No, I have not but have considered doing so. But here is the website for them. Blue Point Manual Turnout Control Hope that helps you out and maybe answers some of your questions.
Dude, They are vonderbar!!!!! I have installed several (15). They are really neat. I have installed them below plywood and pine. I have used airplane control rods (bought at the local hobby store) with them, both long and short shafted. I then just bent the ends of the rods with plyers and placed wooden cabinet handles on the ends of the shafts. The blue points are very forgiving in terms of alignment (I.E. There is a certain amount of play left after installing the first screw). That is, alignment need not be laser perfect for them to work. I am very pleased with them. I am using them with code 55 turnouts and have had no problems. I have yet to connect them up eletrically. However, DCC trains seem to operate through the turnouts without the frogs being wired (yet). I really am pleased with blue points!
:tb-biggrin: I just installed 7 of them on my layout under Atlas Code 55. Are you just going through plywood or through foam? Mine are held on with 1/2 in wood screws. I still need to get the push rods. I may end up connecting them to the back and looping them around to the front of the layout since my switches are so close to the edge. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/album.php?albumid=626&pictureid=7735 http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/album.php?albumid=626&pictureid=7736
I am going through mdf only. It says to drill a .25 inch hole. I am wondering if I can sucessfully drill from underneath as my turnouts are installed. BTW, they are Atlas code 55. Thanks, Jeff
How would they work if you have the 2 inch pink foam to go thru? I have a 1x4 frame that the foam sits on. I would have to make a pad from either styrene or very thin wood and glue to the foam. I am interested as well on using them on my N and HO.
Use a pin vise with a 1/16" bit to create a centered hole from above. There is enough play in the throw bars on the code 55 turnouts for that. Then drill it out to 1/4" from the bottom. Then I put double stick tape on the top of the Blue point and put it in and screwed half inch wood screws into one of the slots on each side. For 2 inch foam, you will probably need to get some stiffer piano wire and make a new throw bar on it. The current wire doesn't quite seem stiff enough to me. I would install one of those by gluing a piece of hardboard to the top first, so you have a larger area to attach to the bottom of the foam.
Heck, I've just drilled a hole from the top of the turnout's tie that controls the points. This hole's placement need not be laser perfect either. Again, the alignment is forgiving. Don't know about the foam thing. You'd want something to anchor the blue point to. Could be a toughy there.
I finished mounting the Blue Point and am very happy with the result. I just measured the distance of the throw bar from the wall and drilled underneath. Jeff
I don't use foam but rather 1/2" sound board/homasote and I mount my tortoise to 1/8" luan wood. I then position and attach my switch to the other side. When everything is dry and tested, I then cut a hole the size of the diameter of the totoise (but smaller than the luan wood and then drop the whole thing in place. The cork roadbed matches up perfectly and I don't have to screw around underneath the benchwork to line up everything. Cutiing the hole in the foam should be a piece of cake. Brian
You can successfully attach the Blue Points to existing turnouts from underneath. I retrofitted a few through 3/4" cookie-cutter plywood subroadbed. I recommend a pilot hole as previously suggested. I further recommend you put some type of "stop" on the 1/4" bit since you are drilling blind from below. You can buy stops at Home Depot (they are round collars with a setscrew to tighten the collar to the bit) or simply wind some masking tape onto the bit so it hits resistance as you drill up. The tape should probably be fractionally less than your roadbed thickness for the first couple of attempts, so you do not destroy your turnouts. You can apply a little force against the taped bit to see how far you need to go to get a good, clear hole. Hope this helps and good luck. Blue Points are excellent, although I decided against them in favor of Caboose ground throws this time around.
Mine are simply screwed into the foamboard from the under side and are rock solid and work fine. Really important to get them absolutely centered under the throw bar to work properly (although might be because I'm using hand laid turnouts without over center spring).
