Tortise and Atlas turnout switch

[jward]

I have one layer of 1" foam down on a 1/2" 4'x8' sheet of plywood.  I'm not using and Woodland Scenics subterranian stuff. My first track will be on the 1" foam (actually insulation board).  I'll add height by 1/2" incerments of foam.  If a hard base is needed I can always insert it into the foam between the 1/2" layers where needed or place some 1/4" plywood or fiberboard where needed.  This is my thinking anyway. Thinking often gets me in trouble.

the 1/2 inch plywood is sturdy enough to mount a tortiose, but if you are using minimum 1" foam on top of the plywood you'll want to make your own actuating rod out or a good stiff wire. you could probably get away with using a straightened paper clip, i have with other switch motors, but to be sure i'd use a length of piano wire slightly larger in diameter than the actuating rod that comes with the tortiose. this rod is unbent, by the way, and tortiose supplies a template for bending the rod. since what you'll be doing is making a longer rod, you can use the template they supply. the tortiose actuator is bent at one end, and a straight rod up through the benchwork to your switch. it doesn't matter how long the wire is when you are installing the tortoise, as you'll be threading the wire through the throwbar of the switch from underneath the table. as long as it reaches the throwbar you can trim it later

[OkieRick]

I've looked at Tortoise and Hare and Wabbit and The DS 64.  When it comes to operation the DS64 is a bigger $$ saver - important on my project. 

I reckon my question now is will the DS64 operate a an Atlas Remote Switch Machines handily?  PD you may have answered this already - I need to know for sure.

You folks are a lot of help - I'm glad I didn't jump into buying stuff, nailing track and find out all my "stuff" wouldn't work together.  Don't quit on me yet. I'm 56 and still learning.  In '67 & '68 I switched the turnout by hand.  Wish it was still an option.

Many thanks-
Rick

hmm, wonder what's for breakfast...

[jward]

rick, why is hand throw not an option? it would be much simpler, and with that particular layout, which i've seen built up at hobbytown, all switches are within an easy reach.

[pdlethbridge]

Rick, I have 3 ds-64's operating my atlas switch machines. Because they are each powered by a wall wort, they don't take power from the tracks. They are capacitor discharge and give they machines a good kick. 100 times better than the atlas push buttons..

[Chris350]

rick, why is hand throw not an option? it would be much simpler, and with that particular layout, which i've seen built up at hobbytown, all switches are within an easy reach.

In an earlier post he made reference to a mouth stick.  I am assuming Rick is some how disabled and has limited use of his hands.

[jward]

ok that would make sense. easier to push a button than to try to reach, especially from a sitting position.

[OkieRick]

I rolled my car on 12-18-1973 and broke my neck.  I'm a C3-C7 level quad paralyzed from the armpit area down.  I don't have any hand or arm movement at all.  I have a head control with proximity sensors built into the back and each side. A chin switch allows me to change from forward to reverse, tilt and/or recline and change gears (programmed drive parameters). A movement of my head forward, left or right rolls my power chair.

I have a mouthstick I use to keyboard and anything else I am able to do with it as a "finger" - like dial and answer the phone, set the thermostat located at my height while in a power chair, etc.  It's not the best of lifestyles, I wouldn't recommend it at all.  But I can think of worse alternatives.  I live out in the country, have a RR track about 50 yards to the East, get to enjoy nature and can pizz on the ground purt' near anywhere here and not worry about the neighbors calling the police to report me for indecent exposure.

         

That's me & Mayebelle caught howling at the moon.

Farm & ranch life is nice - you never quite get everything done.  Eh, Yampa Bob?

I enjoy a new challenge - HO gage model rail roading has my attention now. Whatever I do I try to do as well as I can. It's a good crew here on this forum sharing a lot of knowledge - I soak up what I can and don't mind asking questions.  I appreciate being treated as an equal.  I don't get my nose out of joint too easily.

I thank y'all for the helpful information.  Now back to regular programming in your area.

Okie Rick

      

[pdlethbridge]

      Rick, your not quit as ugly as me, but your getting there.
     
      Was it you or mayebelle howling at the moon? or both of you?  Ouch, a neck break is bad. But I'm glad you didn't loose you sense of humor.

     I had a major stroke in 1998, a left brain stem CVA, what ever that is. I have limited use of my right side. My hand an arm are pretty much an ornament but I can walk slowly, very slowly. I spent a month in the hospital relearning how to eat, dress and even to use the bathroom. I try to stay as independent as I can but people drive me where I need to go on occasion as I don't have a car or license.

[OkieRick]

PD, you & I are perfect examples why there should be rail accomodations between towns and trolley service in towns.  I have chair user buddies in NZ, Australia, UK and all over EU that make use of the rail service for transportation.  My mother tells of riding the Santa Fe from Dewey to Bartlesville - 5 miles - for 5 cents. Evening trips back to Dewey on the MKT cost the same.  'Course this was in the 1930's.

I think the U.S. blew it not keeping up it's post war RR service.  But this is for another topic.

OkieRick

[Jhanecker2]

I agree with the fact that  RR service should have been supported to the same degree that highway and airport construction was and is currently.  In the Chicago Area ridership is up on Metra and other rail services, and more towns are requesting service.  Politicians are always a Day late and a Dollars short .  God may have created the universe in six days, but the maintance goes on forever .  John II

[pdlethbridge]

Rick, I remember taking a trip to Boston by train with my mother some 55 years ago. They still had steam on the B&M and that was pulling our train.

[OkieRick]

About 15 years ago my sister in LA checked on taking the trip back home to visit the folks in OK by rail on the Amtrack just to give her kids the experience of riding a train.  Then Wichita was as close as she could get straight through.  You can get from LA to OKC if you're patient...


                       


I didn't pick the dates, the scheduler did.  I didn't bother to check the price.

Seems most Amtrack service is on the Eastern seaboard, West coast and across Texas to the south and Kansas & Illinois to the north.  Okies just pay taxes to help keep it running.

Trains could sure move worlds of freight and people.  Wish I'd had taken a train trip when I could have, wheelchair or not.

[Yampa Bob]

Rick,

"Pa Kettle" had a philosophy about getting things done..."Can't fix the roof when it's raining, and when it ain't raining the roof don't need fixed". 

[OkieRick]

While my buddies are busy with their kids and grandkids graduating high school I took the time to take stock and order some items needed so I can continue laying and cutting foam.  I called Victor at ERail - http://www.erailhobbies.com/ - my train only hobby shop / MRR club boss in Tulsa. He let me buy at club prices so I saved some bucks on Atlas Code 83 Custom-Line #6 and #8 Left and Right turnouts and Remote Switch Machines. 

Also picked up a Digitrax DS64 Quad decoder to control 4 switches PD told me about. He started to sell me a less expensive DS44 but found it only worked with Tortoise or other slow motion switches. 

I need some 83 to 100 conversion track pieces but I can't find any in stock. I've sent email to the vendors listed at Walthers that purchased it there.

Now I'm broke again for a month as far as train equipment goes. I have to get some work done. The long range forecast here is for sunshine or partly cloudy skies. Maybe I can get some foam cut outside.

If not I'll go watch my tomato plants get busy growing after 2 weeks of rain.


Rick

[pdlethbridge]

Take your rail joiner and flatten it on one half, slide the open end on a piece of code 100 rail. Lay a piece of code 83 on the flattened end and solder just the code 83 side. A touch up with a file is all you need. By the way, does your stick have its own file?