How if at all do you 'mark' your turnouts. At least until I have learned where the turnout mechanisms are located by feel I was wondering if there were any CEQ, (Cheap, Easy and Quick), methods to 'mark' them. Currently I'm using cooking skewers covered with bright straws just off from the 'lever'. HO Kato Track #4 turnouts. Please do share. Any ideas from the simplistic to outrageous are invited.
I don't use them to indicate where turnouts are but where isolation points are, i.e. where a piece of track starts that can be isolated from the rest, like a yard track or industry spur. Basically a toothpick or other thin pole-like piece with a small "ISO" sign glued to either side. I do the same for a "division" point, where one power pack's tracks end and another's start, but the sign says "DIV". They all look like any other trackside sign and make them easy to pick out from across the layout, as when I park an engine. You could probably do something similar but more solidly planted with a particular shape of sign, recognizable by feel, and something like "T" or "TO" printed on it. It's the same principle as aircraft controls, where the pilot knows exactly what's in his hand without looking down.
@Mike VE2TRV Thanks! Thinking outloud here: So, I could Take my skewers Print out 'Flags' with large symbols or Take my skewers Triangular signs with reflective tape, (of which I have lots) Hmm, I could rotate the signs to indicate what direction they are thrown.
What do you mean by "mark them"? Are you wanting to know how they are lined? What track they go to? Clearance points? What are you "marking"?
The only "marking" I did on my N Scale road was to identify the switch/turnout numbers so that I knew what buttons to press on my control panel. These were made from brass "L" shape cut into short pieces.
@Dave1905 I need to mark the location of the manual 'lever' that is used to move the points on an 'HO Kato Turnout'. @Hardcoaler I am for the first time ever tempted to upgrade several to automatic but that will have to wait till summer. @sidney That! is an idea! Flag Pole with CP multimark. Thanks! everyone!
Maybe logos for various railroads: CP Multi Mark, (red/black, red / white), GN 'Rocky' white/blue, NP 'Yin Yang' , SOO maybe a slated trapazoid in red/white, GT Blue with Spaghettis Noodle in white, and of course the 'GG' All big bold that I can pick out. I only have 6 turnouts in question so should not be too much to keep track of..
@Hardcoaler LOL! Thanks. I did a 'schematic' of the point-to-point operations. Even though it is a loop when alone I'll run it 'PtP' with as little GHA / HOG and 0-5-0 as possible. I guess I sould share a pic. Maybe by the weekend.
Remember 'cheat sheets' from school? Some folks never change. ☻ Test Run: I tested a series of sizes and shapes. As I expected I will go with the 'arrow next to the 'NP' car. The 'skewers' can rotate in the foam. As long as I remeber to they will show the direction of the points. Trust me. I *never* forget. Tommorrow I will print up a few larger arrows and prepare them very neatly. @ Everyone! Thank you! for your responses. They led to the 'arrow'.
Final Crude but Functional and Temporary: I moved them close(ish) to the ground and made them a bit bigger. Interesting. The camera shows me how crooked they are. Maybe I'll fix them. Maybe not. ☻ Thanks for the ideas!
