Gotta love the search box ...

Alternative

It sounds like you already installed the tortoise switch machines, but if not, Rapido makes a switch machine that has a built in indicator.  It's pretty cool. 

I saw those

Joe - I did see those and they look really nice and I know the Central Valley stands say non-animated, but I thought I read somewhere that they could be animated with little or no additional material.

CVMW Stands can indeed be animated

Here's a couple of shots of one of them in alternating positions from a post in my blog.

The animated switch stand is included with their turnouts, and also available separately as part of their Turnout Detailing Kit ( 1603) and Switchstand Kit ( 1604).  And they are cheap - $7 for multiples in either combination.  You'll have to stare at their website as I think you get three in the detailing kit and six in the switchstand kit.  Lol, so $2 each.

This was the very first one I built and I learned some things - I also didn't have a Tortoise hooked up and I didn’t  have enough hands to run the camera and throw the points full over to show full deflection of the target - they do rotate the full 90 degrees.  The turnout is a bit stiff owing to my first try.  A bit more sanding here and there before installation and I think they will be really smooth.

I also have some Proto:87 versions of the CVMW kits but haven't had time to build one yet. 

Central Valley Instructions

Thanks for the tips Mike.  I checked out Central Valley's website and found instructions for building their switch stands.   CVMW Downloads includes a PDF for the #1604, but it seems like their instructions for building turnouts includes a more detailed section on animating them. 

If they work as advertised, it looks like animated switch stands can be added for as little as $1.15 per turnout.

I'm going to get some #1604's and maybe some of the Proto:87's and check them both out.

HO Animated Switchstands

Here are some photos of my switch stands and the way I move the targets with a Tortoise. The first image shows the Central Valley (CV) "high star" on a CV turnout that has my own design throwbar. The rod connecting the switch stand and throwbar is 0.015" piano wire that moves with the points and just slides freely under the stand. The stand is held to the ties with 0.015" rivets (available from Model Motorcars). If set in pre drilled holes the stand can be removed if damaged. The mast is 0.020" piano wire that fits snug (not glued or soldered) in the 1/32" tube of the control mechanism. The  target is glued to the mast and can be oriented properly by twisting the target and mast after final assembly. The lantern is a Utah Pacific SL-86).

The second image shows a Details West ground throw switch stand. The Santa Fe used these when the switch stand was between two tracks, and they were mounted on shorter headblock ties.

The last two images show the mechanism mounted on the layout and the parts to make it. The two arms making up the bellcrank are first held together with the 0-80 screw and nut at roughly 90 degrees. The exact angle is determined by trial and error to get a 90 degree rotation of the target, and then soldered. One arm is soldered to a brass shaft collar. (the collars are used in RC model airplanes). 0.025" piano wire is bent at one end to wrap around the Tortoise self tapping screw and at the other end to engage the bellcrank arm.  I will show a better photo of the mechanism in another post.

Animated Switch Stands- Another View

That’s clever

That’s clever John. I’ve always considered animated targets as the holy grail nice solution.

Very nice work John

Those are gorgeous.

Thanks

Jon, thanks for sharing and the detail photos are great.

Under view?

  Nice looking switch stands. I can't tell what holds the "bushing tube" in the roadbed? What is the  reason the bell crank is double armed instead of single armed?  Also what is the purpose of the collar part way up the shaft? ......Thanks DaveB

HO Animated Switchstand Mechanism Design

Good questions. I didn't want to go into too much detail because it was already getting kind of wordy. The 3/32" tube is a friction fit in the roadbed and sub roadbed so it can be adjusted vertically or removed for repairs. I start by drilling a slightly smaller hole, maybe a #43, and increase it until the tube can be driven in and still removed. File the end so it doesn't dig into the wood and tap the tube in using a short piece of 3/32" tube so that the upper end of the mechanism isn't damaged. The two arm bell crank allows you to increase or decrease the lever arm length to get exactly a 90 degree rotation of the target for any track gauge and point gap anywhere close to NMRA specs. For realism I like to have the minimum point gap that will not cause a derailment so I keep the track gauge at a minimum (close to 0.650") and the point gap at 1/16" plus or minus about 0.010". Since no two turnouts are exactly the same neither is the angle between the two arms, but it is usually about plus or minus twenty degrees of ninety. A smaller angle results in greater target rotation, larger angle in less. I think it looks much more realistic if the target is either perfectly parallel or perpendicular to the rails at the end of the stroke and this can be obtained with the right bell crank arm angle and by turning the target mast. The same basic design can be used on any gauge but the larger gauges would require stouter parts. I have found that the tube flexes somewhat but this hasn't caused any problems with over twenty turnouts and fifteen years of operation. It would, of course, be very easy to brace the tube if it bothered you.

 Finally, the upper shaft collar keeps the rotating 1/16" rod (and the target) from moving vertically while the little 0.050" wide collar keeps it from falling.

Design

Thanks Jon. Now I understand it a lot better.  15 years of operation is a good sign it was done right  :> ) ....DaveB