Hiya. Been doing some "experimenting" to replace the wimpy throwbars on the Atlas C55 turnouts and add the "spring-effect" like the Peco's. The throwbar is 1/32" PCB in the pics and was made a lil bit large just to test the feasibility of the project, I'll have to slim down the next ones. If I were to switch to C55 I would probably buy ready-cut PCB ties from Fast-tracks, they're pretty reasonable(100 16' pcs. for $11). This PCB is a friggin' bear to cut, even the 1/32" and 1/64" stuff! Anyway, you can see the TO with the POS bar removed, the PCB bar with holes drilled, the "pins"(brass nails with the heads turned down), and the "spring"(0.5mm brass wire). The copper-side of the PCB is on the bottom and the pins are soldered to the bar and excess is cut off. The spring is a lil longer than the distance between the holes in the bar and the tie to create the tension needed to make the thing "snap". A fun-project which came out great Regards, Jim Maurer Tokushima, Japan
I understand that for the first time! I have seen the springs with a "kink" or bend in them, but never just straight like that. I can think of a lot of applications, especially repairing a Peco turnout with a broken spring. In other applications of this, the spring part was beside the turnout instead of between the tracks. Very nice idea and workmanship!
