The switch on the left was given to me free, by a man I was buying some other things from. Unlike the switch on the right, which awaits a Caboose Industries 208S manual throw, the left switch has only a tiny hole at the bottom of its much larger swivel rails.
What, if any, manual throws are available for this switch on the left? Would a simple piece of stiff wire be sufficient? Both of these switches are destined for a slow speed yard ladder.
Thanks!
Tom
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Go to www.micromark.com and look for a Blue Rail switch machine. Mounts under the table and is activated with a push pull rod from your layouts edge. Not familiar with your Gargraves. Looks like it would work.
You may be able to mount the 208 remotely and use a spring rod. My wife’s Triplex steps wouldn’t clear mine. I moved them back a bit. The hole for the rod is in the ground throw. May need to drill it out a bit bigger.
Tom-- Your switch on the left is from the early days of Gargraves. I first saw one in 1960 at Caboose Hobbies in mid-town Manhattan, a rather complete store for scale items. They recommended a relay called NJ 4PDT plus coil clearing contacts, or thereabouts-- a raft of contacts. The relay could move a wire which moved the points via a hole somewhere in the tie bar. This linkage was not supplied, but a drawing was, for both above and below table mounting. I believe the contacts were sufficient to assign 2DPDT to signaling and the other two to non-derailing and power routing. The coil clearing contacts may have been heavier and differently mounted.
Perhaps an internet search would turn up some details. Any current device that operates in a similar manner should be workable. Dave's suggestion sounds like a candidate. One thing to consider on this switch is whether the moving rails are contacted by the locomotive rollers and so have to be connected to one side or other of the circuit alternately, or simply isolated. Of course, Gargraves' switches now are different. --Frank (corrected relay to 4PDT, and added info next paragraph
NJ is a reference to Newark (Electronics?), located still in Newark, NJ. They catalog thousands of relays, but only one 4PDT (they are distributors). Curiously, this relay has also 4SPST( 3NO) contacts (in stock!). The coil is 24vdc, only one &a quarter watt, so it's not a drop-in for the old relay. The contacts are rated 8A (at 250v which suggests AC and a higher rating at lower voltage) using tin silver surfaces. The old one cost 3 hrs pay, so I have at most one or two; this one about twice which is much less of a bite these days. I could not see if it was set to apply a pull on an arm, but it might be interesting to fit the electrical needs of this early Gargrave's switch, in terms of energized rails. --FM
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