Controlling turnouts manually and with motors

I'm making Atlas's shelf switching layout No. 19 and plan to make it so that several people can be utilized in its operation. I see photos in MR of clubs and all the folks involved in an evening's operation. Do they have trainmen and if so, should I install ground throws for the turnouts to give this craft some work or make them electric and let the engineer do it himself? Also, if anyone has any experience with this track plan, would you make any changes or additions? Seems like there is no place to store the cars dragged from the various industrial and business sites while pushing in the new cars.
Jock Ellis

I can't speak to the layout plan, but I can tell you that I have replaced many of my powered switch throws with Caboose Industries ground throws. My major main line turnouts are now powered by Tortoise slo-motion switch machines. Why? Because I (or the operator) will have more to do. In other words, more personal involvement in operating the trains.

I'll take an opposing tack, not so much for advice (after all, with a switching layout, you can change your mind on things like the post just above suggests), but because the topic sets me to thinking:

I see in so many layout features guys who've detailed their rolling stock to the nines, got all the right phases on their diesels, announce their layout is set on April 12, 1956 just like it's supposed to be -- and right in the foreground of every photo is a Caboose Industries ground throw, just in scale for some guy 82 feet tall.

I will say no more.

If you are going to run your layout solo from a single location, then it helps to have every turnout motorized that you can control from a single panel. If you are creating a layout that is meant to be operated as you walk along with your train, then you have a couple of options:

1) Make only mainline turnouts motorized. Wire them all to a central panel that your "Dispatcher" would control. Leave turnouts for customer sidings as manual turnouts that your train crews would operate.

2) Same idea as above, except that you motorize all your turnouts. Instead of wiring the customer sidings to the central control panel, there is a control right at the turnout that the crew walking along with the train would operate.

Either way, the choice is up to you.

-otto-

jwb1323 wrote:I see in so many layout features guys who've detailed their rolling stock to the nines, got all the right phases on their diesels, announce their layout is set on April 12, 1956 just like it's supposed to be -- and right in the foreground of every photo is a Caboose Industries ground throw, just in scale for some guy 82 feet tall.

I will say no more.

Well, for those who don't like the Caboose Industries ground throws, there are scale low-level and high-level switch stands available. In using them, I would recommend a cable or link control mounted at the layout edge. This has the benefit of looking good without the oversize GT. Of course, if you use the N scale GT on HO, that looks right. Why the cable or connector control under the table when you have a scale switch stand? Breakage.

There is always a way. It just depends upon what you want.

I agree with those posted above. It all depends on your situation.
If you have a small area for people to stand, then you will only want a one man crew.
As for the turnouts, it depends on what you are after.
When I started working on the new CIOR, I decided that only the switches inside the CP's ("interlockings") that would be controlled by the dispatcher would get Tortoise slowmotion machines. All the other switches would be controlled/thrown by Caboose throws. Less then a year into construction of the new CIOR, I have decided to go another way. All switches (except those in the staging yard and Hawthorne Yard) will get Circuitron Tortoise machines.

Just because we are talking about Circuitron's Tortoise machine doesn't mean that its the only way to go. There are a few other brands of machines out there, you need to find what works best for you.

And as other posters have pointed out, be ready and willing to change your mind! You may decide to go a certain route for what you think are very good reasons, but once the cork roadbed meets the plywood, you may find better ways to do things.

jwb1323 wrote:And as other posters have pointed out, be ready and willing to change your mind! You may decide to go a certain route for what you think are very good reasons, but once the cork roadbed meets the plywood, you may find better ways to do things.

Well said! As much "planning ahead" as you do, you will always be changing things once plywood time comes. I always found it funny (you have to look at it with humor) when you transfer something from plans to benchwork, well, something will "never fail" be wrong, won't fit and so on.

I had a layout where I mounted the Caboose throws on the facia in a little cutout, used piano wire and brass tube to connect it to the turnout (under the layout). This allowed for throwing of turnouts by hand, but also allowed for a scale size turnout throw (like Micro Engineerings one).

Has anyone had experience using Caboose Industries N scale ground throws for HO scale turnouts?

-otto-

Yep -- did it years ago. No problem as long as they are installed properly & the track is in gauge. There's enuf throw to make positive contact.
Don

I used Atlas turnouts on my switching layout and they are controlled with Caboose Industries ground throws which ARE grossly oversided, but they are meant for 1:1 scale hands to operate on a 1:87.1 layout. The Micro Engineering turnouts and the newly announced U.S. prototype turnouts from Peco both have a "snap action" that eliminates the need for a ground throw. I am considering retrofitting the layout with these turnouts and eliminating the appearance problem altogether.

Whatever works and makes you happy!

Cheers