Large Scale Central

Simple throw mechanism

Track and Trestles
#1

Hi all, You may remember the MarkI version of powering the frog on the handlaid turnouts. If you don’t

That is the turnout which underwent the “environmental assessment” test. :wink: :wink: As work progressed I came up with the MarkII version. Since the newer turnouts have “bend-the-rail” points (not hinged!) I needed some simple way to keep the points in the proper position. Wellllllll, on the staging yard in HOm days I used toggle switches and attached the throwbar wire to the toggle. That was the no-brainer version of the EMM Actuator mechanism. :wink: :lol: So it was a matter of finding a heavy duty toggle switch that could handle the large shortcircuit currents. The Source (ex Radio Shack) sells a smallish, round switch that is rated at 5A/125VAC and it has a long toggle to provide the required throw.

Glued it into place with epoxy

Fashioned a cover (that is the test sample)

The feeder wire attaches to the rail by drilling a small hole in the railbase and thread it through, then solder.

The cover will be painted and held in place with silicone (easy removal if required). Oh BTW, to drill the small hole for the actuating wire in the toggle handle: file a flat on the toggle handle, clamp the handle in the vise to drill. That way the drill will certainly not wander and inserting the wire from below is easier on a flat with a hole. The throwbar shown is the MarkI type. :wink:

#2

So your switch not only sets the polarity of the frog, but holds the points firmly in place…

Pretty clever there.

#3
Tom Ruby said:
So your switch not only sets the polarity of the frog, but holds the points firmly in place...

Pretty clever there.


Tom,

Thank you.

Without undue modesty, people have never paid me for my good looks or my charming personality.:wink: :slight_smile:

#4

No surprise there , then

#5
Mike Morgan said:
No surprise there , then
Mike,

No surprise :wink: :), good looks and a charming personality don’t analyze, comprehend and then rectify a problem, do they? :smiley: :smiley:

Believe me, I even serviced some of the “Reuben Goldberg” designed equipment out of England; takes mental dexterity to fix some of that stuff like Newall JigBoring M/Cs etc.

The Brits have a tendency to do it the hard way (hair shirt league!), ask anyone who ever had the “pleasure” of working on a brit-built car.

#6

You really must learn to understand English and its nuances , otherwise all this is wasted .
Remember what I said in the email .

#7

Mike,

I don’t receive email from you. :wink:

#8

Interesting ! I envisioned something similar some time back to use on a couple switches that would only be used occasionally. I gave up track power when I moved outside so I don’t need the contacts but it seemed like a toggle switch would do a good job holding the points. I figured to mount the toggle vertically, extending the handle length with some tubing and using it like the old Harp style levers. The only issue was keeping the water out of the works. Sealed switches are available but tend to be more costly.

On the issue of British cars, I drove an MG for 7 years and came to the conclusion that the Brits genuinely like to tinker with their automobiles. While some problems were indeed aggrevating virtually everything was fixable. Unlike todays technology where assemblies are considered disposable and are welded or riveted together most everything on the MG was put together to be taken apart and fixed or rebuilt which at the time was a blessing for me as I didn’t have the funds to just replace major parts. It remains the most fun car I have ever driven !

#9

Hi Gary,

I considered vertical mount and rejected it on account of rain getting in there - it doesn’t rain much or often here, but the more reliable the better.

The Mark3 version will have a handthrow and switch target to get it to “just like the RhB” status.

I had just one English car to contend with, very first one in 1963, a Ford Zephyr.
6 weeks of entertainment with that “product” was my “never again!” intro to Brit cars. Mikey mentioned the barge poles the other day ;). Well I don’t think they make one long enough, but sticking with the nautical theme: “makes a nice boat anchor”!

#10

It’s me again, :wink:

This is how I drill the hole in the toggle switch levers. file the flat on the lever (as mentioned) clamp securely in the vise on the milling machine, the collar of the switch snugged up against the end of the vise jaw measure the distance required and position the drill accordingly start the hole really gently so that the drill doesn’t wander. I always drill a batch of switches at the same time. If I’m really lazy I use a previously drilled switch to line up the position. This gives great repeatability, after all this isn’t a Rolls-Royce where everything is custom fitted and hardly anything is interchangeable. :wink: :slight_smile:

#11

Because the photo is trying to show a clean workshop and its contents , and not the job in hand , it is taken too far back for you to see at first glance that the switch has a tapered throw . Clamped in a parallel jaw vise !!!. Think about that one , chaps before you try this at home
Now , a real engineer would have used packing to stop the throw swivelling when the drill is brought into play .Some of us have hard wood jaw helpers for just this purpose . But we are practical engineers
A lousy engineer just winds the vise handle up hard and squashes the thing flat .
Filing a flat for drilling is not necessary , and if the switch throw is chrome plated , will ruin your file . The drill will wander on the round surface of the throw , but being so small will wander anyway .
So a good engineer would use a centre drill . I presume that among all his fantastic tool array there is a Centre Drill .
They go from bleedin’ big down to teeny .

Just a practical engineer’s view .

Just in case someone has forgotten what they look like , a centre drill is a polished round tool steel shaft which tapers sharply down to a further very short shaft terminated in a boring bit (like a drill —but supported all the way up with heavy metal ),
Usually double ended and designed for use where accurate centring is important .
Generally introduced in engineering courses at the Lathe , some people think that is its only use .
Wrong .
Finally , beware when drilling chrome plate , the turnings are VERY sharp , and either bury themselves in your skin , or cut you badly if they are still attached to the job if you handle them .

ps .
Hans , you are handy with a camera , show us how to mount a wagon body in a miller . And send us a photo of your broken light , or did the untidy workshop give you a funny turn ?

Mike

Now you’ve read this far , I have to tell you that something is missing from my post above . No , apart from vitty chokes and so on .
Not claiming that it is a perfect write-up by any means , I should tell you that a Centre Drill will not go right through the job–unless , that is , the job is very thin .
You start your hole with the centre drill , then use that as a lead to finish off with a normal drill .
The hole you made with the centre drill is deep enough to prevent drill wander , In practise , if the centre drill is properly sharpened ,it leaves a hole with a conical bottom, this cone centres the drill for boring through . So , if your centre drill is slightly bigger than the hole you want , it will still centre through drill . Practise makes this a very useful practical engineering tip . Try it , you may find the answer to a lot of problems .
The centre drill is only a very accurate centre punch in this application .

#12

Mike,

You missed the whole point, like so many times before! Probably because you don’t read carefully or you just don’t comprehend.

I’m basically lazy, therefore I always figure out an easier way to do things that will give me perfect results.
Any fool can do things the complicated way!

BTW do you remember March 21st 2005? That was a very good day! :smiley: :smiley:

#13

PS to the above:

Mike M said:
Mike the moron ---computer problems .
I really don't recall anyone calling you that, but consideration may be given to [b]"Flatbread Mike"[/b]. ;) :)
#14

The way you two carry on makes me all the more glad that I never had any children !

#15

OK , Gary , point taken
Mike

#16
Gary Buchanan said:
The way you two carry on makes me all the more glad that I never had any children !
Gary,

No problem. :wink: :wink: