Subject:
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Re: 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 18:53:08 GMT
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Viewed:
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929 times
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In lugnet.trains, Mike Poindexter writes:
> 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.)
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 that manor. I'd like to do some more on the upper level, but the 3
cm cylinder is now discontined, which is a shame, since now I have the space to
use this system, and I cannot get the part I need for it...go figure.
I mount the 'motors' above track level, they are about 3 bricks high, but they
have to be (gasp!) glued together, since even with the tabs filed down, the
motors tend to fall apart...of course, they were being used in about 5 feet
from where I could get without removing the bridge
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/2049/legocity.html
the third picture down, so you can imagine why I didn't like them falling apart
:)
James P
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Remote Points
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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 (...) (25 years ago, 2-Mar-00, to lugnet.trains)
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