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Which Turnouts are Best – Remote or Manual?
Reggie models N scale and wants readers advice on turnouts:
“I have started modeling a layout and I was interested on getting some feedback about turn outs, remote versus manual. Which type is the most preferred and why?”
7 Responses to Which Turnouts are Best – Remote or Manual?
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It’s all about accessibility and frequency of throwing the points (and a little bit about appearance). Up close, manual is fine. Further back, remote would be preferred. In the case of special routing like crossovers, remote is nice because all of the turnouts can be thrown simultaneously to be correctly positioned for proper routing. At the club, most of our turnouts are manual, but some that are harder to reach and/or have special routing, we use remote control.
Do you have a fixed console control panel, or do you follow your trains around the layout. In the first instance I would wire my turnouts for remote control. If I had walk around capability then any turnouts within arms reach could be manual, The others, too far to reach, could have a mechanical means to operate them – either rods or cord. But which ever, use Electrofrog, or isolated point system to ensure there is no chance of a train short circuiting when traversing the turnout when using DCC systems.
Both the above are correct, as far as they go. Personally, I am opting for a non-electrical remote control system known as “wire in tube”. The tubes are Teflon (PTFE) with an internal diameter of 1.0 m/m and the wire is piano wire; I have tried wire with an outside diameter of 0.8 m/m, thinking there would be sufficient clearance within the tube (there is, on runs of no more than about a metre), but the wire is a bit too inflexible for fitting to the tie-bars of the points, as it comes in a coil that is impossible to straighten permanently, so it tends to push the tie-bar upwards, causing problems with the points/turnouts (technically, “switches”). The best piano wire to use is about 0.5 or 0.6 m/m – much more flexible. It is possible to obtain straight rod for use in brass tube, but I suspect metal tubes are difficult to bend to the appropriate curve to get the rod from the baseboard edge to the turnout such that it is at right angles to both the baseboard edge and the straight road of the point.
I forgot to mention that the tube (whether copper, brass, stainless steel or PTFE) needs to be recessed into the baseboard so that it can pass under nearby tracks. I am achieving this by mounting the track on cork underlay; other systems exist.
I also forgot to mention that the wire in tube method can be combined with a relay, solenoid or slow-speed motor where it is difficult to mount the electrical machine directly under or alongside the turnout (a remote-remote system, perhaps).
In my opinion, remote turnouts would work best. It all depends on weather or not you like and can reach the turnouts and make the switch. I am going DCC and will have computer control so remote works best in this scenario. My layout will be 4 ft. by 8 ft. So there will be turnouts I can’t reach from one side or the other. So I ask you what do you want to do and model with your layout?
Reggie,
All the suggestions are good. I for one will be walking around and main line switches will eventually be remote on my DCC throittle so I can switch a head of the train. But whether you do them by any of the methods above, I use manual throws in the reachable yards and side tracks and I use tortoise motors for main line high use switches. I also have been using a three way electrical house hold light switch you get from a hardware store El- Cheapo. You can mount directly under your switch and by drilling small holes in the switch handle I have a wire going up to the switch and another one going to a push rod to the side of the layout where you have a push pull handle to switch the switch. Since the switch is over-center sprung when you pull the handle, it will hold the switch in its position.
Now if your switch is mounted at an angle to the side of your layout run the pull rod off the switch then mount a double glued (old CD) and drill for your pins in the edge of the CD. on the other side of the CD mount another rod to the edge of the table. You are now using the CD as a turn cam to straighten it to the side of the table. The reason for the three-way switch is that you can now use the 3 wire circuit to power the frog for the direction of the switch if you have a powered metal frog. If not you at least can run through it for a signal so you can see which direction your switch is thrown. Using the Electric switch and cheap plastic electric box was in an article in the Model Railroader magazine about 4 years ago and I can look it up if you need it. They used a regular house switch. I used the three-way switch for the circuit. Both are spring loaded (don’t go with any variable switch. The spring over center is what you want to hold the switch. These can be used on en-route switches, out of reach switches, where ever they are on the layout. The CD cams work well to change the direction of your push-pull rods. So don’t throw away old CDs. Your whole costs for a switch control by this method is almost nothing Say 3 bucks you only need cheap. as you are not doing house wiring. So don’t by a 3 dollar switch when you can get one for 99 cents…. You can also connect your switch motors to them too as I have on some where there was no room for switch motors under the switch due to tracks underneath. I still use manual commercial throws in the front yards as I will be working right there anyway. Works ell on any scale. and any brand of switch including homemade switches. An atlas HO switch can be 17 to 20 dollars now a days. and an atlas snap switch for it can be 10 or 12. So why pay so much. I am now laying my own homemade switches for about 8. and a half each and once you learn how to make them, they are easy but takes time which is free. (yes they can be done in N scale too…… Newman