A Con

Unreliable electrical contact.

Points may not be flush up against the rail you want the train to head down.

Way to easy for a set of wheels, loco or car to split the switch because there is no way to keep the points where you have moved them too.

******************

I am assuming here that by finger flicking there is no ground throw or any sort of spring to hold the points in place once they have been moved.I know that some folks use a home made spring wire device  connected to the throw bar in the center of the turnout. Those are suppose to work pretty well.

Jack

Whatever works

If a layout is designed to be a photographer's dream (perfect details), then I'd say no, use a switch stand or (preferably) a turnout device.

For those who do lots of switching, then it's a toss-up. Personally, I'd do the finger flicker for a large yard, as those switch stands can be a real headache when sorting cars. You could try for a CTC system in a yard, but then you'd have to constantly be looking back and forth between the yard and the fascia controls, and you'd have to program the whole thing.

For those who routinely operate with other people (club layouts, large multi-person layouts), you'd better either have a full hands-away CTC system or the flicker switches. If you try to use switch stands, you're going to get them ruined by members that are used to the flicker system.

If you're a little shy on cash (and who isn't), I'd recommend using a flicker system until you obtain the funds or create your own motorized switches later.

If a layout is designed to be

@Juxen - for N Scale, doing the finger flick method is the only way to get scale switch stands or scale switch motors onto the layout, and neither will be operable. Switch stands that work for N Scale have to be oversized. 

looks, control, signalling and automation

To me one of the attractions and a big reason for going to the trouble to build my own turnouts using fast tracks jigs (or hand laying when I move up to that) is the looks of the turnout. No clunky-looking plastic frogs, no pizza-plate hinges, flowing track work. Why on earth would I go to all that trouble and then spoil it by adding a center over spring?  Of course some commercial turnouts come with the spring built in and hidden, but then you've got their other built-in uglinesses.

Second, I want to be able to run the whole layout from a central control panel. 

Third, I want to be able to do signalling someday. 

Fourth, I want to be able to do automation someday. 

PROS Cheap Simple Low

PROS

Cheap

Simple

Low Maintenace (no wiring etc)

Clean Fascia/No Control Panels

CONS

Unrealistic - Explain why you say it's unrealistic. 

Damage to Scenery/Details by clumsy people - I don't plan to have fragile scenery near the switch points.

Broken switch blades

Turnouts must be in reach of operators - most will be, and those that aren't can be operated with switch machine.

Time consuming in large yards. - explain why?

I'd say the Pro's outweigh the cons.  Finger flick wins.

Peco finger-flick...

I use Peco switches, with the over-center springs, and the finger-flick method.  

PROS

Cheap    Yup

Simple    Yup

Low Maintenace (no wiring etc)    Yup 

Clean Fascia/No Control Panels   Yup

CONS

Unrealistic     Nope, MORE realistic because you have to be at the switch you want to throw, not standing half-way down the aisle at a confusing panel.  Move to PRO column. 

Damage to Scenery/Details by clumsy people     No more so than a caboose ground throw, but more than a remote control panel yes, so you get half a point

Broken switch blades    Not with Peco if you use the throwbar tabs

Turnouts must be in reach of operators    Yup, sometimes ya gotta go remote no matter how much better using hand thrown over-center switches is,   

Time consuming in large yards.     You mean it makes it operate more like the prototype, a Pro, not a Con

Game, Set, Match. 

Peco switches are finger-flicking good.  

Randy

Finger Flicking Pros/Cons...

Pros:

Quick disposal.

Cons:

It can hit your friend.

Andre

Cons are really stretching it

I saw none of these cons present or even brought up when I operated on Mike Confalone's Allagash. Being within reach is hardly a limitation on a modern walkaround layout design. Watch this video ...

Where is the lack of realism, damage to scenery, broken points, or time-consuming issue being illustrated?

Also, the huge K10 layout has 450 of these finger-flicking points and I asked them specifically to tell me what problems the layout had when it comes to maintenance issues. Their reply: keeping the track clean.

Then I specifically asked them about the Peco finger-flicking turnouts -- any maintenance problems? They said, "No, the turnouts are virtually maintenance-free. Finger-flicking turnouts are the single best decision we ever made for this layout. We shudder to think what it would be like to have to install and maintain 450 Tortoises on this layout."

Here's a PECO finger-flicking turnout followed by one of my handlaid turnouts with a finger-flicking spring. On the handlaid turnouts, I'm currently revising my spring method to give the springs a very solid "snap" to them and to cover them up so they look like the PECO version -- that will be coming in a future issue of MRH.

I think Randy

summed it up well.  What are Pros to some are Cons to others and vice versa.  The cost savings, ease of install, use and maintenance all outweigh any real con for me.  Finger-flickin' good is right.

I've been thinking about his

I've been thinking about his one a bit lately.  I kind of like the physical action of throwing a switch and I've been leaning towards ground throws as I get things going.  There is a neat post here about using N scale Caboose ground throws and setting them in the headblock ties on HO track to make them seem less obtrusive.  I'm considering going this route combined with a latch and padlock on the fascia to represent unlocking and locking a switch.

no issues....

so far.  most of my switches use Blue-Point switch machines activated via a rod thru the facia. I used the f-flickin springs on 2 switches that are directly over benchwork framing where the Blue Point wouldn't fit.

when I added a branch into an adjacent room, I used FF springs on 4 switches 'temporarily', intending to add blue points later. a year later they're still there. I've had no issues at all....

@ Ok

Thanks for breaking this out to it's own thread.

I love my finger flicking TOs but one more con is some modelers have physical limitations and even just bending piano wire to make the over spring style can be challenging - but not impossible.

Steve

Bending music wire...

... so uae smaller wire, or some other wire.

I've gotten great results with stainless steel leader wire. It's smaller, easier to bend, and you get a lifetime supply for a few bucks. It also doesn't rust, since it's made for immersion in salt water.

Well over 50% of my Peco

Well over 50% of my Peco turnouts on my new layout are within easy reach of the aisle, so I will definitely be using this finger-flick operation. On some of these I may go ahead and install the PL10 solenoids under them, but the nice thing about these is they don't interfere with the manual operation.

A slight improvement.

Have a quick view of this man's solution.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2A-f81bttc&t=273s  I did much the same on my layout. Bought slide switches from Amazon cheap. And what I did was not electrically wire them. Just pushed the wiring prongs into the base to hold steady after wiring simple stiff wire from turnout to switch. I did them as far away as 10" and could go further. I use coffee stirrers to cover the wire and can cover them with scenery - or bury them in the foam base. My point is: You can wire the turnout as in the video. You could also use a DPDT and wire lamps. And what this does is make it easier to "flick" the turnout when a car or loco is too close and keeps your fingers from damaging the loco or car. I use this system and like it. All FYI.

@ Joe

how can Unrealistic not be a Con?

I have been rail fanning for 50 years or so and only once have I seen a switch thrown by hand and that was when when a switch motor failed and the crew had to use a crowbar to force the points across.

Broken switch blades are an issue. I personally have broken a point blade off and seen it happen two more times.

OKGraeme

Point taken, but how is it less realistic than pushing a button the fascia, pulling or pushing a rod out of the fascia or having oversized ground throws that you switch with your hand anyway?  I'm just not sure what is less realistic about it than other methods. Its just a different compromise.

Flickable over-center spring

I'm looking forward to Joe's article. In the meantime does anyone have a link to the "Mark-7" spring regularly touted by the staff at Model Railroader? I seem to recall they featured how to fabricate them in an old issue, perhaps during the '80s. FWIW I'm using Atlas no. 505/506 #6 turnouts primarily, with some Walthers code 83 on occasion.

That's it

Yep, that's it exactly. I don't see engineers pushing a button or throwing a toggle in the cab to throw a turnout. Generally, someone goes to the switch and throws it manually.

Model railroad thoughts vs prototype thoughts is the concept here.

It's a model railroad thought to go hunting for a toggle or button on a fascia somewhere to throw a turnout.

It's a prototype thought to go find the turnout to throw it by hand. Much closer to how it's really done.

Same idea with uncoupling. The prototype doesn't go looking for a magnet to pull over to uncouple. No, they just manually uncouple the cars wherever needed -- same idea with couplers as to magnets vs skewers.

Once I got past the issue of breaking that invisible wall between the aisle and the model scene, I quickly embraced the more prototype thinking involved in using skewers and finger-flicking points. Both make me think a lot more like the prototype crew thinks.

"I need to uncouple this car here" ... or "I need to throw this turnout here" ... no stepping outside the model scene to make it happen. Once you get past the reaching into the scene concern, you no longer even think about reaching in ... no more than you think about turning a door knob to go through a door.

Reaching into the scene no longer bothers me in the least -- in fact I now prefer it over less realistic "model gadget" thinking.

@ Dave and Joe

Turnouts thrown by a push button or computer are entirely accurate this is what a dispatcher does of course a ground throw us also 100% accurate albeit over scale method, it is exactly what train crews do. 

Push rods are sort of accurate in that many manual  towers or signal boxes use rods connected to the lever to throw the turnout. Now this may be pushing the analogy a bit but it is still more accurate than pushing the blades by hand which is virtually never done. An example below.

Uncoupling by hand is prototypical as that IS how it is done although not with a bamboo skewer!

@Joe

You mentioned K-10's. I've been running trains there since 2006, and they were chief in my mind when I mentioned other operators. There are a few switches that are controlled via a switch from another location (prongs under the layout, a physical electrical switch, etc), but those get damaged quickly during the public train runnings. Finger flicking is usually the first thing young modelers do, as it's quite natural.

Can I also make the point that trying to hybridize (Flicking, electrical, ground throws all in one layout) just adds to confusion, especially if you aren't the one that engineered the system?

Scale down

  I use HO scale Caboose industries switch stands and ground throws on my S scale layout. I find them better suited to S than HO scale. I actually throw them by releasing the handle, finger flicking the points , then locking the handle in the new direction......DaveB

1:1 Cab Switch Activation

On the UP there are many switches that can be activated by keying in a code sequence using the number buttons on our Kenwood handhelds and the switches will activate via the radio command with or without dispatcher control. Rules however say the switch must be " twice blessed " or the switch position/points cleared before and after the switch motor is activated. Failing that those same switches can be manually activated usiung the hydraulic pump and rod ( rod and switch secured by railroad lock ) located at the end of the switch motor.

 

Well said Randy...I am also a

Well said Randy...I am also a Peco finger flicker...zero issues x 6 years, even a non op switch stand for detail sake I still flick...but my railroad is small off grid in New England, Dark territory I guess...I can see some of the bigger layouts with large yards and all desiring remote switch control. I think the final answer for the poster is go with your gutt, and what makes you satisfied..just get em running and enjoy..Happy tracks!!