Has anybody used Caboose Industries ground throws in 0 Scale for their Large Scale switches? The ones in 0 Scale have a rep in the 0 Scale world of being a bit big, so they might work for our use. They are made of Delrin and stainless, so they ought to be OK out in the elements.
Steve,
i do not think there is sufficient throw to use in large scale, especially with comercial switches. i had an ho scale one many years ago and it was kinda fragile.
Al P.
I tried using some a few years ago…they are NOT suitable for outdoor use…
Another good idea shot to he!!.
Just out of curiosity Bart, what happened? Did they fall apart? I would normally make the same assumption on delrin as Steve.
Greg
I tried their HO ground throws outdoors many, many moons ago. I hooked them to the throw bar via a springwire lever, so to get adequate throw and make it a spring switch. I found the ballast would get caught in the mechanism, jamming or breaking the ridge that moved the arm. We later switched to the Tenmille throws.
These look to have different mechanics, but I’d still worry about ballast getting in and jamming up the works.
Later,
K
Kevin Strong said:
I tried their HO ground throws outdoors many, many moons ago. I hooked them to the throw bar via a springwire lever, so to get adequate throw and make it a spring switch. I found the ballast would get caught in the mechanism, jamming or breaking the ridge that moved the arm. We later switched to the Tenmille throws.
These look to have different mechanics, but I’d still worry about ballast getting in and jamming up the works.
Later,
K
I certainly can understand about ballast overwhelming H0 sized ground throws, but the ones I’m interested in are the oversized for 0 scale ones. Is it that the ballast makes the Delrin too abraded to work, or is it just that the rocks overwhelm the tiny H0 sized units.
Would the ballast be any more detrimental to the Delrin than to the metal of the Tenmille ones?
I think I’ll contact the manufacturer and see what he thinks, maybe even get a couple for a road test.
For some reason, the insert link didn’t work. So, www.cabooseind.com
The small size of the HO units was I think the biggest challenge. I’ll see if Caboose Hobbies has any of the O scale ones in stock.
Later,
K
Still would like to hear the details of Bart’s experience.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Still would like to hear the details of Bart’s experience.
Greg
Me, too. Bart???
I stopped by Caboose today. They didn’t have any of the O scale throws, but I looked at the HO ones. If the O scale throws are twice the size of the HO ones, they’d still be too delicate to use outdoors.
Later,
K
Thanks for looking, Kevin.
I have an email into the company, but so far, no response after four days.
Seems to me if one is tring to throw the switch and there is resistance one would look to clear the obstruction to avoid brakage. There are products out there to prevent UV damage also. Later RJD
Knew Steven P in Junior High and High School. We’d sit around and assemble the HO ground throws when bored.
Bert put them on the yard part of Midwest Rails’ modular layout, and except for the one Madam Mallet destroyed, they work quite nicely. Steve says the O gauge ones don’t give you enough “point pressure” for G, making it more likely to “pick a point.” He doesn’t know when or if he’ll make a G size one.
Wonder what might happen if you put a piano wire spring between the points throwbar and the switch stand?
There are springs inside the mechanism.
While I’m digging up old photos, here’s Steve Olson of Caboose Industries:
