Not easily. You'd pretty much have to re-work the turnout. Of course now that I've said that somebody will pop up with a 5-minute project that requires no cutting or modifications.
The Kato turnouts come with a built in slide switch for manual operation. The caboose ground throw is really not needed. Eric
Wig Wag, - I might do it some day. Pomperaugrr - Yep, but not the most esthetic. Still I'll take relyable track over esthetics any day.
Ok Grey One, I'm curious why you would want to go with manual ground throws when the Kato turnouts come with those awesome switch motors? As others have said the Kato's have sliders on the side that work beautifully, why screw it up by monkeying something else onto it?
Geeky, I have found I like flipping the "slides" as my train progresses around the layout. I feel more involved with it. Does that make sense? I will be using the "motors" for remote turnouts.
Yeah it does make sense. I am planning to have all manual ground throws for that very same reason, but sometimes it's nice to have the mains be remoted so you can sit back abd flip toggles. I probably won't have that option.
Steve: The Unitrack turnout slide switches happen to quite esthetic. They are easy to use and are quite reliable. I think the Caboose Industries ground throws are totally out of proportion to N scale and look rather ugly. That's my opinion FWIW. Stay cool and run steam...
Steve, I hope you find a solution because I would like to use ground throws for my HO Unitrack switches, the slide switches work the same way. Doug
Bob , I can see your argument that the ground throws are ugly. Here is my perception. Grok or Grock – To wrap ones head around. To accept something that does not make any sense but is understood none – the - less. When we look at the “slides” on the turnouts we accept them. There is no effort to make them look real. They aren’t. Pure and Simple. When we look at the ground throws we “grok” them. In our minds we say, “Ok, no, that is way too big but it looks more like the prototype than the slides do”. There is another aspect of it: The feel of pushing them over. It is like the feel of throwing a toggle switch. There is something satisfying on both a physical and a psychological level when you flip the lever. It is more satisfying to throw a lever than push a slide. Why do we use “baseball bat” type toggle switches on our control panel? Slide switches are cheaper. They are not nearly as satisfying to throw. Doug - I'll certainly share the solution if I ever find one but it won't be any time in the next year as my first focus is to get a table built.
Steve: Here is my control for all the Unitrack turnouts on the JJJ&E: Plug in the turnout number and the slide switch of the turnout is "flipped". Have fun..... Stay cool and run steam..... [ May 24, 2005, 09:50 PM: Message edited by: Powersteamguy1790 ]
ROTFLM*O You win I'll be using Rocker switches for my cab control. Not sure what I'll be using for remote turnout control. I'm a bit nervous about buring out the motors on expensive turnouts.
