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.................................--- 'Hidden Switcher ---

....................--- 3D Printed Switch Machine ---

.......................--- With Camouflage Objects--- Servo for Turnout Control ---

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I recently bought a Creality End 3 Pro printer (Mar 2020) and then came across a manual switch machine on thingiverse.com that could be 3D printed (see the next page). I designed a different part for it and that got me thinking about how small slide switches have been used as manual switch machines. The slide switch is set down into the top of the layout and you drill a hole in its handle that you push on to move the switch from one position to another. A stiff music wire goes from the switch to the turnout's throwbar and when you move the switch back and forth the turnout is thrown one way or another.

This turnout control works fine but you have a switch that is not very prototypical next to the turnout in most cases. I thought what if we could cover the switch with something that looks like it might belong next to a turnout. I went through a couple iterations of design and the final one is shown here.

Basically I designed a switch enclosure (see above) that can be 3D printed and set down into the surface of the layout.

It holds the slide switch …......

...with a hole in the bottom for wiring to the frog. The wiring can be a simple inexpensive servo control wire that has a plug on both ends and is made up of 3 wires. Cut the plug off one end and wire to track voltage with the two outer wires and to the frog with the inner wire. The switch then changes the polarity of the frog as it is thrown. If it is wrong just pull the plug off the switch and rotate it 180 degrees and the polarity will be correct.

I then designed a slide piece that is universal and ….

…. glues to the square handle on the top of the slide switch that you push back and forth (bottom left in picture above). Push the slide back and forth and you throw the switch one way or the other. The slide can also be 3D printed and it has a peg on the top with a hole in it for the control wire that goes to the throwbar on the turnout. It also has a locator peg behing the higher front peg with the hole and a flat area in front of and behind the locator peg for an area for a glue joint.

Next I started designing 'Decks' that can be glued to the slide that have objects on them that look like something that might be found near a track. The deck and the object on it hides the switch and slide below it. camouflages the switch in effect. You push the object back and forth to throw the turnout and the switch below it to change the polarity of the frog.

Here are some of the objects, which in most cases can also be printed off the deck and used wherever on the layout.

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For more info and pictures on the 3D printed parts and how they work and how to print them out click ( HERE ).

You can find all the files to 3D print these on my thingiverse.come account ( HERE ).

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