switches on the South Chicago Industrial

Rappannahock Terminal Feb 26, 2003

  1. Rappannahock Terminal

    Rappannahock Terminal E-Mail Bounces

    292
    0
    20
    I'm busy connecting my Peco switches. I do not use electrical motors but a wire in a tube.

    The advantage is that it always work.

    When you lay your switches you have to drill a 6 mm hole under the connecting hole in the middle of the tie bar.

    Then on the underside of your layout you draw a straigt line from the 6 mm hole to the side of the layout.

    In the side of the layout you drill a small hole just to insert a brass tube. The brass tube passes through a couple of fisheye bolts and is soldered to them.

    Now you insert a rod in the brass tube and at the end you bend it 90° and insert in through the 6 mm hole in the hole of the Peco tie bar.

    against the bend you place a microswitch that will change the polarity in the switch.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    the other end of the rod that comes out on the side of the layout must be shortened and you can put a wooden ball on it to move the switch.
    [​IMG]
     
  2. thomas

    thomas TrainBoard Member

    266
    360
    27
    I usually don't frequent the HO forum since I dabble in N-Scale, but I was intrigued by your using something other than the usual motors for your switches. Hopefully in the near future I'll be starting a new layout in N-scale and I'm starting to think about the type of switches I'd like to try. Would your system be possible for N-Scale also? Also I'm a little lost about the part concerning the use of the microswitch and the changing of the polarity. Could you enlighten me on this? I understand about the polarity issue on a WYE, but I'm a little lost here. Thanks
    Thomas
     
  3. Rappannahock Terminal

    Rappannahock Terminal E-Mail Bounces

    292
    0
    20
    Thomas, first of all this system only works with switches that have a central spring.

    This means that when the switch stands in straight or in turn position the blades stay in place against the rail due to a spring in the center.

    You do not need the microswitches if you use switches with insulated frogs where you have not to bother about the right polarity.

    If you use switches with live frogs then you need to change the polarity in the frog when you change position or you will have a short-circuit.

    The microswitch has 3 connections, one goes to the positive, one to the negative and the third connects to the frog.

    The rod in the brass tube that is used to change the position of the switch blades changes at the same time the polarity (from + to -) in the micro switch.

    This system will also work in N, but then use a smaller size of rod and brass tube.
     
  4. thomas

    thomas TrainBoard Member

    266
    360
    27
    Thanks Paul,
    I thought the insulated frogs would not be a problem with the polarity that's why I was confused. Forgot to mention the frogs in my last post. This looks like something to consider then. Thanks again
    Thomas
     
  5. pjb

    pjb E-Mail Bounces

    184
    0
    19
    Thomas:
    As Paul has explained this system workd admirably in any gauge , subject only to the constraints imposed by distance , and that would be none unless you have some need to centralize everything on a very large layout. In North America this is known as "choke cable " control , because it uses manual automotive choke parts.

    Earl Eschelman has been selling bell crank links for this form of switch control system for over thirty years . These allow some sharp changes of direction if needed and also provide some minor mechanical multiplication of the effort , and positive position locking of the attitude created by moving the choke knob.

    Another non-electrical form of switch control borrows from the real thing in that it is pneumatic. Del-Aire seems to be the last maker (or only one widely known in the hobby at the moment ) and they have provided half a century of switch controls to hobbyists all over the english speaking world . I base that on its sale by dealers in Australia,N.Z.,India,and the U.K., as well as here where its made , in the western hemisphere . It is favored mostly by clubs and large layout builders, and those into interlocking operations. There is really no reason that should be the case , but they sell directly in North America so hobby shops have no interest. Since very little ever goes wrong with these pneumatic valves and manifolds (as is also the case with Earl's links and choke cables) there would be little incentive for retailers to carry it.

    There is also the matter of the makers of ready-to-run track components , selling electric motor driven switches as do Atlas, Roco, Peco, and all the rest. So it is easy to stock replacement or better (and more expensive) motorizing setups from Tortoise or twin coil solenoids from many folks. So it isn't necessarily a plot by train retailers, as It may appear I am suggesting, just ignorance of pneumatic alternatives.

    I believe Walthers' sells the Eschelman choke components , or did- recently, at least. This means that large retailers like Caboose Hobbies, and so forth ,- will stock them . It is also true that the basic choke cable , rod , knobs, etc. - is available cheaply in auto supply stores and in rural areas at hardware and farmers supply businesses.

    These are both bulletproof , and more economical means of primary control of track switches (a/k/a "turnouts"in hobby magazine
    speak) for model railroads than conventional twin coil electrical switches or motors.

    You should be aware, that they are not mutually exclusive. In other words, if you want to use one kind of control in some area for what is deemed a compelling reason you can do so. In another area where there are other reasons to make some other system clearly desirable- do so!
    Good-Luck, PJB
     
  6. watash

    watash Passed away March 7, 2010 TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

    4,826
    20
    64
    Small bell cranks have been available in the radio controlled boat and airplane models for years. Mass production of any one part used to make that part rather inexpensive, at least to the manufacturer.

    You can buy spools of music wire from .013" dia. up to .100" dia. of 100 foot length if you need longer control lengths too.

    You can also make your own vacuum bellows (like on a player piano) out of scrap, and bellows cloth. It comes in various weights and large sheets, even in rolls. Use hyde glue to bond it , and a small vacuum pump does the same thing as the pressure type, but you make any size you need.
     
  7. thomas

    thomas TrainBoard Member

    266
    360
    27
    Thanks guys for all the interesting ideas on this. It'll just make the layout a whole lot more interesting and fun to do. It looks like I'll have to check out the HO forum more often also.
    Thomas

    [ 28. February 2003, 07:37: Message edited by: thomas ]
     

Share This Page