Anyone here use ground throws on there layout? I tried to install one last night, and when it was thrown it put to much pressure on the switch. what does everyone use to throw switches? Thanks Paul
Ground throws
- Thread starter plbab
- Start date
I used the Chooch Industry N Scale ground throws on my last layout. Though grossly oversized, they did work well.
Wayne
Wayne
Unless I need remote, I just leave hte machine off. Weatherin' gums everything up enough to hold it in place. Rude, crude and effective. Nothing there looks better to me than other solutions.
Paul: You need to match the ground throw to the switch. It should throw just slightly more than the points move.
You can get ground throws with springs in them that take up the extra travel. Or you can hook them to the switch with a piece of wire that compensates -- the brits use an "Omega loop", shaped like that Greek letter, which really is a half circle bent into the side of the wire (or just a V shape).
If I'm mounting a ground throw, I set it fully straight and pull the points straight and mark where the mounting holes come. I then set it fully curved and push the points curved and mark the holes again. Then I mark halfway between those settings and put the nails/screws in there.
You can get ground throws with springs in them that take up the extra travel. Or you can hook them to the switch with a piece of wire that compensates -- the brits use an "Omega loop", shaped like that Greek letter, which really is a half circle bent into the side of the wire (or just a V shape).
If I'm mounting a ground throw, I set it fully straight and pull the points straight and mark where the mounting holes come. I then set it fully curved and push the points curved and mark the holes again. Then I mark halfway between those settings and put the nails/screws in there.
Caboose ground throws are what I used. (Earlier I mistakenly said Chooch Industries.) They always worked well but the N Scale throws were way out of scale and required giant LPB's to operate.b28_82 said:
Wayne
Oh I agree that they are grossly out of scale but unless i put switch machines in thats what its gotta be. I dont feel like putting the machines in now that I have the track down and it's a module anyhow. Cheaper to bang up a ground throw instead of a switch machine.
If you don't like the looks, you can mount the hand throws right at the side of the layout and run long wires (in brass tube, maybe) to the switch.
That is an idea. I also thought of bending a piano wire and painting it yellow and attach it to look like the ground throws you see today in the yards.
Radio Shack switches...
I actually came across an article in a magazine (I can't remember which one now) where a simple DPDT slide switch mounted next to the turnout could be used with some .025 steel wire. I am using C55 Micro Engineering stuff and was having a heck of a time deciding what to do so I tried this idea. It is simple, works very reliably, can be made to look decent (I have rotatable targets on mine), provides very postive point closure while also providing electrical power to the frog and signals, and at less than $2.00 a pop they are tough to beat!
I must say that sometimes simple ideas work the best!
Jeff
I actually came across an article in a magazine (I can't remember which one now) where a simple DPDT slide switch mounted next to the turnout could be used with some .025 steel wire. I am using C55 Micro Engineering stuff and was having a heck of a time deciding what to do so I tried this idea. It is simple, works very reliably, can be made to look decent (I have rotatable targets on mine), provides very postive point closure while also providing electrical power to the frog and signals, and at less than $2.00 a pop they are tough to beat!
I must say that sometimes simple ideas work the best!
Jeff