| Last updated on November 22, 2020
Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today!
Milwaukee, Racine & Troy HO scale steel cupola caboose - road name 1407
Don’t miss this exclusive HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy steel cupola caboose.
Thanks David!
Great explanation video on “How to”. Job Well done………until the next video STAY SAFE.
The name is Bond, David Bond ! 🙂
Mr. Huntzinger: Bi-focals? That’s why I’m going Large Scale! True, I need my set of “second eyes” to read Garden Railways magazine but not when I play train.
…by the way, where’s Jenny?
If you are still using Tortoise Walthers and Acculites have come up with a snap that attaches to the tortoise so you don’t have to solder it.
It seems as though rather than using Tortoise switch machines on all of the project layouts you might also use the Walther Layout Control System switch machine for one of these projects.
Tortoise switches, Frog Juicers, all of this is great stuff if you’re running HO or N scale DCC. My question is, how do all of these work with ‘O’ scale and DCS?
Thank u could of not explaind any better but one question were did you get those push switches I’ve looked for them and can not find them do u think u can send me part number or a sku number so I can find the item on the moser website. thank you for the vid
David
This is a great video series.
I would have an alternative turnout drive which they could block for their projects for DCC plants without an additional Frog Juicer to use.
See ” DCCconcepts Cobalt iP Digital “
David,
I’ve been following your videos on the Canadian Canyon series with great interest as I am in the process of working on my own N scale layout. There seems to be a slight gap in the video sequence as in part 9, you show the installation of turnouts (without frog wires) for the staging yard. In part 11, your installing the switch motors and attaching frog wires from the switches to the Tortoise machines. Would you please create a video showing the steps taken to attach the frog wires to the Peco turnouts since you have more turnouts to install.
Another way to re-drill a hole that isn’t in the right place is to fill the first hole with a toothpick or dowel (depending on the size hole) with a little white glue. Then you can drill along side the old hole without need to slope the hole away from the existing hole.
David,
Another great video! Many thanks, I learnt a lot having only experience of the Peco turn (or point).
But I have a question: providing that your – well designed – staging area is hidden, you won’t see the nice slow motion of the Tortoise switch motor. In these conditions, wouldn’t have been easier and cheeper to use the Peco switch motor and possibly the side-mounted ones?
David,
Great video as always. You mentioned using the frog juicer for a turntable / roundhouse. If the leads to the roundhouse did not overlap you would not really have any frogs to wire, so wouldn’t it be better to use an automatic reverser unit as the locomotive comes off of the turntable to the roundhouse leads?
Awesome job as always.
David:
Thanks for the great video. Can you tell us how you attached the green “frog” wire to the Peco frogs. Thanks.
Next time you need to move a slightly mis-drilled hole, push a couple of matches (or any small sliver of wood that fits snugly) into the old hole with a good slop of yellow wood glue, and let it sit for 15 minutes. You can now re-drill the hole without having to angle and wangle the bit in weird ways!
Lots of good info. As a “geezer” with both bifocals and a layout that can’t be stood on edge, putting in Tortoise’s is a challenge and requires two people. Looking forward to seeing how you solve the problem of the last Tortoise. Thanks for referencing other episodes that have related info-wish there was an index of past episodes so I can find them easier. I’m assuming that the use of a Digitraxx product is because it’s compatible across DCC systems (I’m a Digitraxx user).
I was just thinking “I would use some 2.54 cm setoffs between the plywood and pcb”, so I had a pretty good laugh at 16:30.
Very informative! Wouldn’t you be able to power the frogs through the Tortoise switch motors? Or, is it simply easier to power them by the Hex Frog Juicer?
Hi David, when you first introduced us to this new project layout, you were demonstrating NCE hardware with Ben for turnout control. Have you now “switched” excuse the pun, to Digitrax and if so why? Thanks, Nigel
***** (5 Stars) David, by drilling at an angle near another drill hole you chance opening the old and/or the new hole too much for the screw to hold tight. Also, while it doesn’t really matter all that much, a screw at as big an angle as shown doesn’t provide nearly as much “hold” as a straight vertical screw would. As a matter of fact it might/does cause sideways pressure on the base. IF. and ONLY if, you can get the screw into the already drilled hole, try using a #(to match the screw – in this case #4) washer to hold that corner. Unless the other three screws are in extremely bad positions, the Tortoise will not rotate and the 4 screws will keep it flat to the subroadbed.
Excellent instruction David just like you did on the Thin Branch installation. Class, pay close attention as David really knows his stuff with the Tortoise and Frog Juicer. You made my installations much easier and improved electrical continuity through my turnouts. I can’t wait for signaling hookups to further my understanding as the Digitrax DS64 is new to me… well done!
Kinda late now, David, but I’ve always found it easier to drive screws with hand power if I have spun the screw threads in a bar of soap. Don’t know if the ones that come in a tube or bottle would work, but they might.
Great video David explaining what could otherwise be a complicated wiring process for turnouts and frogs. The opening video shot would make “Q” proud, just imagine a Walther “Tortise” as a lethal weapon?
Well, not every thing you wanted to know about installing Tortoise switchmotors, but close. T’will be interesting to see how to install one that isn’t “a piece of cake.”
Hi David, when you first introduced us to this new project layout you were showing NCE hardware with Ben for turnout control. Have you now switched, excuse the pun, to Digitrax product and if so, why ? Thanks, Nigel