Air systems used for turnouts such as Del-Air

I have a couple of folks that come into my shop that use these. They purchase model aircraft fuel line fittings and tubing for th installations. Never heard a negative about them. These folks model N,O, and G scales.

Dave Henk Jacksonville, FL

I belonged to a club a few years back that used the Del-air pneumatics.

Pluses:

Inexpensive easy to install

Minuses:

No provision for operating electrical devices or signals Air supply required Inability to operate a turnout from more than one location When air is turned off, all turnouts throw to their "at rest" position

The minuses can be worked around (we used additional cylinders to throw electrical switches, and an electrical solonoid valve where multiple control points were required) but they generally are as much trouble and sometimes MORE expensive than more traditional ways to do it.

For me, the minuses outweighed the plusses, but your mileage may vary.

Don

-- snipped-for-privacy@prodigy.net

Note the prototype uses electrical controls --- Most modelers select Switchmanster, Roto-Motor, Scale Shops or Tortise --- some as low in cost as $6.65 ---

Dan

Unless, of course, your prototype uses electropneumatic point motors and train stops!

Mark.

On Thu, 3 Jul 2003 05:28:34 UTC, "Trainman" wrote: 2000

I have looked at it several times and concluded that the primary system was indeed inexpensive but the valves seemed to raise the cost to something more than electrical machines.

I do like the simplicity of the cylinders and the ability to mount them atop the track board.