 apiece.  For a buyer who wants the whole shebang, I'll throw-in the latter two for free (don't worry, I'll still see that Big Blue gets the money for them). 
The prices are below current prices for new ones, so you could easily buy the whole lot, and sell-off the extras, perhaps making some money for yourself.

The search for the buy-them-all person will end at midnight (E.S.T.) on Sunday, August 16, 2020, and if that person is a no-show, I'll contact all interested parties by PM to get mailing addresses and provide the amount needed for shipping.  After that, if there are more ground throws left, I'll leave the offer open for a while.

If anything above is unclear, or you have questions, just lemme know.

Wayne
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#2
What are you using instead of them?
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
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#3
(08-10-2020, 05:24 AM)Tyson Rayles Wrote: What are you using instead of them?

For most of the layout, I replaced them with a spring, made from piano wire, and, like the Caboose Industries ground throws, the points are finger-tip-operated...

   

This allowed me to add Central Valley switchstands, which look more prototypical.  While the targets don't move with the points, they are manually positionable, which makes for more realistic photos.

All of my staging yards still have Caboose Industries ground throws, but because I consider those yards to be "off-layout", I'm not concerned about appearances, as they're not usually a place for photos.

Adding the partial second level to my layout made some turnouts on the portion of the layout below  almost inaccessible, and I had to make them remotely controlled.  Four got Rapido RailCrew motors (with working targets), while others got Fulgurex (PFM) motor-controlled turnout racks, and the balance were done with Blue Point devices, manually operated by knobs on the layout's fascia....

   

The main reason for removing the on-layout Caboose Industries devices was for aesthetic reasons with regard to photos.  Otherwise, I was perfectly satisfied with their performance and utility, and have never had one fail.

Wayne
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#4
Wayne, I'm assuming you are talking $3.00 Canadian. At the current exchange rate, that is around $2.24 US.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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#5
Not necessarily, Don, as I based the price on that of new ones in the U.S., just to make sure that I didn't make them more expensive than new ones.  The lousy state of the Canadian dollar won't help raise much for Big Blue.

This presents a bit of a dilemma:  do I charge Canadians in Canadian funds and Americans in U.S. dollars, or everyone in U.S. dough  or in Canadian money.  Dang!! 

It appears that the same ground throw here in Canada is $4.15 each and $4.65 in the U.S.  Since there's not a great deal of difference in their respective prices, it would seem to me that having buyers use their own currency might be the fairest way to do this.

Since I'm not making any money for myself, perhaps I should just let the buyers decide - my intention was simply to help support Big Blue.

Wayne
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#6
(08-10-2020, 02:34 PM)doctorwayne Wrote: Not necessarily, Don, as I based the price on that of new ones in the U.S., just to make sure that I didn't make them more expensive than new ones.  The lousy state of the Canadian dollar won't help raise much for Big Blue.

This presents a bit of a dilemma:  do I charge Canadians in Canadian funds and Americans in U.S. dollars, or everyone in U.S. dough  or in Canadian money.  Dang!! 

It appears that the same ground throw here in Canada is $4.15 each and $4.65 in the U.S.  Since there's not a great deal of difference in their respective prices, it would seem to me that having buyers use their own currency might be the fairest way to do this.

Since I'm not making any money for myself, perhaps I should just let the buyers decide - my intention was simply to help support Big Blue.

Wayne

You know, I don't know how that works, we have donations for other countries, gotta ask Mikey how we do that, eventually, it will wind up as US dollars regardless of where it came from. Maybe PayPal converts the currency, don't know.... Nope And the fact that the proceeds go to help Big Blue, I hope the buyer pays top dollar. 2285_
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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#7
(08-10-2020, 04:49 PM)ezdays Wrote: ....the fact that the proceeds go to help Big Blue, I hope the buyer pays top dollar....

Well, Don, I could jack-up the prices if you wish, but I don't know, off-hand, how many of our Members are philanthropists in need of ground throws.

Wayne
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#8
Just a note to inform any interested (or disinterested) parties that these items have been withdrawn from offer.

Wayne
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#9
(08-23-2020, 02:12 PM)doctorwayne Wrote: Just a note to inform any interested (or disinterested) parties that these items have been withdrawn from offer.

Wayne

I just sent this to someone that was looking. If they are still available maybe he will contact you. I wasn't aware you had withdrawn.  
Charlie
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