It's a shame that the Lemaco and Fulgurex switch machines aren't made anymore. I've found that they are bulletproof and some of the linkage parts seem to be easy to make if you have the skills and the correct dies and brass rod. The N-Trak club that i belong to uses them and they live a long time as long as you clean them every 10 or so years and the motors used are the type you might find at radio shack. plus the 4 set microswitch contacts are commercially available and i've seen them advertised in Model Railroader a couple times plus i've come across them on the web as well. The only problem remains that the machines themselves are no longer being manufactured, and if they are they are impossible to find.
I myself am still using twin-coil machines, with peco machines and accessory switches on my module and i just came into a quantity of 30 NJ international machines all brand-spanking-new. for about $1 apiece and that adds shipping cost into the factoring.
In regards to the Cobalt machines, they are just miniature Tortoise clones and are just as reliable (and expensive) but the quality is there if not more so than the Tortoises.
-Cody F.
