Description
Switch Stand Turnout Control… a switch hiding in plain sight.
Hidden inside this HO scale model of a Bethlehem Steel Co. Model 51 low-profile switch stand is a tactile push-button for local turnout control. Simply press down on the target to throw your turnout. A great solution to local control of a powered turnout without having to construct a control panel.
Designed so the target will dislodge if accidentally bumped so you won’t have to worry about operators breaking the target accidentally. Rotating target! The target can be rotated by hand to indicate the turnout position if desired. Extra targets included in case one gets damaged or lost.
Installation Video
What Inspired The Turnout Control?
While searching for a solution to local turnout control on my layout, I considered many options including manual ground throws. For various reasons, that I won’t go into here, I settled on Cobalt IP Digital turnout motors.
The next decision I had to make was how to control them. My layout is a branch line, with the track located close to the edge of the layout and easily accessible in most areas. Because I didn’t want control panels cluttering up the facia of the layout I needed to devise a way of placing momentary, normally open, push-button switch next to the turnouts to trigger the Cobalt turnout motors.
One afternoon while installing some Micro Engineering turnout details I noticed that the cast metal switch stand was about the size of a micro push button switch so I fired up the CAD program and started drawing! What I came up with was a replica of a Bethlehem Steel Model 51 switch stand with a micro push button hidden inside. These turnout controls worked great and I decided to offer them for sale.
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