Subject:
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Remote Points
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 2 Mar 2000 18:40:10 GMT
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Viewed:
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947 times
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I have seen numerous ideas for remote operating switches (points) and they
all look like they try to tackle the problem from the same place, the top.
Why wouldn't it be possible to crack open the bottom of the switch, file
down the bumps on the switch that make it hard to move from one position to
another, and then attach (glue, screw, tattoo) a control to that piece of
plastic. The entire assembly could then sit UNDER the switch. This would
have a couple advantages:
#1 - no visible housing would be required at each point, which looks kind of
silly in a train yard.
#2 - the point position indicator wouldn't need to be up, so long John Neal
cars could navigate the set of points without hitting the switch control.
(This is not an 8-wide issue, there are some 6 wide steam locos that have
the same problem)
The main disadvantages are that it isn't a pure Lego solution unless you
attach the control motor/pneumatic piston with Lego string, and that the
point would have to be either sitting over a hole in the table where the
point switch is, or be raised up a certain number of bricks, which affects
the tabletop designs, but not the Legomodular designs.
I have been considering this as an alternative to the other point control
ideas. I don't have the time right now to make one, but would like to offer
out the idea so that others may try, if they want. It just seemed to me
that the only way to completely hide the thing was to build over it and that
would require putting it underneath the points.
Any comments, suggestions or flames? (I hope mutilating Lego is a lesser
sin than using non-Lego parts.)
Mike Poindexter
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: Remote Points
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| (...) I open up and file down the tabs, then use the 3cm pnumatic cylinders to move the points. Right now, I don't have any of them connected, because I can reach all the switches, which means that it is kind of redundant to activate the points in (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Remote Points
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| (...) You are right abouth that, but don't forget that this has big consequenses for the lay-out. You can't remove the point and place it on another location ! Once the lay-out is build, you have to keep it that way, or you have to fill the holes in (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Remote Points
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| (...) I believe some of the earliest work on remote points advocates opening up the bottom, but merely to loosen up the mechanism. (file down the bumps, as you say).... Your idea of actually leaving the cover off and then working the switch from (...) (25 years ago, 4-Mar-00, to lugnet.trains)
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