I like the concept/simplicity of the ground throws offered by Caboose but they look very unrealistic. My only two turnouts are Atlas and they aren't sprung so I have to do something. Any ideas? I want something that looks correct for the teens and twenties. Maybe just a non operating model switch stand and then rig some under table hidden switch. I prefer prototypical looks over function and I want them manually operated, not electric. Any thoughts on this? Push-pull rods or something?
It depends on which Caboose throws you go with. I love the high stand throws with the high flag/lantern. I would go with Caboose no matter what. You're real only alternative to Caboose is going to be brass and that may be $$$. I'll check my Precision Scale catalog to see what they offer.
I have seen push-pull rods used with great success. It just requires a bit of rigging under the table. The Caboose ground throws are obviously out of scale, but if they were really 1:87 they would either be very fragile or very hard to throw with 1:1 fingers. GS
Yeah, you are right GS. They are a little large, but then the 1:1 just like you said need to be able to grab something. Ideally, I would like to find some High Rapapo's as dummies and do the hand throws like you suggested. But I'm kinda greedy. I want the best of both worlds. I like my cake and wanna eat it too!
That high stand looks neat. I may have to reconsider the Caboose products. Is there a low stand? I guess I should google this situation. I figure obscure branch line switches had obscure switch stands. I guess I need photos.
There is something that feels "railroady" about grabbing the handle and throwing the switch. But I also had a problem with the size of the Caboose stands. I also have street trackage where they just wouldn't work. Railroad writer/blogger Lance Mindheim suggests not to hook up anything and just use your finger to throw the switch. You can stiffen the mechanism by shimming some plastic under the tie bar. That is what I have done on the West Bottoms. I just stick the pointed end of my skewer pick in the little hole in the tie bar and throw the switch. I then use a non-operating scale Details West ground throw. I have not had issues with derailments. John
Caboose used to have a low Ramapo with the target and lantern. I don't know if they offer it anymore. I looked on their website and didn't see it. The high gives you a brass rod that you can cut to adjust the height of your target/lantern, so you may be able to do something with that. I'll look around for you and see what I find.
On page 70 in Precision Scale's HO and HOn3 Freight and Passenger Brass catalog, they show three brass switch stands which are also available in plastic. Two of the three are operational. Unfortunately, they are based on Denver, South Park & Pacific, and Denver Rio Grande narrow gauge equipment. The non-operational is a High Ramapo style with three different styles of targets, however, it is not operational. This might be the best if you go with under-table hand throws, yet have the realism of the stand by the track. High Ramapo -> Brass: 31471 Plastic: 31841 DSP&P -> Brass: 31472 Plastic: 31473 DRG -> Brass: 31474 Plastic: 31475 I'll scan the pics and post them up shortly.
Where does the word "Ramapo" come from as pertaining to railroading? Isn't that some kind of Indian tribe or word?? Tom
That is the name of the company that produced the switch stands. It was the Ramapo-Ajax Corporation which started back in the 1880's.
Manny is correct about Ramapo being a manufacturer of switch stands. These are very common stands throughout the country.
I may use the Precision Scale stand (the top one) and shim under the switch points so that they'll stay in place after moving them by finger. Thanks for the insight and pics. Very helpful.
You're welcome! I'm probably going to go with the High Ramapo as well, and put hand controls underneath. They aren't expensive. They are like $4.99/each.
BTW. I forgot to mention. The HR version comes with four different styles of point indicating flags for which you can choose from.
Jim, I use the Caboose Industries "N scale" Low switchstand for my HO layout, and they work wonderfully and look great for size. I can put extended pushrods in brass tubing to locate the switchstand to the side of a street away from the switchpoints, for example.
The only issue with N Scale throws will be the forced perspective. From far away, they would work nicely. Using N Scale houses on hills, or N Scale cars far down the street add depth, realism, but with such a small railroad such as the Zalma Branch or even my planned San Antonio, Fredricksburg & Northern, where the users are right up on the action, the N Scale throws will more than likely look incorrect. The jury is still out until pictures are posted.
Jim: Meh. I'm not sure how I feel about the ground throws. My old club (Mexico Train Works) used N-scale throws on an HO-scale layout, and painted each end of the "knob" to indicate when it was set for the main or diverging track. It made things easy for new operators and/or visitors. That said, I personally find them kind of clunky. While I don't aim for 100% prototypical accuracy in my scenes, I feel that they do detract from things. While I do have a box full o' N-scale throws, I personally am doing what Boomer John suggested. As long as I file down the points a bit, it seems to be working with no derailments. Once the basic scenery is in place, I have an old MR article on scratchbuilding switch stands. It looks pretty easy; I forget the author but I personally enjoy cobbling something out of scrap parts. If you tend to model more for the operating fun, I'd go with the throws. If you're on the other end of the spectrum, I think you have to forgo them. Some modelers surely fall in the middle when it comes to their druthers.
