Dave, I've been using Caboose Industries ground throws for years on my layout,
and they perform very well. The one I have used most is their 202S, which has
a handle that lies at grade level perpendicular to the direction of the
throw-bar. To move the points, you lift the handle and move it in a vertical
arc over to the other side of the throw-bar.
Even though it's marked for HO scale, I find there's sufficient throw to clear
S scale wheel rims. The "S" in the 202S is important -- it means the mechanism
is sprung inside, which gives the throw-bar some tension in both positions, a
desirable feature.
Regarding your question on measuring a frog number, it might be useful to first
draw one on a sheet of paper. Draw a straight line, make a mark on the line
for the point of the frog, and then measure 6 inches along the line from that
first mark and make a second mark. At the second mark, measure 1 inch away
from the line and make a third mark. Now connect the first mark and the third
mark with another straight line. The angle between the two lines represents a
number 6 frog.
If you were to cut out the pie-shaped wedge formed by the two lines, you have a
check-gauge that you could use to check an existing turnout. You'll find that
the gauge works the same whether you slide it into the interior space of the
frog (against the outside edges of the railheads) or lay it on top of the frog
so that the edges line up with the inside edges of the railheads.
An interesting point is that your gauge would work for any scale from Z to G --
even a prototype switch!
Gaylord Gill
