Tortose and Hare Sw. Machines

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
That is the first time I've heard of the "Hare", but it looks like a good idea. If you have a large layout on dcc, especially one with reverse loops, the Hare would be great. I think on a large layout that has walkaround control, I would use a Tortoise and Hare on turn outs that would be used with ctc on a prototype railroad. Industrial switches off the mainline, I would use either the Tortoise with a toggle switch, or some sort of manual throw on location. If you are going to operate alone, I would install the push button feature of the Hare at the turn out location so you don't need a dispatcher to throw the turnout. If you aren't going to have a crew over to operate so that you would have a dispatcher at a ctc desk, then you might want to consider only using the Hare on reverse loops. Most other functions of the Hare can be done by button hooked to the Tortoise on location. The other place where it could be useful is in a yard where you could select a track and have the Hare line up all of the necessary turnouts to get from the lead to the selected track.
 

ATSF-Loco

New Member
Wow, thanks for the input, didn't think about it like that...sounds like I don't REALLY need to get them all for all the switches. Cool...save me some money, Thanks!

Sorry for my ignorance...but what is ctc?

Dave
 

tillsbury

Member
Check out the Switch-it at Tony's too. They're not only a lot cheaper, they run two tortoises each (so they're half the price again). Tony's used to do a switch-it with two tortoises as a special deal, but it looks like they've been nobbled by the Hare manufacturers... or they make more profit on them...

They don't plug in to the tortoise, but then they don't dangle off the bottom either, you can mount them where they don't get in the way...
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
ATSF-Loco said:
Sorry for my ignorance...but what is ctc?

Dave

Centralized traffic control, I model Santa Fe (now BNSF, but I model earlier years) and for instance the sidings on Cajon Pass in So. Cal. are controlled from a ctc room in Kansas. Most class one railroads control all switches to sidings coming off the mainline where they would stop a train for a meet or where one of two or more directions can be selected with ctc. I think most hump yards have the switches for all ladder tracks off the hump controlled from a tower so that no one is allowed below the hump when switching. Switches to sidings used by industries for spotting cars for loading/unloading are operated on sight by the train crew as they switch out industries.
 
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