01-23-2011, 07:31 PM
Kurt, as always, you amaze and inspire me. In anticipation of powering turnouts on my "just-now-starting-to-rise-up-from-the-floor" layout (there has been blue painter's tape delineating its boudaries on the terrazzo floor for a couple months now) with almost two dozen turnouts I took advantage of a "reduced-price deal" and bought a box of a dozen Tortii. I had used Switchmasters' machines back in the '80's (a.k.a. Hankscraft Display Motors, which needed micro switches added 
) but thought I'd join the 21st Century and use the Tortoise like the rest of the modern day world.
But I've gotta tell you, you impressed the Hades out of me with your manual jobbies! I just might get together PM's with you on those puppies!
On the topic of hand laying, I found it to be a calming, soothing activity after a day of doing battle against a half-dozen mechanical engineers back when I was working for Sperry (Univac) ... I'd lose track of time and all of a sudden realize it was two AM! I got to where I could "fly" going down a "straight" piece of track! As I recall, I was getting up around 6-8 ft/hr. (four spikes - every tie) Turnouts, well, maybe 1 1/2 a night (max) ... they take more time when you build them as you get to them (with no gigs) letting the stock rails run through, but they are SOOoooooo SMOOooooth in transition ... I wouldn't have it any other way! [I think I learned about hand-laying by reading a Tony Koester article from the late '70's.]
Keep up the good work, there, Bubba! I love watching your progress!
) but thought I'd join the 21st Century and use the Tortoise like the rest of the modern day world.But I've gotta tell you, you impressed the Hades out of me with your manual jobbies! I just might get together PM's with you on those puppies!
On the topic of hand laying, I found it to be a calming, soothing activity after a day of doing battle against a half-dozen mechanical engineers back when I was working for Sperry (Univac) ... I'd lose track of time and all of a sudden realize it was two AM! I got to where I could "fly" going down a "straight" piece of track! As I recall, I was getting up around 6-8 ft/hr. (four spikes - every tie) Turnouts, well, maybe 1 1/2 a night (max) ... they take more time when you build them as you get to them (with no gigs) letting the stock rails run through, but they are SOOoooooo SMOOooooth in transition ... I wouldn't have it any other way! [I think I learned about hand-laying by reading a Tony Koester article from the late '70's.]
Keep up the good work, there, Bubba! I love watching your progress!
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
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