Traverser and Sector Plates

[Sir Madog]

My planned layout requires the construction of a three-track traverser and 2 sector plates. as I have never done that before, I would like to get some advice on how to plan and build them.

 

Thank you!

[shortliner]

Ulrich - Sector plates are easy - use a mini jack plug and socket for the pivot - makes them unpluggable, and you can use it to feed the tracks. Sector plates are easiest using ball-bearing drawer runners- BUT EVERYTHING MUST BE ABSOLUTELY SQUARE or it will bind, and catch, and generally be a PITA.. I have another system using brass channel and double sided copper clad board - which works but needs to be square as above.

[Chubber]

I hope this is of some help to you, it's pretty self explanatory, the only difference from normal is that there is a sector plate on a sector plate. It's about 2ft x 4ft and has about 12 ft of 'fiddle'. The large plate is positively re-aligned each time bu a ball catch which clicks into detents in a strip of perspex, once the desired number of positive repeatable places have been put in place, an exit track is fitted and subsequent tracks aligned in turn. Please ask anything that doesn't make sense. A sector plate on a sector plate can effectively do away with the need for a traverser if the traverser is only to move a loco from track to track. S'liner is right, traversers are a PITA.

 

Good luck

 

Doug

[shortliner]

This is a very simple hand -driven traverser, that was designed simply to move a loco between two track inside a building on a micro layout. There is no reason why it can't be longer or have more tracks. Power is fed from the brass channel each side. One rail at each end has a small piece of phosphor bronze soldered to it - the rail without has a dab of epoxy to act as an insulator and keep the whole thing level. The upper surface has the copper scraped off under the brass channel - to prevent shorting - the underside has the copper broken across the centre - I used double sided as I had a piece the right size. The track is epoxied to the upper surface. The two channels will be epoxied into position at each side and the traverser moved by hand

 

overall

 

left side

 

Right side

 

Underside

[Kenton]

IMO traversers are easier than sector plates - SP can be a track alignment nightmare if you have a multiple road SP and multiple feeders

 

Have a look at my blog for Quintland - I am building a traverser for that using drawer runners.

Or a look at Sychpwll where the SP is likely to be scrapped as the join at the baseboard edge is starting to cause problems already.

 

By far the simplest to build and some would say operate is a cassette system.

[Sir Madog]

Thanks for those pics- they give me an idea on how to build a sector plate: Do you cover the wood with something to minimise friction?

[Donw]

A bit of wax or candle grease can ease movement.

 

A common method of alignment is to use barrel bolts you just need extra ends or make your own from brass tube. If brass you can use to feed power with common return. Fix the bolts down the lay the track its easier. In 0 gauge I had a single sector track feeding cassettes I found it would align by eye and needed no fixing.

For traversers use the full extent drawer runner sold by B&Q and the like these will extend a distance equal to their length.

Donw

[Poor Old Bruce]

Do you cover the wood with something to minimise friction?

 

On the sector plate for Northworthy, which was built over 25 tears ago, I put Formica (can you still get it?) on the up-facing sliding surface and felt on the underside of the SP. Enough friction to stay put but not enough to bind. Track alignment was ensured by a brass door bolt which also fed the relevant track, common return for the other rails. Farkham (going to York soon) also uses the felt and Formica on its traversers.

 

Richard

[shortliner]

Morrisons sell a teflon -coated baking sheet to which (supposedly) nothing sticks - it can be used for a friction free sliding surface, and CAN be persuaded to stick with UHU or similar - if you are totally stuck I can get you some

[Chubber]

IMO traversers are easier than sector plates - SP can be a track alignment nightmare if you have a multiple road SP and multiple feeders

 

Have a look at my blog for Quintland - I am building a traverser for that using drawer runners.

Or a look at Sychpwll where the SP is likely to be scrapped as the join at the baseboard edge is starting to cause problems already.

 

By far the simplest to build and some would say operate is a cassette system.

 

 

Having done it the wrong way round before, I now set up the indexing and THEN lay the track once the 'click-click-click' bit works.

 

My double sector plate is proportioned so that the small 'loco' plate holds the longest loco and brake van combo for the layout [Dean Goods and Toad] so that the toad can be run around to appear at the right end of the train when it leaves.

 

The ultimate version of the 'sector on sector' plate is to have the loco plate pivoted at its centre so that it can turn the loco, too.

 

Doug

[Kenton]

The ultimate version of the 'sector on sector' plate is to have the loco plate pivoted at its centre so that it can turn the loco, too.

or, a turntable on the SP as shown Though having the whole SP as a turntable is about the ultimate as the whole train can be turned. Not that that really existed in the prototype where coach formations tended to be set up as 1st class at the "up" end. But I have seen them used on some layouts ... dubious AFAIC