Sorry, Bill, I didn't mean to leave you hanging. Life sometimes takes a hard left with me wagging along behind in the breeze....I'm back now.
I can't actually make any claims to originality for the use of servos for active but non-rolling elements of a layout. I have considerable other experience with them, but that is irrelevant here. In researching MRR controls, I ran across a fine article by Duncan McRee in MRH online July 2009 (Issue 3) titled, "Using Servos for Turnout Control". I think someone on this forum also mentioned it. Duncan does a great job of showing the ease of installation, several kinds of operational options where servos get you up and running faster, more realistically (to scale time, too) and for about the same or less money than purpose-built devices. He also points to his startup website (http://www.tamvalleydepot.com <http://www.tamvalleydepot.com> ), where he offers various kinds of servo controllers to match about any MRR control type. From there, you just match the servo size to the job (and scale), build up yuor active elements and lay it down. Many mounting options and servo sizes are readily available from the vastly larger R/C community. For most "under the layout applications", the servos must be mounted with one side against the bottom of the flatworks board, but there are many, many mounting methods available. So, for Servos and Servo Mounts, I tend to borrow from the R/C camp and use both their servos and their mounting schemes, since they take all the fuss and fudge out of that part of the effort....and let me focus on the operation and realism of the moving elements. Changes and adjustments are quick and easy, so what's not to like? But for really big or tough applications, I'm not above building my own servo, if that's what it takes. I have comfortable experience developing custom controls for various applications, so I may not use his stuff too much, but like what I saw and am anxious to get some hands-on experience with it.....maybe see where I might extend his solution to applications in my plans that require a little more than just "left-right" track switching or crossing signals and controls.... Like a woodcutter that stops chopping and waves as a narrow gauge lumber hauler rolls by, or a camp cook that rings the triangle for dinner as the scenery lighting fades to dusk....but that's an effort to write about another day. Suffice it to say, servos, with DCC and other control types offer a whole new world of active element opportunities for layouts. One of my attractions to S-Scale is that the size is about right for the things I want to do. I did some HO model railroading as a young boy, but quickly lost interest in the layout-bound and rather "projecty" nature of layouts. I'm not knocking them for anyone else.....that's just not me. My cousin has a great 14x30 room just filled with HO stuff. Too small for me, but it inspires me to keep working towards y own plans.... Later, just as I turned twelve, we moved to a place on the bench (side) of a west-facing mountain with a broad valley cast north and south, below. Summer nights were hot and sticky, filled with buzzing bugs and biting mosquitos, so we slept indoors (most of the time) with these very fine mesh screens up and windows thrown wide..... Every night the 10:40 D&RGW freighter and later a couple of Amtrac species would roll through, sounding their call across the valley on the last switch approach before the Freeport some distance to our North. Those long nights and the sounds that attended them stayed with me. And in very different times and places throughout my life, they have haunted me a little. Great memories, good times for a 12 year old boy with a taste for adventure..... As an adult, I've often dreamed of building a shelved or tiered "high around the room and through passages to ...beyond", sort of layout in several rooms in my home. Oh, I'll probably have to break down and build a switchyard/staging area in a dedicated room, but I really love the idea of a train that comes and goes on some pre-programmed schedule, passing through several rooms and sounding its passage. My corners will be in dire need of some type of scenery or landscaping interest, as I hate corners with nothing to offer or invite.... So, I thought a little vignette at each corner, might be fun. I settled on S-Scale, because it seems big enough to warrant some attention when passing, but not so big as to take up too much of the upper quarter of the rooms it serves.... Oh, and just right to make for some interesting-sized corners to fill with little delights. A couple of times I've been tempted to look at O-Scale, but keep coming back to S-Scale like a sailor to a siren song..... I admit to struggling a little with the scarcity of layout-ready components, but through my monitoring of this forum have found that this is not an obstacle. I do tire sometimes of some of the repetitive and rather downcast tone of some discussions, but in those times, I just stop, hit delete, and come back another day to see where the forum has gone. My biggest delight has been the variety and depth of Scale and modelling knowledge that seems unique to this forum. I've not found its like anywhere in model railroading. Not to say it can't be found elsewhere, but I've not found the depth, breadth and generosity of these folks elsewhere. Folks here seem pretty willing, generous with news and informaion and welcoming to newbies (you should see some of the junk I have to wade through on a certain astronomy forum I follow!) here, with lots of pictures and the free expression of interest and congratulations as it strikes the various members. What makes a forum vital to me is the richness and variety of the contribution. I don't give up for a little controversy, but I do take a break when it gets impolite or heavy handed. I won't take any hobby that seriously. Well, I've gone on too long, but I hope you'll stay along for awhile and enjoy the ride as much as I have. As I seem to age more quickly every day, I realize that I may never gete that dream plan built, but I'll surely get plenty of enjoyment trying to! My thanks to all those that contribute and share with the forum. PLEASE keep it up and don't let the difficult topics slow you down.... And thanks to the moderator for calling a halt when the rest of us are too close to the issue to see that we're just not getting anywhere..... Remember, you can't know where we come from or why....but know this....that we come because it's worth it....and every one of you makes it so. Best Regards 'till later, Chuck --- In [email protected], Bill Rigsby <silvergost1@...> wrote: > > Chuck, > When ever you find to mount, and operate switches using servo motors, let me know, as I am enerested. Will be building a lot of my own swithes using fast track jigs. > Bill [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
