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To get the series started, Model Railroader magazine Editor Eric White shares his process for installing a Tortoise by Circuitron Slow Motion Switch Machine to a non-standard, layout topside position. After explaining the reason for departing from the typical underside installation, Eric walks viewers through the process on the world-renowned HO scale Milwaukee, Racine, & Troy.
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So, why are the tortoise machines mounted on top? Due to clearance for the yard underneath?
Hi Eric,
Yes, I’ve modified what I did a bit, and where possible the switch motors are mounted as close as possible to the existing switch rods. As you say, it’s trying to keep the piano wire attached to the Tortoise from flexing that caused the issues with this first installation – the angular torque.
By placing the switch motor right on top of the throw rod, that torque is minimized, and most of the motion is transferred to the switch rod.
Keeping old layouts operating is always an adventure!
Closing the loop on the throw rod a bit will also give you more adjustment.
Could you have added a small loop to the rod onto the throw rod to make it a bit of push and pull? Not sure that wire is going to last as long as you think it may?
I always use stiffer wire than the wire that comes with the Tortoise machine.
Too bad you did the installation with a previously customized solution. Part of this helped for my application but I do not have your prior throw rods.
This video gave me an idea to hide a switch motor above ground. Using a copper tube to guide the switch wire away from the switch is so simple. This is 20 plus years old and yet until I saw this video I never thought of it. I will use this to move my Atlas motor about 3 inches away from the switch where I can hid it with scenery.
I have a feeling you are going to get lots of comments on this one.
I would of just rotated the machine 90 degrees onto it’s side and let the rod run straight to the eye for the through bar, or just move the machine closer to the eye and let it work as a push pull. 90 bend to the left then a 90 to the right back into the eye.
It is just the way that you have it now, you are adding a lot of angular torque on the rod, I can for see it having problems later on.