I’ve got the stage of laying out a fiddle yard with multiple parallel tracks and connecting (electrofrog) turnouts. I am inclined to just set the turnouts by hand; that way I can see clearly what I am doing without complicated mimic panels. However I want to wire the turnouts for positive polarity change rather than relying on the turnout blade contact.
Is the best way to do this with microswitches? But how to fit/connect, preferably under the baseboard? And recommendation for the microswitches themselves?
Help appreciated!
Polarity change for manual electrofrog turnouts
Re: Polarity change for manual electrofrog turnouts
If you're changing the points via a simple Hand-of-god method, you need to arrange the switch so that the point's tie bar will push the lever. A normal microswitch should be low enough (assuming 00 gauge) to sit alongside the points and have enough clearance. Just position it so the end of the tie bar contacts the lever and throws the switch. If you are using some kind of remote rod or wire-in-tube system, the method I've seen most often is to use a slide switch as the point lever, connect the rod to that and the switch contacts to the frog.
Re: Polarity change for manual electrofrog turnouts
Thanks both. The fiddle yard is definitely non-scenic so I think a simple microswitch secured alongside each tie bar will do the business. I had thought of trying to put the m/switch under the baseboard but tricky to connect reliably. Anyway I’ve had enough of working under baseboards!