Not a very exciting update, but I got Tortoise switch machines wired and installed. I have to make the connections to power them and also the RCA jack switch controls that we use (next installment hopefully). I took some photos along the way, but didn't intend to make this a step by step piece on installing Tortoise switch machines. However I have enough here to give you an idea of what you would be up against if you've never installed one of these before - it's pretty easy.
First the kit comes with a piece of stiff wire, a screw to hold it in place, the switch machine itself, a plasic slider piece that can be used to adjust the fulcrum point (see second photo below) and detailed instructions.
The first thing I did was bend the wire according to their diagram on the instruction sheet:
Since the tracks sit on 2" inches of Masonite spline we need to use longer wire to reach the turnout throw bar. So we found some music wire in the same diameter that came in two foot lengths that we can cut up to use instead. You can use a pair of pliers to bend the wire to the correct shape. You will trim the extra off after you install it.
Here is the Tortoise machine with the wires soldiered onto the contacts, the green plastic slider that adjusts the fulcrum point, the locking screw for the wire, and the three bent pieces of wire (since I have three Tortoise machines on this module):
The instruction sheet has a template for drilling pilot holes to mount the unit:
The instructions talk about two ways to mount it, one by very simply screwing in the four screws to attach it, the other involves double sided tape and caulk in addition to the screws to help absorb some of the noise the switch machine makes. I just used a hybrid of putting some double sided foam tape on top and screwing it in. This seems to help with the noise a little bit. I don't think the noise is that big of a deal, but everyone is different. Here it is mounted in place:
Once mounted you can then fish the stiff wire through the hole and plastic fulcrom piece to the turnout throw . Then you just need to attach the locking screw to hold the wire in place on the machine. The Atlas Code 55 turnouts have a hole in the turnout throw bar already, but I ended up making another hole a little closer to the turnout itself as, to me, it looks a little cleaner and moves the wire closer to the trackbed which makes ballasting around it a little easier in my experience.
Here is where I'm at now:
We hook each Tortoise unit up to an individual wiring terminal block so we can more easily troubleshoot and test any problems that might come up. I need to run power for each Tortoise unit to the individual terminal blocks. After that I'll install the RCA turnout out controls on the front facia of both the aisle and operator side so we have controls on either side of the module. That will be the next step.
So this thing is ready to run trains on it now. Scenery will be coming soon!
-jamie
