How To Install A Tortoise Switch Machine

[@melvinfackler8282]

Great video Ben. Have be vacillating between these and servos. These are easier to wire up I think. Need to see the next vid you do on them. Thanks, Mel

[@CreativeRails]

The truth is Mel, if I didn't get such a good deal on these machines I probably would have went the servo route. I found a video where a guy used cheap servo testers to wire his servos. I'll try to find it and forward it to you. The testers were on ebay or Amazon for something like $3 a piece. Great deal.

[@melvinfackler8282]

@@CreativeRails Ben, I have followed this guy for a couple of years and have made the system up. Total cost was less than $5.00 a switch. But with my problems with health and old age, I'm 73 now, it isn't as easy to do as it was 10 years ago,lol. Another question I have is your 9 volt power supply. Is it a wall wart, or a transformer of another type? And if a wall wart, how do you work around the RCA jack? Thanks, Mel

[@CreativeRails]

@@melvinfackler8282 Hi Mel it's a Wal Mart style I bought off of Amazon. Just make sure you have enough amperage on it or it could over heat. For the end I simply cut it off. Cut into the rubber cord with an exacto knife then strip the wires and hardwire it from there.

[@DruSteel69]

Great job, Ben. Excellent tutorial. Stay well, brother.

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks so much Drew! Great to hear from you!

[@DruSteel69]

Creative Rails - you’re welcome, brother.

[@GooseinTheCabooseProductions]

Nicely done! Only thing different is that I tend to use 8-conductor wire to make a harness and run it back to a terminal strip. That way, if I ever have to swap one out or use the extra contacts, I can just disconnect from the terminal strip.

[@markgershman1563]

Thanks for the video. You just made it very easy for me to follow. Looking forward to more of your videos. Nice job of explaining!! PS. I just got back into the hobby. Thanks again.

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

I really like you panel you made up. Looks very professional

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks so much Joe!!

[@RailserveJohn]

Great to see you Ben. Hope you and the family are well. Great tip on the square screw head.... game changer for me. All the best, John

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks John, and right back at you! If you can't find some Robertson's down there, maybe you'll have to pick some up on one of your trips up here!

[@MMRails]

Great tutorial Ben! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a full video filmed under the layout. So hard to do. I’ve been avoided switch machines since 2017, but you made it look easy. Maybe I’ll try it! In a few years.

[@CreativeRails]

Hi Mark! Great to hear from you. I actually went through your newest videos the other day on tv. Just hadn't had a chance to get over and comment. I've avoided them too, for a long time but I honestly did three yesterday literally in 15 minutes. Once you do one they're pretty easy.

[@Matix947]

Can you show how you get the LEDs to change from red to green? I only know how to make one light up at once. Not alternate colors depending on the position of the switch motor. Thanks

[@nathandelay]

Awesome Ben you made it so simple to show how it’s done and congratulations on 700 subscribers And have an awesome day as well

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks so much Nathan! Great to hear from you. Hope you and your family are doing well!

[@pauljpearson3602]

Thanks Benny, Just deciding to switch out manual switches to tortoise.. You mention about a video for the panel and dtdp's that you made. Can't find it.. '

[@georgiasunbelt]

Nice Ben...making it simple...thanks. Anthony

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks Anthony!

[@tczephyr3665]

Working underneath the layout is always difficult. I take about a 4 square inch piece of 1x4 and attach the Tortoise to it so that the edge of the machine is even with the edge of the wood. Then I predrill a drywall screw into the wood. At that point I go under the layout and line up the machine as you did and then I drive home the drywall screw home and I’m done

[@annamarialuberto8783]

Which model trains can you use these for?

[@dundasjunctionmodelr.r-jam8267]

Looks great, how did you wire the toggle switch and led indicator lights , great job

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks James! I'm going to do a video in the near future on that. You can check out other videos and there is a number of google searches that will show how to wire a double pole, double throw switch. One thing that is hard to find, is a red and green LED illuminated simaltaneously. In a nut shell, all I did was wire one LED green and red lead together and the same for the other.

[@HumancityJunction]

I was wondering how you knew about Robertson screws/bits, and then you mentioned the construction industry. I do not understand why Phillips is more popular than Robertsons.

[@CreativeRails]

Hi thanks for commenting. I'm aware of different screw head sizes because I've worked in the residential and commercial construction industry for 20 years. The reason for the availability of Robertson vs. Phillips is a very interesting story. Long story short Robertson is a Canadian screw head and Phillips is an American screw head. Henry Ford actually wanted to get a license to manufacture his own Robertson style in America but Robertson turned him down. Philip's had no issue with this and the rest is history.

[@FlyingCrow]

Great tutorial. Are you using one machine for the crossover or two? Believe it or not, It is hard to find Robertson head in the US. I wish Tortoise would make their terminals so you could use spade connectors.

[@CreativeRails]

Thanks so much! The crossover on the panel looks a lot smaller than what it really is. It actually also works as a siding, where I can spot a car of lumber or hold a car for switching. In this case I have it on two machines and two separate switches. This way a car can be spotted in that location and not throw the switch on the main under a passing train.

[@baronjutter]

How is the frog being wired and polarity switched? Does the tortoise do that too?

[@CreativeRails]

Yes 100%, i use insulated frogs but the tortoise does that for sure!

[@pdrrengineer1404]

For whatever it's worth, I have found the mounting ears on the newer Tortoise machines to be a lot more fragile than the older product. Art...

[@CreativeRails]

That's not good Art. I've gotta a couple brand new ones to install I guess we'll find out...😲

[@peterstrains4339]

Hey thanks for sharing, you made it look very simple, I'm going to be doing this very soon. Thanks again.

[@sparky107107]

good job, not quite the master electrician but close. You might need to fix that one rail, it looks a little bent , out, so the train, she not going to take the diverging track

[@CreativeRails]

Lol Sparky! Maybe next time I'll put wire nuts on the low voltage wires and then put each connection in a junction box!

[@bradhamrick7748]

Ho Trains Brad s