Devon Sinsley said:
I know with battery reverse loops are no issue. I don’t know what it takes with track power.
With straight track power it requires a stop on an isolation section, polarity swap on the isolation section and direction change on the main - then proceed. With DCC it still requires some isolation, but the polarity swap can be automated with a control circuit and no stop is required.
On our club modular layout we have Aristo wide turnouts to which I have installed LGB electric actuators. We use a switching panel that is powered by a sealed 12V battery. As the switch actuators are momentary, there isn’t much battery drain. I periodically charge this battery, but we have never had it discharge to any great extent. This battery is now 11 years old. I charge it with a 12 volt 1.5 AMP charger with trickle charge.
Some of the DCC units will do DC for reverse loop, LGB did offer one.
HI, Glad you got a good find on some track. And some rollig track. If you are serious about doing it. And if had the chance to start over. GO BATTERY POWER. And. AIR CONTROL turnsouts if you want otherwiseanual tnrows.
Most of my switches are manual since I like to send a train on its way then meet it where the cars will be dropped or picked up.
In the bigger yard I have 4 LGB switches that are a bit out of reach so those are actuated by the LGB electric drives using a orange LGB control box. It is nice to have those switches powered
In another spot that is tough to reach I have setup a plastic tube with a greased up wire inside of it that is connected to the out of reach switch.
It only takes a small movement to push those points over. I have heard of some guys using components from the RC plane world to do the same.
I use air power to move switches, been very happy, no electric motors to corrode, no internal contacts to go bad, no lightweight motors that can’t move a bit of gravel or overcome a little ballast near the throwbar:
you can power it with something as simple as a 5 gallon tank which at 125 psi will last quite a while, the air motors run at 40 psi
I use electric solenoids (at locations as far as 40 feet away, under cover) to activate the switches, this is a picture of 4 of them:
Since I was smart enough to realize DCC works just fine outdoors, I can attach a DCC decoder anywhere on the layout, powering the decoder and the air solenoids from the track, no extra wires:
The picture below runs 4 turnouts, requires just 2 wires to the rails anywhere on the layout:
At the other end of the spectrum …
My switch machine;
With the left spring leg in this hole, it’s a slip by/ slide by spring switch. With that leg placed in the rust stained hole it becomes a flop over spring switch. When in the flop over position I control it it a stick or a piece of pvc with a screw sticking out for leverage. No bending over needed. Sticks are stationed about.
For light weight pilot wheels, a light spring is best, all it needs do is throw the points across and/or hold them to the rail.
I have a double noose layout, (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)reverse loops(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif). Operation is as hands on as I wish to make it.
Happy Rails,
John
I walk along the train and throw them as necessary. I originally used switch stands made from brass:
However, after knocking a LOT of these down with my feet, many of my turnouts are now controlled with Ten Mille ground throws…still hand thrown.
Pete Lassen said:
Thanks David, I have read some on the spring switches and for loops they sound like a good way to go.Still not sure how things will be as far as loops or reverse loops so, are they difficult to make work, is it just on how you set the spring?
Pete, its all in setting the spring tension right. Now I am back to using 2 Aristo switches with the manual switch machines they came with. I just bent the one leg of the spring to reduce the pressure it puts on the points. Even my little LGB Chloe and her 2 axle rolling stock can push the points over with the spring adjusted properly, and the points still spring back to their default position.
For reverse loops with DC track power, you need to have a way to sense that a locomotive is in the loop, and then have a circuit that reverses the polarity of the power on the mainline before the locomotive exits the loop. The loop has to be electrically isolated from the main, both rails, both ends ( for a total of 4 gaps).
With DCC, you just have to reverse the polarity of the power in the loop while the locomotive is in the loop. The decoder will keep the locomotive traveling in whatever direction is was traveling in, before the loop polarity was reversed.
Battery power is dirt simple. There is no power/polarity on the rails to even consider.
OK I am intrigued by the pneumatic throws. Not that I am going to go all fancy and have a remote operated system, but in a few hard to reach areas what would it take to throw an air switch with some sort of hand pump or bulb or something? I am thinking a squeeze bulb for like a outboard boat motor.
Devon, the 5 gallon tank with a gauge is $28 at Harbor Freight. It will run for some time if you fill it to 125 psi.
You need 40 psi for the switch motors.
No you cannot use a squeeze bulb, keep it for the Thanksgiving turkey!
You can get manual toggle switches for a few bucks that switch compressed air and then later electrically control them if you want.
The toggles are like $6 each.
Greg
Seems like you would also need a regulator to get from 125 to 40 psi so you don’t blow out the seals.
OK I will save the turkey baster. A portable tank like that one would certainly be easy enough. A small regulator isn’t a big deal either. I could see doing that. And a couple toggles. I actually rather like this idea for a few places where I was concerned about being able to reach them.
Am I to assume then all I would need would be the actuator, the toggle, tank and some air line?
The New Mexico Northern uses all Air motors to control the throws. I designed and built my own. I will in the near future be able to control remotely with my wireless throttle using the same Digitrax system that Greg E. uses. I can route my trains while setting in my glider under the shade with a cool one.
Note: yes it used 40PSI air to drive the throw on the switches, But it uses less then 1/2 cubic inch of volume @ 40 psi. The tank will last a loooong time. You can also use a car tire for your air supply.
Devon, folks also used choke cables, or bicycle brake cables for their odd, remote switch.
David Maynard said:
Devon, folks also used choke cables, or bicycle brake cables for their odd, remote switch.
Yeah I am thinking of using this method on the indoor. But in the elements it seems like your asking for issues. Probably not. The air idea seems pretty low maintenance and high reliability. Although in either case we are only talking a few turnouts.
Dave, were you making the housings for the air motors? Any thoughts on adding the waterproof microswitch for live frogs?
Thanks, Greg
@Greg Yup. Cast my own, and yes I thought of the micro switch. Damm how we never have the time to do the things we need to do. I’ll PM you with the needs, etc.
Devon Sinsley said:
David Maynard said:
Devon, folks also used choke cables, or bicycle brake cables for their odd, remote switch.
Yeah I am thinking of using this method on the indoor. But in the elements it seems like your asking for issues. Probably not. The air idea seems pretty low maintenance and high reliability. Although in either case we are only talking a few turnouts.
I know that they use choke cables on a number of switches up in Canada and they work very well. I’m not sure what maintenance is required.
Devon, I am guessing a choke cable, they make them with plastic/rubber coating and the old wound wire cover I am guessing would be same as a bicycle brake / shifter cable, as long as you use them occaisionly they will give trouble free operation. Possible every so often squirt some WD40 or similar producet down the line and work them back and forth a few times.
Bruce, those look really cool, how do they put up with your feet? any better than the previous ones?
Thanks to everyone you all have made things clear as mud, as my dad used to say. Meaning everyones answers are all good ones and all have valid points in their favor, all in all please continue with your debate, I am glad I asked this one.
Greg I can see the good points with your set up, I have a small compressor I could move outside when I need it then roll it back into the garage, like someone else asked, does it need a regulator to step the pressure down to 40psi, or do they work fine at 125? I am gong to you site to readup.
