Maxstoke

Richard this looks nice and simple with plenty of scope for microswitches.  i hope you do not mind me copying  the idea

 

Nige

Richard this looks nice and simple with plenty of scope for microswitches.  i hope you do not mind me copying  the idea

 

Nige

Nige

Can't stop you!

Neat! Are the switch blades still pivoted on the tie-bar? I was thinking you could easily adapt the design to use the twin dropper-and-tube method, a la Ian Rice, to avoid stresses on the blades.

Neat! Are the switch blades still pivoted on the tie-bar? I was thinking you could easily adapt the design to use the twin dropper-and-tube method, a la Ian Rice, to avoid stresses on the blades.

Neat indeed. However, I think that there needs to some allowance for the small rotation that occurs at the rail/tiebar joint... 

Neat! Are the switch blades still pivoted on the tie-bar? I was thinking you could easily adapt the design to use the twin dropper-and-tube method, a la Ian Rice, to avoid stresses on the blades.

The turnout tie-bar is jig drilled to accept a small pin at each switch blade. Each pin is bent through 90 degrees to lie horizontally, and the switch blade is soldered to the pin. The pin head prevents the outer end of the switch blade from rising. The eagle-eyed amongst you will not the the tie bar is installed copper side down, thus avoiding the possibility of the switchblade being soldered to the tie bar! It follows therefore that the gap in the copper on the underside must be generous to avoid the operating pin from below shorting across the copper.- (You can guess the hours of fun I had tracing that short circuit!)

 

The TOU certainly can be adapted for a twin tube version- perhaps on another layout.

Neat indeed. However, I think that there needs to some allowance for the small rotation that occurs at the rail/tiebar joint... 

 

The stresses this exerts is over emphasised - certainly in 2mm with code 40 rail. I soldered the rail directly to the tie bars on Highbury, beefing up the joint with a small square of brass next to the rail (etch waste). The track has now been in use for about fifteen years, done around seventy shows plus regular use at home - still waiting for it to cause a problem!

 

Jerry