VERY crude experiment with turnout control.

[Ralph]

Ralph:
I'll just suggest that you take your time with the places where the string goes through holes. You'll want a nice smooth cut with no bits inside the hole.

Our RV has "day & night" shades that run up and down on cords and most of them now have frayed or worse strings. I've got replacement cord but I need a couple of nice warm days to work on it.

That's a good point David. I'll try to keep an eye on that.

I now have five operating turnout controls. I have materials for one more. I think I may stop after that for a couple of weeks and just run trains over them to see how they work and last.

Ralph

[BR60103]

I just checked. I don't have any Bullfrog pricing, but I paid $11.49 for a Blueline control kit.

[Charlie B]

Well, after suggesting the braided fishing line I had to go out of town to get it because our Bass Pro Shop didn't have any. So I went to Wal-Mart and got it. I also found some things called metal crimp tubes     that I thought I could use over a pin to make crude pulleys to ease the path of the string. I'll post a picture when I do one.
I was also wondering if a rubber band could be used to tie to the string that holds the points in the one position and staple the other end so it would have the right amount of tension. You can buy a lot of high quality rubber bands for the cost of the weight hooks (Ralph thinks he's cheap)
The possibilities of this basic principle are endless. This is why I think model railroading is fun, and having all the members here to yea or nix ideas is great. How about running the strings to a set of Armstrong levers.
Charlie

[BR60103]

Next step in the design may be a tensioning device to take up the stretch in the string.

[Ralph]

Progress in making my crude experiment a little more refined! I'm creating identifying signs for each barrel bolt with a description of the turnout's function and a colored dot designation for direction. I've tried to be consistent and oriented all of the barrel bolt controls so the top position keeps the turnout set for the main line or straight option. The lower position for all controls sets the turnout to its diverting right or left direction.
I've added colored dots to help visually reinforce this idea. Green is straight, red is diverted.



I also tried to make the finshline and nail connection look better by coloring it with a black marker. I'll replace the ballast I removed during installation.

[Charlie B]

Now, that is impressive.

I have all the material, but haven't had the gumption to try one out.
That is one of the projects that has several other projects to do before they can be done if you get the drift.

Ralph, you have come up with some great ideas. Has it anything to do with the shape the PC is in?
Charlie

[Ralph]

Chewing gum and baling twine Charlie. The PC is bankrupt!

[Charlie B]

I really enjoy being cheap with the layout. I'm not a good scratch builder, and not the greatest with super detailing, but when it comes to making things do, I think I do well. Best buy yet was the truckload of limestone ballast, with the ground foam a close second. If I could figure how to get the grass stain off white socks to use for dying the foam I could really cut the cost.

Charlie

[train_guy]

I came across this <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.humpyard.com/">http://www.humpyard.com/</a><!-- m --> totally manual,and a pretty good price.20 controllers for $136.00

[Ralph]

Those are cool!