Powering a frog when there is no switch machine

[peteski]

Nice drawing John!  I know, you do this kind of stuff for living.    Make sure there is some springiness in the connection between the throwbar and the switch (unless you find a slide switch with the throw exactly the same as the points. But it would still be good to have the slide switch to have longer throw than the points - that will keep the points under slight pressure against the stock rails.

[wcfn100]

So in answer as to how to power a frog without a switch machine... get a switch machine. 


Jason

[Lemosteam]

So in answer as to how to power a frog without a switch machine... get a switch machine. 


Jason

BAH DOOM TIS! . Lol.

[Doug G.]

Great ideas, you guys, and I used to use slide switches years ago but these days, I am too lazy so I just use Atlas 2065s (for code 55).



Doug

[Lemosteam]

Nice drawing John!  I know, you do this kind of stuff for living.    Make sure there is some springiness in the connection between the throwbar and the switch (unless you find a slide switch with the throw exactly the same as the points. But it would still be good to have the slide switch to have longer throw than the points - that will keep the points under slight pressure against the stock rails.

Good point peteski!  I'll bend the wire in the shape of the Greek sum to provide some springiness.

[mmagliaro]

Beautiful drawing, John!

Here are some photos of how I do these.  I use a U-shaped wire to allow for springiness between the slide switch
and the throwbar.  I think you are basically doing the same thing, but with more architectural finesse, what with
the PRR style throw motor detail.   For me, the key was that it mounts to the turnout itself with a screw,
so it can be tested before putting the whole thing into the layout (always a plus!)

The "installed" show clearly was taken before any painting and ballasting, but when these slide switches are painted brown and the ground cover and ballast are there, they hardly show at all (at least I think so) until you start looking for them.

By the way, I found experimentally that .015" steel music wire was the ideal size.  Any lighter and the throwbar pressure wasn't reliable.  Any heavier, and they became very hard to form and put too much pressure on the points.

[Lemosteam]

Max, thank you for the pics!

Why are there 6 wires on your switches? I would have expected three.  Is that a dpdt switch?

[mmagliaro]

Max, thank you for the pics!

Why are there 6 wires on your switches? I would have expected three.  Is that a dpdt switch?

Oh...  yes, you really only need SPDT in most cases.  But sometimes I use DPDT for one of two reasons.

Either:

1. It's what I have lying around, and I run wires to all the leads and leave the extra ones under the benchwork "unused"
in case one set of contacts on the switch someday decides to fail (I could switch to the other wires without
ripping out the whole turnout)

or

2. Remember this is all for DC, and sometimes it is very handy to have a turnout control power other than its frog,
depending on the trackwork.  For instance, I have a wye, and I was able to figure out a way
using DPDT switches on all 3 turnouts so that all I have to do is switch the turnouts the way I want
the train to go, and it just "works" - the polarities are automatically set right, nothing shorts, and the train
moves the way I expect it to.

3. Sometimes I can use the extra set of contacts to control a relay or other accessory.  Basically,
if you want "something else to happen" whenever you flip a turnout a certain way, those extra contacts
can be very handy.

[nkalanaga]

Max:  I did basically the same thing with a manually-switched wye on my last layout.  Worked very nicely.  In my case, it was simpler than yours, because the tail track was a dead end, just for turning locos.  It only need one DPDT, which also threw the switch.

On my current layout I have a couple DPDTs with the extra contacts working 12 volt DIP relays, for signals.  One slide switch can power a lot of those little relays.

[mmagliaro]

Max:  I did basically the same thing with a manually-switched wye on my last layout.  Worked very nicely.  In my case, it was simpler than yours, because the tail track was a dead end, just for turning locos.  It only need one DPDT, which also threw the switch.

On my current layout I have a couple DPDTs with the extra contacts working 12 volt DIP relays, for signals.  One slide switch can power a lot of those little relays.

Excellent!
I have one or two on mine that power DPDT latching DIP relays as well.   Frankly, I forget what they do now!
(But there are small printed wiring diagrams folded up and attached to them under the benchwork, so I
can remind myself if I have to.)

[nkalanaga]

Wiring diagrams are a very good idea.  Mine are push-pinned to the benchwork next to the relays.