I’m using Boone Morrison’s turnout throw system as described in the November / December 1997 issue of the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. It is a simple mechanical system to swing the turnout points as well as route the power to the frog. I looked at electric switches but decided that a simple mechanical approach would fit the 1920’s layout better. I built my first one in an afternoon after gathering all the parts together. It works very nicely and keeps good pressure on the points in both directions.

I followed Bill Darnaby’s approach of marking the turnout control in a white/red colour code to denote the main and branch routing through turnouts. Rather than using a round knob, I chose a 3/8″ diameter dowel cut about 1″ long. A hole drilled in the one end was force-fit over the wire coming from the turnout control. Works very well.