I am planning on building my own turnouts using sunset valley track. Does anyone have any suggestions for the turnout motors and where I can buy them? I live in Toronto, Ontario Canada.
I will be using a Zimo system to control the turn-outs.
Rivendell R.R.
How about the MTF system? Works well for me.
wtf’smtf.
mk
Wondered when someone was going to ask. My Two Fingers. 
Mike Morgan said:My [i]guess[/i] is My Ten Fingers. That's not universally applicable since some people perhaps have been woodworking, butchering or whatever and they lost one or two in the process.
wtf'smtf. mk
Mike Pizzey said:
I am planning on building my own turnouts using sunset valley track. Does anyone have any suggestions for the turnout motors and where I can buy them? I live in Toronto, Ontario Canada.I will be using a Zimo system to control the turn-outs.
Rivendell R.R.
First off, Congratulations on the ZIMO.
Now my questions: Indoor or Outdoor layout? Are the point rails going to be fixed or hinged? How many turnouts bunched in how many locations?
Mike, my son…have you ever heard of your Ottawa brothers…try looking us up…www.ovgrs.org/
I find toes work well
Mike,
You might be able to adapt LGB turnout motors to your switches. Sunset Valley sells an adapter plate for these motors to use on the switches they sell.
jb
My suggestion is to go air power, control the turnout air motors with solenoids connected to a Digitrax DS64 quad decoder. The air motors are very positive, do not corrode, etc. You will not have to open them up and get the dead bugs out of them!
The Digitrax decoder handles 4 turnout motors.
Regards, Greg
Thanks for the reply
Now my questions: Indoor or Outdoor layout? Outdoor
Are the point rails going to be fixed or hinged? Fixed - however do you know where I might find an explanation of hinged points?
How many turnouts bunched in how many locations? I have yet to establish a track plan so I expect that initially the turnouts will be well spaced but a some point I will be building a switching yard with arrays of closely spaced turnouts
I use my fingers…not sure how many. Make my own switchstands from brass…
Mike Pizzey said:Hi Mike,
Are the point rails going to be fixed or hinged? Fixed - however do you know where I might find an explanation of hinged points?
One example of “How to” you’ll find on my hobby site at http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/E/html/track.html on this page http://www.rhb-grischun.ca/E/html/trc.html
Airpowered is the trick for fixed point rails, LGB turnout motors will work for hinged variety.
If you power the solenoids in singles then you could use the ZIMO MX82D, it is sealed for outside use.
BTW the decoder is small enough to fit into the LGB turnout motor housing. http://www.beathis.ch/lgb/digital/MX81/mx81_e.html The MX81 is the predecessor of the MX82
But, anything with a decoder or electric motor needs wiring.
I have a couple of EZAire units, no wires to corrode, no motors to get rusty or gummy.
I cannot think of a bigger waste of time than to run power AND air to a switch machine so you can “add” a decoder.
I LOVE my EZ-air system I bought from Curmudgeon. Powerful, reliable, easy to operate !
Curmudgeon said:
But, anything with a decoder or electric motor needs wiring.I have a couple of EZAire units, no wires to corrode, no motors to get rusty or gummy.
I cannot think of a bigger waste of time than to run power AND air to a switch machine so you can “add” a decoder.
If it reads : “I will be using a Zimo system to control the turn-outs.”, then I have a tendency to mention how it can be done with air or el. motors using the ZIMO system.
Doesn’t mean that I’d do it that way in the garden. 
While we’re on the EZAire units, how large a tank do they need for a day’s operation? And how far do you run your supply lines?
Well, we fill an old hot water tank, runs about 7 hours or so, and that’s because the old compressor leaks down a bit.
One line from garage to local toggles, one line only.
Have the toggles in a maintenance shed.
Lift off the roof, there they are.
You can use a spare tire, fill a portable air tank, one guy uses an old air brush compressor.
Have yet to corrode out my air hoses…
I have an air compressor in the garage, always on. It’s about 150 feet from the railroad. I put the regulator there, and then ran the thin 1/8" line to the back yard. I made an “accumulator” from 12" of 3" ABS pipe, so it feeds the switches, and then is refilled by the main line. Works great.
You can buy a small air tank from the auto supply houses, fill to 125 psi, and run all day, as an alternative.
I run just the air line to the switch, I use the digitrax DCC decoders to run 4 switches. I can mount these wherever it is convenient, out of the elements. They are powered from the track, so put them in trackside shantys, etc.
Regards, Greg
Ah, the telling part.
Power on the track.
Yep, wanted to minimize power wiring. Now, many people will tell you to use a separate power bus to power accessory decoders, but given good wiring practices, you should be able to hang stuff off the rails. This is very convenient. So far it works for me, knock on wood!
Regards, Greg