Foamboard base & Tortise switches?

Glue a 3" x 3" (or so) piece of 1/4" plywood to the bottom of the foam for mounting a switch machine.

-John

"> Before I begin buying everything for my layout......... "> "> If I go with a 2" Foamboard base how would I mount a Tortise switch ? "> Figure I would need to screw it into wood ? "> "> Any suggestions

What I did (some day soon I will have to take some pics) is mount a

*small* piece of 3/8" plywood in a notched hole in the foam.

Here is some (crude) ASCII artwork (profile/"slice" view):

------------------------------------------------------------------------- ========================================================================= XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TTTTTT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Key: '-' rails/ties/turnouts '=' roadbed (Homabed) 'P' 3/8" plywood piece 'X' Blue/Pink Foam insulation 'T' Tortise machine

Basically the plywood is about 3/4" larger in each direction that the hole cut through the foam. A 3/8" x 3/8" notch is cut out of the foam at the top (all four sides), creating a lip or shelf and the plywood rests on this 'shelf'. Once I was sure of the position, etc. I ran a bead of Liquid Nails on this shelf to secure the plywood. Oh I sealed the plywood with Latex paint and glued the Homabed on top of it. Drilled the 1/4" hole for the Tortise's wire and dropped the turnout on top of that, secured with track nails and ballast. The Tortise machine is secured from below with small wood screws.

I mounted 8-terminal barrier strips to small pieces of 1/8" Masonite (cut from cheap clipboards) and glued the Masonite+barrier strips assembly to the under side of the foam. I connected short pieces of wire with spade lugs at one end between the Tortise machine's terminals (soldered) and the barrier strip (screwed onto the spade lugs). I can connect various control, sense, whatever wires to the barrier strip (using spade lugs).

"> "> Thanks. "> "> Mike "> Toronto, Canada "> "> ">

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I used double-sided carpet tape and mounted the Tortoise switch directly to the foam. I didn't have any problems with the switch machines moving on me once I got them set. However, this current layout has a hardwood base with the foam on top of it, so I will be screwing the Tortoise machines into 1/4" hardboard.