TT Scale. The Ideal Scale.

i just recieved a tillig righthand turnout. the track is together,but the pieces to switch tracks are add ons. the directions are in german. its advanced track. i have no clue where these pieces go. any info is appreciated. joe

Do you have any photos of the switch?

Or how about the text from the instructions. I am sure that others here can read/translate German.
I am working on learning German, so my translation skills are pretty bad right now...

The switches should come fully assembled unless you bought a kit. Are you talking about the little tabs you put on for power pick up or are the entire points not installed? Is it an EW1, 2 or 3? If you scan the instructions I can usually read most of the german.

Did you buy one of these?



If so, it needs to be assembled. Tillig sells two versions - assembled and non assembled. The assembled are a bit pricier obviously.

Okay. If they are like the one pictured above you have to put the flat key shaped electrical connection pieces in place then seat the points and switching arm. Next, you will need a hammer, a solid metal surface (the side of an old saw blade works) and a phillips screw driver. Place the switch with points in place upside down on the metal plate. Align the screw driver in the center of the pins on the point ends (there should be a little depression there) and give them a few shots with the hammer to spread the pins enough to keep it from falling out. Insure that you don't hammer so much that the points have difficulty moving and that the parts are aligned.

I made a few of these too and found that paying the few extra bucks for the assembled ones was worth it.

the switch is an ew2 and is fully complete. my problem is that the manual throw does not hold, and there doesnt seem to be a part for that.yes it does come with the two electrical contacts and two insulating railjoiners.when i try to set the throw to switch, it snaps right back. thanks guys.

It sounds like something is hanging up inside the el mechanism itself. Do you feel comfortable opening it up? If not, I would contact whoever you bought it from (Euro Train Hobby I assume) and get it exchanged.

With the EW2 the points are solid. A switch machine is required to hold it in place. Any switch machine with plastic parts most likely will not be strong enough. Also, the frog will have to be wired to switch polarity to prevent shorts since it is one piece. I went with tortoise motor for mine because it provides enough torque, has 2 built in switches and you can adjust the throw distance. This configuration is for permanent installations, however (and can be expensive at $25CND each). I can take some detail photos for you when I'm home next week if you like.

CSD wrote:With the EW2 the points are solid. A switch machine is required to hold it in place. Any switch machine with plastic parts most likely will not be strong enough. Also, the frog will have to be wired to switch polarity to prevent shorts since it is one piece. I went with tortoise motor for mine because it provides enough torque, has 2 built in switches and you can adjust the throw distance. This configuration is for permanent installations, however (and can be expensive at $25CND each). I can take some detail photos for you when I'm home next week if you like.

So, with all these complexities, what would be the advantage of EW2 over EW1? Additional realism in "high-speed line" modeling? Or, are there some locos/rolling stock that cannot hansle the EW1-based S-bend? Or the realism and esthetics of the metal frog?

On EW1, the 353mm curve radiusshould be acceptable for most application, and insulated frog plus the ability to stay in place, when thrown, all sound like good things. I only used EW1 and IBW curved types in my plans so far, mainly due to space constraints, but now I have more reasons to not introduce the EW2 or EW3, even though I am planning to use Tortoise switches.

It is the more realistic look of larger radius curves that appeal to me especially for longer rolling stock. The hinged connection on the EW1 tends to be unreliable when painted or dirty, the plastic frog creates dead spots for my short wheel base and 2 axle locomotives and the points are not as well crafted causing occasional derailments. Although Tillig claims that the minimum radius to some of their larger steam locomotives is 310mm I found when the detail parts (hoses and piston parts) were applied they interfered with their ability to navigate that radius. Also, some of my own projects require the room. If you are planning to use the tortoise motors anyway, why not go with the more reliable unit? What you sacrifice in space you will get back in operational dependability.