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I'm bound to wire the switch in reverse at least a few times, but as long as I understand this correctly, I think I'll be ok.
The slide switch is similar to what I've been experimenting with...I ordered a 100 piece sample from a chinese maufacturer.I've installed and tested these on 2 Atlas turnouts and they work fine. A pin is inserted between the switch knob and the throwbar and I just move the points to the position I want with my uncoupling tool. The 1.5mm throw is just right to have the "over-center" of the slide switch keep the points in place and, as a bonus, I can power the frog.The biggest problem I've encountered is the actual soldering on such a small scale but once it's done they work fine.What is left to be seen is if the Gorilla Glue that attaches them to the head block tie will withstand repeated use.
That's a cool approach, Mike. I would suggest, however, smaller wire. Like maybe 32AWG that we get for DCC decoder work. The size of wire you show will put a lot of mechanical strain on everything, and is likely to break the glue bond long before anything you do by pushing the points back and forth.
An excellent suggestion, Mike. This is still in the "experimental" stage so there is a lot of fine tuning to do yet. I have to admit to still being a novice when it comes to soldering and such but I'm very glad that you see the possibilities of the approach... Like Dave, I saw huge ground throws as ugly and the expense of tortise machines and frog juicers as prohibitive and thought that there had to be a better way.
If I understand that correctly, Mike, you're switch is completely buried under the turnout and hidden. That must look great, but I would be concerned for servicing, if one fails. The idea of having to pull a turnout in the future, potentially destroying my trackwork (especially if ballasted), makes me cringe. I hope you find that they are bulletproof. I look forward to seeing your "after" pic once installed.DFF
I used a vaguely similar approach to Mike's on the old WR&N IV, except I did not mount the switch on the turnout, and I didn't use micro slide switches. Instead, I mounted standard subminiature toggle switches to a bracket, under the scenery nearby, and linked the toggle to the throwbar with a length of brass rod. This allowed me to access the toggle switches as needed. It was also somewhat easier to install, since no special preparations were needed to lay the switch. (So I guess it's not even vaguely similar to Mike's approach; oh, well...)In addition to the above, I connected a second brass rod to the first one, which passed through the layout fascia, and attached a pushpin knob to it, for manual activation of the switch.Edit: a picture...I think most any kind of switch that provides a positive over-center action can be substituted.
Like Mike, I bought a whack of switches via a Hong Kong ebay seller and the 50 cost me about $5 including the shipping. They are small enough to fit between the head blocks, which has encouraged me to work them along the lines of Dave's approach.By my way of thinking, the problem with putting them below the ties as Mike suggests is that it requires moving the points, a distance less than the travel of the switch. I'm not sure that will be a reliable movement once installed. By contrast, the switch at the surface allows the user to move the switch, and the difference in travel between the slide switch and the points is made up with flex in the linkage. To cover up the switch head, I envisioned attaching a NZT switch machine to the top of the switch nub, possibly by drilling an inset into the NZT casting underside to give it a more secure fit. That way, you are moving the casting and most, if not all, of the electrical switch is hidden.I'm definitely interested in other approaches to this, but I love the directness of this approach to routing the turnouts and the powering of the frog. At about $0.10 each, it is also very economical.
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Topic: Wiring Atlas Code 55 turnouts using slide switches (Read 15894 times)
