manual points levers

mr magnolia · September 23, 2011, 02:43:39 PM

Hello Team

hopefully this is the right place for the question - feel free to move it if not..

Our layout has manually controlled points (no motors, no rods, no wires; just poking the bar with a finger; electrics via electrofrogs but by means of the dodgy blade-to-rail contact system) because
a) its our first layout, so everything is a learning trip and we hadn't learnt very far when we started
b) its for young folk to operate along with daft older folk, so actually putting your paws onto the thing that has to be changed is a 'good thing' in terms of understanding how you can control the movement of the train.

so far so good, but I'm minded now to try and include some levers that do the same job and perhaps look a little bit like the white ones that you see in the real world. That means finding or making a lever that is small(ish), and also translates a movement parallel with the tracks into a movement perpendicular to the tracks. I can easily imagine making suitable levers and rods; but I can't quite get my brain around the 'translation' device.

Any thoughts or clues gratefully received.

poliss · September 23, 2011, 02:50:50 PM

Bell cranks.

mr magnolia · September 23, 2011, 03:18:21 PM

hmm, cryptic!

Newportnobby · September 23, 2011, 03:22:08 PM

Cribbed from elsewhere but try this
http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6545

Newportnobby · September 23, 2011, 03:23:23 PM

Quote from: poliss on September 23, 2011, 02:50:50 PM
Bell cranks.

Yeah - but I've heard they can't touch him for it

Dock Shunter · September 23, 2011, 03:29:47 PM

Is this the sort of system you have in mind......
http://www.gemmodelrailways.co.uk/GEM_Web_Site/Mercontrol.html

poliss · September 23, 2011, 04:05:17 PM

You want explanations and photos too?

Okie dokie, here they are.
http://www.proto87.com/turnout-controls.html

longbridge · September 23, 2011, 08:46:42 PM

I always use the Wire and Tube system and find it pretty fail safe however I think Mr Magnolia is looking at a lever beside the points, in this case you could make your own levers out of brass strip, just need a small drill, nut and bolt, short piece of brass tube and some wire for a push rod, that way the levers could be placed beside the points.

mr magnolia · September 24, 2011, 12:05:43 PM

Indeed
In fact, I think its the caboose industries thingy that I want - but I can make neither head nor tail of all of the apparent options, and I'd quite like to make my own. Sorry can't do link to what I found as am on some fangled modern phone thingie just now!