bachmann manual turnouts

[donsteve]

are there any manual control  switch throws like those from the caboose company for bachmann manual turnouts?

[Jim Banner]

Caboose Hobby's ground throws are primarily designed for turnouts with throw bars as found, for example, on Atlas Snap Switches.  However, they can be adapted to other brands by raising them up to the proper height with a base or mounting pad of the right thickness, then making up an adapter to connect to the turnout's throw bar.  With Bachmann turnouts, the throw bar is internal.  This means cutting away part of the enclosure in order to extend/adapt the throw bar.  Trimming some off the top is an obvious approach but risky having the throw bar exposed to view and whatever detritis might fall into it.  Working from underneath the turnout may also be possible.

Jim

[Len]

Since the manual throw lever operates 90deg off from the Caboose ground throw slide, you might be able to set up a 'bell crank', like the RC plane folks use, to connect the two. The bell crank would turn the in/out motion of the ground throw to side-to-side motion for the switch lever.

Len

[Jim Banner]

I like Len's idea because it does not require modifying the turnout.  An added advantage of a bell crank is that you can choose different arm lengths to increase the short movement of the ground throw to a longer movement required to operate the switch machine throw lever.

Jim