Locking up your layout - 4
the largest and most complex model railroad can benefit from
using equipment locks. If you’re worried about taking the
plunge and locking up every switch and gate on your layout,
consider starting small. Perhaps you have a seldom-used indus-
trial spur that would benefit from having locks. As you and
your operators become more comfortable with interacting with
locked equipment during a session, you can add the procedure
and hardware to the rest of your layout.
Locks for Model Use
Adding locks to your model operations can be a straightforward
process. If you use powered switch motors on your layout, it can
be as simple as adding a locking cover over the toggle switch.
Crews would need to unlock the cover to gain access to the turn-
out control. Model Railroad Hobbyist author Lance Mindheim
has extensively written about adding locking covers to switches
and other controls. More information is available on his website
at
and in back issues of MRH.
Locks for manual turnouts requires a bit of planning. If you’re
using under-table devices that utilize a push-pull rod to acti-
vate, such as the BluePoint or Bullfrog controllers, it’s easy to
add padlocks to the control rod. Padlock eyes or hasps can be
connected between the handle and the fascia. A padlock is
then used between the two, preventing the control rod from
being moved unless it’s first unlocked.
If you’re using over-table devices, such as Caboose Industries
ground throws or the snap-action spring built into Peco and
Micro Engineering turnouts, then you’ll have to prevent the
turnout from being thrown manually. On my own layout I use
ME Code 70 turnouts and rely on their over-center spring for
control, throwing the turnouts with an uncoupling pick or my
6
6: Simple and inexpensive hardware is available
to add switch locks to existing turnout controls,
including locking covers for toggle switches and
hasps for push-pull rods.
7
7: James combined readily available items into a
custom solution to adding equipment locks on his
layout.
MRH-Dec 2013
