Everything on model trains, model railroads, model railways, locomotives, model train layouts, scenery, wiring, DCC and more. Enjoy the world's best hobby... model railroading!
Switch Tracks Side To Side
Eric models N Scale and asks:
“I was watching a video and I saw a layout that instead of a round table had a table that moved side to side to switch tracks. Does anyone know what this is called and if I can get one somewhere for my layout?”
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION
In AU this is called a Traverser.
WALTHERS SELLS IT BUT NOT FOR N SCALE ONLY FOR HO AND IT COST ABOUT $200.00 . I WENT TO A TRAIN SHOW IN NC. AND THE REP. SAID ITS NOT WORTH CHANGING TOOLS FOR N SCALE. THAT WAS 2 YRS. AGO.
IF THEY WOULD HAVE ONE FOR N SCALE I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ONE. MAYBE THEY HAVE ONE NOW. BUT I HAVEN’T ASK.
I’ve never heard of a traverser being commercially available, though professional baseboard constructors may be able to provide one. In the UK, people usually make their own, using appropriate track on a suitable board (Ply, fibreboard, etc.) braced with softwood & fitted with sliding drawer runners, operating within a frame of softwood that holds the corresponding parts of the drawer runners. Wiring requires some form of switching to isolate tracks that are not actually being used. Some brave souls even construct a rotating traverser that turns whole trains when all tracks are full of trains facing in the wrong direction. Others merely fit a locomotive turntable in the fixed baseboard beyond the end of the traverser that is remote from the scenic part of the railway.
Monitor makes one, here’s a link:
https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/produkt/Trix/8-2-0-256992-004014-0-0-0-0-2-0-grp-gb-vor-0/ein_produkt.html
Minitrix^
Called a Transfer Table.
Walthers have an N (Trix) and an HO (Marklin) scale in their catalogue but both are out of stock. Trix USD389 and Marklin USD309. ebay.com is always worth a look as there are a few there at the moment.
Millhouse River Studio makes an excellent one for O gauge, not sure if they sell one for N but it would be worth checking out. They tend to be a bit speedy but well worth every penny…