Electric switches and tortoise motors

[stanC]

After many years I decided to go back to my Lima Electric HO train. Reading your very interesting site I can see I have been living in the dark ages so please excuse the question if it appears to be silly. I see a lot of information about tortoise switches and connecting them to switches. I have electric switches that are complete and work very well. My question is why would someone get involved in the work required to install a tortoise motor ect when there is a readily available switch. It is not the expense. Is it the the satisfaction involved or are there other more basic reasons.
Regards Stan

 

[MasonJar]

Not all turnouts (switches) come with switch machines (motors) to throw the points. In other cases, people prefer the slow-action of the Tortoise over the *snap* of a twin-coil solinoid machine.

There are always three or four right answers (minimum) to any question in model railroading...!

Welcome to The Gauge!

Andrew

 

[Santa Fe Jack]

I am employing the Tortoise switch machines not because they work slowly (I feature I actually do not care about) but because the operation is completely concealed from the surface of the layout (just a wire sticking up to move the frog points), and they happen to mount very well in my foam board benchwork. They are pricey, but I believe they will work out very well.

 

[cidchase]

Hi Stan! Another Tortoise feature is a stall motor with very low current draw. Coils will not burn out, pushbuttons do not arc, no CDUs required, two-position toggle switches can be used.

 

[MadHatter]

They need not just be used for changing points though, you can use them to actuate other things on the layout too.

I guess one nice thing about the snap is that you know the point has definatelly changed, if I ever buy myself a few then I will only use it in my main yard of the layout- I consider them a luxury.