Manual Turnout Control by Cable


beiland

Well-Known Member
Basically I like the KISS principle. I like the idea of manual control for my turnouts where possible, particularly with Peco sprung turnouts.

I'm looking for as many ideas as possible for flexible 'cable control' of turnouts.
 
DSCF3298(1).JPG


The staging level shelf (deck) is outlined in the black mark. It fits along the edge of the room and then projects out towards the center of the back wall via that unusual form (horn?). It all sits 8" under the main deck shelf that is represented by the larger brown paper form (with its aisle).

I'm hoping to rig up some 'fixtures' mounted on that strip of shelf just outside of the turnouts that will allow a cable type manual operation of the individual turnouts, ie, wire within a plastic tube that would come up to a small panel mounted of the front face of the main deck's edge at the front of the aisle.

As you can see some of those turnouts get pretty far up under the main deck, particularly the very first ones the train reaches as it comes in from the helix area. And the turnouts that control the peninsula staging are rather un-accessable for finger-flicking. but a little wire-within-a-tube type cable could work well. I think model airplane guys use such items.

Anyone with ideas (links) to that subject matter??
 
I have a few turnouts that I use choke cables to control. A lawn mower throttle control would also work. I also have a few turnout controls made by Humpyard purvevance, which are made just for model railroad, but I can't find their web site any more. That might be out of business.
 
I was thinking of something quite a bit smaller in diameter than those lawn mower cables,...so it could snake under HO track, and between the ties, over in my freight yard area. It might be nice to run the cable up at 'ground level' rather than under the plywood shelf
 
Metal Cable Gold-N-Rod Push Rod System from Sullivan


This Is One 36" (.032") Metal Cable Gold-N-Rod Push Rod System from Sullivan.
shopping

Key Features Stranded stainless steel cables combine high strength with maximum flexibility Cables are plated for easy soldering to connectors Made to tight tolerances to insure smooth operation with minimum friction Excellent for throttle control - all control surfaces on small to medium size aircraft

FEATURES
Stranded stainless steel cables combine high strength with maximum
flexibility.
Cables are plated for easy soldering to connectors.
Each brass plated Gold-N-Clevis is constructed of tempered steel
with an interlocking collar, welded pin and an exclusive steel
retaining clip to prevent accidental opening.
Excellent for throttle control, all control surfaces on small to
medium size aircraft, retracts and double cable installations.
Good for medium duty control systems in cars, boats and helicopters
Detailed installation instructions.
Used to connect servo arms in the model to the model's control
surfaces.
Made to tight tolerances to insure smooth operation with minimum
friction.
Comes complete with Gold-N-Clevises and other installation hardware
in standard thread sizes.
INCLUDES
1 Pushcable
1 Pushrod Cover
All Necessary Hardware
SPECIFICATIONS
Length:
36" (914mm)
Min. Radius: 1-1/2" (38mm)
Cable Size: .032" (0.81mm)
Color: Yellow
Thread Size: 2-56
*******************************************************************


This is a Lightweight Pushrod by Sullivan.
This is a Lightweight Pushrod by Sullivan. FEATURES: Semiflexible High Strength Music Wire Yellow Nylon Tube Designed for Gliders, Electric and 1/2A Models
sulq3287.jpg


FEATURES
Semiflexible
High Strength Music Wire
Yellow Nylon Tube
Designed for Gliders, Electric and 1/2A Models
INCLUDES
One 0.025" Wire
One Yellow Nylon tube
REQUIREMENTS
Linages and Pliers
SPECIFICATIONS
Length:
914mm (36")
Wire Diameter: 0.635mm (0.025")
Tube Diameter: 1.6mm (0.0625")
 
That system from Sullivan is quite similar to the Humpyard kits. I ran my choke cables inder the layout and brought the end up at that tie that the throw rod was located and carefully bent the end to a hole in the end of the throw. Has been working for over 30 years. The web site is down from Humpyard Purveyance so I am guessing that he imay be out of business. I would love to get my hands on some more of his kits.
 
RC aircraft builders use plastic rods within plastic sheaths between the servo motor and the control surface. If you used that, you may be limited as to how far from the edge of the layout to the switch, though.
 
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I use 1/2" square wooden dowels that you can buy for pennies at HD, and I use their paint sticks as actuator arms, cut to size. The idea is this:

Screw a mounting block, usually a chunk of 1X4 or 2X4, up to the nether side of the surface beside the 1/2" hole you pre-drilled under the throwbar.

Insert a sharpened brad into the top edge of a paint stirrer so that it projects up to the hole in the middle of the throwbar.

Screw the paint stick to the side of the block in such a way that the brad is inserted nicely into the throwbar's hole.

The dowel now can be screwed to a hole lower on the stir stick, and its far end protrudes through the fascia. When you push or pull the dowel, the mechanism acts as a lever and moves the throwbar. I have 5 such arrangements on my latest layout which is still in the scenicking stage.
 
This is interesting.

Have you tried using a pair of old school camera cable release? A pair of them should do exactly what you're wanting to do without having to get too crafty. Basically one for diversion and one for straight through on a sort of rocker arrangement. You might even be able to arrange for it to be push in one direction and pull for the other.

You can find them on ebay for as little as $4 a piece and you'd just have to make sure they're adjusted to give the right length of throw.
 
Caboose Industries makes a choke-cable like linkage so you can put their ground throws off the layout itself. I have seen them demoed at Train Fest but have never purchased them.
 
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Some where I've seen cable controls made for HO turnouts. They provide everything you need.

View attachment 32603


Blue Point offers all the supplies.

Greg

I definitely did NOT want something like this hanging below the plywood deck,...of either my staging deck nor the main decks above.

I prefer some sort of small diameter 'tube within a tube' or 'cable within a tube' that can lay flat on the plywood deck, snake (curvable) under the stock Atlas track (non-roadbed), and be rigid enough at its exit point to PUSH against the spring action of a Peco turnout. I know most will pull, but a single cable needs to PUSH.
 
I did not see such an item on their website,??...only this
http://www.cabooseind.com/product-page/199r-remote-spring-for-rigid-throws
I believe that's what I was referring to. I forget how long it is -- I think 18 inches or more [UPDATE] The listing says 12 inches -- but it can be cut shorter. And what this doesn't show is that it can curve around, so it doesn't matter where the turnout is positioned. I've been thinking about using them on my yard but haven't made up my mind yet.
 
That system from Sullivan is quite similar to the Humpyard kits. I ran my choke cables inder the layout and brought the end up at that tie that the throw rod was located and carefully bent the end to a hole in the end of the throw. Has been working for over 30 years. The web site is down from Humpyard Purveyance so I am guessing that he imay be out of business. I would love to get my hands on some more of his kits.

Wonder if someone has the illustrations of those Humpyard kits??
 
I use 1/2" square wooden dowels that you can buy for pennies at HD, and I use their paint sticks as actuator arms, cut to size. The idea is this:

Screw a mounting block, usually a chunk of 1X4 or 2X4, up to the nether side of the surface beside the 1/2" hole you pre-drilled under the throwbar.

Insert a sharpened brad into the top edge of a paint stirrer so that it projects up to the hole in the middle of the throwbar.

Screw the paint stick to the side of the block in such a way that the brad is inserted nicely into the throwbar's hole.

The dowel now can be screwed to a hole lower on the stir stick, and its far end protrudes through the fascia. When you push or pull the dowel, the mechanism acts as a lever and moves the throwbar. I have 5 such arrangements on my latest layout which is still in the scenicking stage.

I'm having trouble picturing this... have you posted pictures of this before?
 
I will post an image in the next few hours. Sorry, have daughter and grandsons for the holidays, and we're......ummmm…..involved....yeah, involved.
 
If your runs can be made to be straight you can also use a piano wire . It is also widely used in the R/C airplane world . Put a Z bend on one end to hook through the turn out . The wire is only about 1/16 thick so it is easy enough to "trench" into the layout , cover with a piece of styrene and landscape right over it . Just another option for you.
 
Push-Pull Cable Control of Turnouts


I am once again looking into this subject for SOME of my many Peco turnouts on my layout. Lots of my turnouts are right near the edge of the decks so they will require NEITHER cable control, NOR electric control.


But there are those further aft/background that it would be nice to be able to remotely control. I was just about to adopt the standard Peco PL10 solenoids for them, but then the thought of all those big holes under each turnout to accept those units, then the CDU units to control them,...brought me back to manual control idea with those 'cable/rod-within-a-cable' idea.


I tried doing a google search for these push-pull cable controls, but did NOT even come up with the names of 2 suppliers that I already had samples of ?? Made me wonder if there were other manufactures/suppliers out there I may not be aware of ??


So here are the 2 manufacturers that I know of, and have samples of.
1) Du-Bro https://www.dubro.com/
https://www.dubro.com/collections/push-rods-accessories/products/micro-push-rod-system


2) Sullivan, control rods
http://sullivanproducts.com/product-category/control-rods/


Does anyone else know of other manufacturers?
 
DU-BRO

One of the things I like about their 30" micro pushrod system is its solid inner wire and its small overall outer diameter . The rod is quoted as .032", and I measure the outer diameter of the housing as .070".
This means it can be mounted right on upper surface of the deck, and still snake between and BELOW the ties of other tracks mounted directly on the deck surface as well. It can reach those turnouts that are slightly out of reach WITHOUT having to be attached to the underside of the deck. And it can snake under some tracks that might be located between the edge of the layout and the sought out turnout.
image%282%29.png

https://www.dubro.com/collections/push-rods-accessories/products/micro-push-rod-system

I imagine that vertical bent end there would not even have to be led up thru the existing center hole in the turnout's tie bar, but might be quite happy just bound to some other portion of that tie bar.
PS: that one fitting that comes in the pkg with this product looks like this image,..
ht-making-connections-08.jpg


Brian
 



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