Turnouts are WORKING!!

OK, NObody told me that the red sheaths/covers for the control rods were supposed to be stuck through the hole in the Bullfrog turnout control!  While looking at some other Bullfrog control installations on the Internet, there seemed to be a secret that I had missed and that was why I was having a problem with so much slack -- I needed to have the control rod cover anchored at or near the controller.  Now I do:

Poor Focus, but Red Cover Poking through Controller is Evident!

In fact, I used a little wood glue around the cover in hopes that would help the anchor point.  I must admit, this was a little bit of "Duh, huh" -- seems obvious now.

Of course, that wasn't the last of my problems.  The third Bullfrog installed was for a single turnout for a siding.  When I tried to replace the turnout, I found that I had run the paper clip through the wrong hole/wrong tie.  Note the large hole from first try (with the switch control wire sticking through it) and the mark just below, where the hole SHOULD have been.  Don't know what I was thinking. . . .

Fixed that, although I'm still not sure why the center of the two holes don't line up on the roadbed.  I know I centered the "throw bar".

I had seen on the Internet -- as I searched for the secret of anchoring the cover at the controller -- that someone didn't like that once the knob was glued together, it was a pretty much permanent situation.  The knob would have to be broken apart to remove the attaching screw.  If I were making furniture for The Wife, I'd worry more, but this is a train layout and a little modification of the knob seemed in order.  Why not drill a hole in the outside layer of the knob to access the attaching screw?!  So I did:

Used inner circular layer to align for drilling 1/8" hole in outer layer.

Drilled 1/8" out to 11/64", I think -- same as center layer hole, shown.

Glued together "offline" -- front and back shown

Time to route cables out to fascia, but I was short one joiner sleeve for the red cover tubes.  Hmm, seems I ran across a length of tubing yesterday looking for screws.  Sure hope what's left is long enough to reach the container next time I bleed my brakes:

Got the rods to the edge, drilled 3/16" holes for the red covers to fit in,  Stuck the two control rods and red covers through the fascia, marked red covers, pulled out of fascia and off of inner control rods to cut red covers to length.  Re-installed red covers on inner rods and ran back out of fascia.  I've learned my lesson:  it's good to have red covers anchored; so I installed the little black clips provided with the control rods.

Making sure the turnouts were thrown to "normal" position (control rods fully in), I cut the control rods just past the red covers.  I'm thinking that the cutting of the control rods is going to distort the hollow core AND it's going to be tough to hold the control rods while the knob attaching screw is inserted.  So, I "threaded" the control rod by screwing in the attaching screw:

Don't know where the iPhone was focusing, but the idea is clear.

As I was removing the screw, I must have put some tension on the control rod and it moved to the "switched" position, showing an extra inch or two of rod outside the fascia!?!?!  Not so hard to hold onto the control rod after all.  Anyway, both knobs in place:

Closer is thrown to open crossover; distant is in normal
position -- siding not used.

Notice the small hole in the center of knob to access attaching screw.  Looks OK to me -- and I ALWAYS need to redo things.  I like the flexibility of removing the knobs if needed.

Although working under the layout, with most activities overhead, and dealing with small items is the pits, the final results are rewarding.

Nearer controller for siding; far controller for one crossover turnout.

The red cover on the far left curves around (behind the nearer controller) to the second crossover turnout, entering controller from the other side.  Then there's a clevis attached to a control rod that comes on around (and thus making a loop) and then goes to the far controller in photo.  Shoot, should have taken picture of clevis; it works pretty well although the added friction or resistance is noticeable at the control knot.  The circuitous path was needed to have the turnouts synchronized for the one-knob crossover control. 

Clipped the switch control wires with diag cutters -- now there are three 4-inch pieces of wire somewhere in the workshop (safety glasses recommended).   Only a slight adjustment in the placement of one turnout (tried to get adjustment at Bullfrog controller, but no help there) and the job was finished.  Ran the little switcher all around the layout with no trouble at the turnouts -- as long as the Engineer remembered which way the switches were thrown.

Trying to Install Turnout Controls!?!?!

Some progress was made, maybe, in getting the Bullfrog remote, mechanical turnout controls installed.  Plans are to control these two turnouts for the crossover plus the siding turnout on the right with two "knobs" -- that is, controlling the two crossover turnouts together.  But, they will be controlled from the OTHER side of the layout. That's where most of the sidings are as seen on the yellow control board for DC hook-up.

First, I traced the turnouts with a black flare and pushed a straightened paper clip through the hole in the turnout "throw".  When the turnouts are removed, the small hole from the paper clip is visible in the cork roadbed and marked for even better visibility with the black flare.

Next, a small pilot hole was drilled through cork roadbed and plywood, followed by 1/8", and then 1/4" drills.  Then a countersink was used to smooth out the top and bottom of the hole.  As luck would have it, one hole is really close to the side of the layout, within an inch or so of a 1X4" support.  The other hole for the crossover is almost exactly on top of a 1X4" brace -- how's that for lucky?!

Test-fitting the Bullfrogs showed that maybe I WAS lucky; they will just fit in these locations.  Not necessarily in this order, but the three controllers were installed along with two joiner/supports.  The set-up was left in this condition 

due to a few technical challenges.

Seems a 3-foot control rod is pretty flexible -- maybe that's why it's the longest they sell!?  On the other hand, the thought would be that anything much closer than 3 feet could be handled manually so why install a remote controller?  So, why not 4-foot or longer rods.  Of course, they CAN be extended by various means -- mostly, using a 2 56 threaded rod for the inner rod and a plastic tube and the joiner/hanger for the outer cover.  Both "knobs" will need extended rods.  But, the rod and cover going to the first crossover turnout flex enough when pushed that it seems there's too much slack to actuate the turnout.  Phooey.  As a matter of fact, the controller for the siding turnout may do the same thing even though it's pretty much a straight shot.  Will need to fix this before completing the installation.  Plan is to put clamps, holders, positioners along the cable to keep it from moving.  Just need to find something that will hold the cover in place without collapsing it onto the inner rod.

The double switch for the crossover just might be too much for one cable to handle, but that's yet to be determined.  A clevis for a radio control airplane model was used to connect from the controller on the right in the photo to the one on the far left.  Since the local hobby shop had these parts, two more 3-foot control rods were also obtained.

One other challenge was the angle of the "z-bend connector".  With these small devices (and thank goodness they ARE small or they would not have fit), it's hard to get "manly" fingers around them to attach to the layout or attach the other hardware.  When the z-bend did not line up easily with the incoming rod, a couple of pairs of pliers were called into action.  A little force to make the z angle tighter did the trick.

Before Pliers

After Pliers -- OK, not mirror image; different controller.

Turnout Controls

Having spent a little time running trains on the layout with the wireless and handheld "cabs", I've found the "far" side of the layout to be a better location than the original DC control panel side!  And, there are only three turnouts that cannot be reached easily for throwing them manually -- just like the prototypes of 1956 or so, maual operation, that is.  Rather than mess with electrical connections, I decided to try out some of the mechanical devices called Bullfrogs.  The plan is to use only one "knob" to activate the two controls that create the single crossover.  After ordering the parts from Fast Tracks and assembling the devices, I find that Fast Tracks actually offers single crossover devices as a kit.  Oh well. . . .

These are really nicely designed kits using laser cut wood.  The controls and support come something like this:

Partway through assembly, they look like this:

Some of the controller parts -- including SPDT switch if needed

Parts for Support

The completed devices look like this:

These are right-hand controllers and I made one more support and a left-hand controller.  Or, these are left-hand controllers and I made one more right-hand controller.  The devices assemble fairly easily with white glue.  The only downside is that you keep smelling scorched wood!?!?!

The control rods are long (18 or 36") tubes within a tube.  I'll wait until I can install these on the layout to cut the tubes to length

H&R Trains, Again

Well, a week with The Wife and her kinfolks in Lakeland, FL, has to mean a trip to H&R Trains outside of Tampa.  I even talked The Wife into joining me; the only bribe was lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor.  Of course, I didn't mind that at all -- great Cuban food and elaborate Cuban decor!

My list for H&R included Bullfrog mechanical switch, 1950's era automobile(s), a crane to load and unload pulpwood, and a cyclone/centrifugal separator to put on the Cotton Factory for added detail.  We pretty much struck out except for the car -- got Woodlands Scenics' Billy Brown's Coupe (1951 Chevy).

I've also been looking for a pulpwooder/lumberjack in a restful or reclining position.  Found a guy leaning back watching a dog-washing scene.  Maybe I can paint his legs faded denim blue and his shoes brogan brown.  Not much I can do about his T-shirt -- would have rather long sleeves, but the layout tends to be more summertime than winter, so maybe that will be OK.  The finished scene will include a double bit axe leaning against the same tree and the tree will have one chip cut out of it.  If I had found the right guy, he'd be smelling a flower; guess I'll keep on looking.

Oh, in the photo the guy has on the yellow T-shirt!

Have since ordered a couple of Bullfrog switches, found the centrifuge online, and E-mailed an organization that has made Bucyrus-Erie cranes of about the right period.  Would prefer to look at these items first-hand, but . . . .