Switch motor cover

Maybe different shades of brown to look like a stack of cross-ties? Keep posting pictures as you try. 

Tom 

Great Idea Basil.  I too have Lionel and K-line switches and often find the switch covers obtrusive.  I need to make smaller covers like you.

Thanks, Joe.  I also made these.  I'm not quite done painting them, yet.

On my Super-O layout, I have employed various means to minimize the visual impact of the rather large switch motors:

I'm working on similar ideas for the K-line giant switch covers, even going to straight manual is an option for me, as I like the "operation" factor. If I stay with powered switches, those giant light-sockets have to go. Anybody got LEDs on these things?

Here's an old mechanical arrangement:

Basil-  It could be the camera perspective and size change making it look taller and wider than it is, but have you checked the string line inside overhang on your long/low stock against that box? That corner on the skinny end, nearest the track, was rounded and lowered a number of ways since the earliest 0-27 versions to avoid tanks, toolboxes, etc. and long/low passenger cars from bumping it.

   I love the rock covers.(& everyone's detailing ideas here)  But I think I'd keep it limited to non-high use coils [like auto derail] and no lamp ideas.  I know the foam I used isn't very heat friendly. E.g.-I have a siding, now with a caboose sized 3/8" deep sinkhole under the rails, and hidden by the mostly unaffected "grass on plastic" mat. Its shades of green a touch paler, but gradual like there's less sun and more traffic there.

  I remember the derail had cycled the unlit breaker off 2 times before I quit chasing the wrong issue on the cars now in front of me, noticing the unlit caboose. Later, I saw the sag in the mat, and found the "pit". I'm wondering if a thin layer of JB weld or similar could be used inside the foam rock as an insulating inner shell.  Question is ,what wont react with the foam? Primer might allow JBW...Layers of white glue?

Firewood posted:

I'm working on similar ideas for the K-line giant switch covers, even going to straight manual is an option for me, as I like the "operation" factor. If I stay with powered switches, those giant light-sockets have to go. Anybody got LEDs on these things?

Here's an old mechanical arrangement:

I'm a sucker for the looks and feel of mechanical throws.

  Gated big block 'Vette and Ferrari floor shifters, to electric blade switches. You feel every bit of a good mechanical connection's action.

   I've seen plenty of single mechanical turnout throws run a foot or two away, to the layouts edge. But I've seen few if any, of the full undersides of a centralized controller's mechanical layout. I'd like to see....... a few   I've also seen the control throws, like you have pictured there, at a show and almost picked them up on looks alone. I'm thinking if I see an end product or two, the next temptation I have, will end more decisively.    Not that I think it would be hard; I've been in the undersides of a few mechanical hockey games (part source?)...an erector set and string* could pull it off. But why go in blind when I might learn now?  Are there any posts, layouts, etcc someone could point out for review?

  Running horizontal rods away from that controller a few inches to engage electrical slide switches under a cover might be a nice way for some to add a more mechanical appearance to an electric control system.

*cable and pulley, I also wonder how well this concept could be incorporated, or used alone.

Adriatic, 

You raise some good points on the string line and heat.  The box pictured is the widest I made so I need to check the low stock over hang.  The others are lower and more narrow than the plastic cover.   I've been curious about the heat generated by the motors so far as the foam goes.  I wonder if foil would be a good insulator?

I've also decided to make small boxes for the wire connectors.  That our use lichen to cover them. 

 

 

I'm a sucker for the looks and feel of mechanical throws.  Running horizontal rods away from that controller a few inches to engage electrical slide switches under a cover might be a nice way for some to add a more mechanical appearance to an electric control system.

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Got a K-Line switch apart and eyeballing it now. It's tempting to remove the electrics, as my layout isn't a complicated one; all switches are within reach.

 

Total insanity would be full mechanical/electrical interlocking, but we don't need to go there                     http://modratec.com/  an Australian outfit that manufactures such a beast.

 

Hand throw and polarity toggle.

 Well the heat isn't always there, but when it is,... it is...Coils get hot, nature of the beast, any electromagnet gets fairly hot when energized.

The aluminum foil sounds scary electrically. Being a good conductor of heat scary too, but the air pockets do have potential...????

A plastic or fiber board protector (foil lined?) from inside an old electronic device cut and hinged with electric tape, glued in place, but leaving air gaps?

I really like the "vanishing act" though. A variety could be fun.

"Park" a vehicle or trailer over one? too close? A flock of tight packed sheep? Coal spill? Ore coal spill.

    That Modratec is interesting looking for sure. The mysteries under the panel almost had me at the software page for design. (again?..I think we touched on this all, briefly, a few years back too.... oh well)

  I really like the looks of things that first brass stand. To me, it would be fine art mounted on a finished slab of a hardwood next to a throttle, and so this post already "had me going"... and I had already looked into the supplier of the switches I once had in mind and found.....I'm old now, and so are the switches.

   The local supplier hasn't been in business for quite a while. The ones I wanted, a screw(#3)-down case for flat surfaces, resembled the small rectangular plastic push button that replaced the #90 on some later 0-27 uncouple tracks blister packs.  But a slide version -vs- push button. Atlas might have had a one similar once, I haven't checked yet.

They had tiny top-side pancake head screw terminals for wires too. Would have made for a tight low profile grouping and easy access to terminals and rods. There are some very nice, small (micro) variations and with optional additional actions like a second "temp on push button" at the movement's ends. But easy use is out the window as mounting becomes a challenge since "everything" is made for flush/below surface, or board mount today. Simplest needing two boards of inner facing push buttons lining the covers or a sub-frames fore and aft sides. It is more hardware, and more delicate though.

I keep thinking of a real junction or yard mechanical throws I saw in photos, that shot forward horizontally about 10' then the bars dropped at a welded up 90° steel plate bracket, into a channel then 90°(?) that reached under sets of tracks and back up at a 90°(?) and 90° horizontal again to the points. The covers at the control end drops were simple, crude boxes of wood or metal (2 a little apart) the wood one, open sided where slotted on the metal; "a 2ft shack". I expected gearing or levering, not what seemed to be a solid, but crooked, bar. (Was there levering/gears below ground?)

TomTee's polarity reversing post, shows my thoughts on rod hook up to a slider, near exactly. All the below surface work at the controls.  I think this and brass rod mounted on nice wood, could be made a pretty, and interesting combo regardless of being used fully mechanical or not. 

I've been thinking about the covers more and more.  One thing I know I'm going to do for a couple is build a small shed to go over the motor and sit away from the switch.  I hope that turns out cool.  That will also be my first attempt at a scratch-built structure, which should be fun.

So far as the foam rock goes, I wasn't thinking very clear on the foil issue, eh?  I clearly need to think non-conductive material!  I may also just vent with small holes.  I've carved out the space to be greater than the height to give it some breathing room, but some small, indiscernible holes may further aid cooling.  I've also now replaced two of the switches with Ross and that's like a dream come true!  Hallelujah! No grotesque motor cover!