Improving Tomix FG-17 controller

[KateM]

Let's start with a little history trip.

 

Back in 2012/2013, a complete layout, including rails, turntable, paper craft of terrain, buildings, a freight train, cars, figurines, and many other things, was coming out in Weekly SL Railway Model 「週刊SL鉄道模型」 magazine in more than 60 separate issues. Each issue contained larger or smaller item for the layout. Many of the items were made by Tomix and Tomytec, however most of them had different numbers, colors etc. so they were unique to this magazine. There were also some novel items though. In issues 49 through 51, a small manual turntable was included to be assembled. This unique turntable came out few years later as Tomix 93543 (T140-15) Tomix World Tec Station Ōmiya exclusive, which I acquired few years ago in an online Tec Station sale. The turntable has its own separate power feeder.

 

In issues 35 and 36, a controller came out, codenamed Tomytec KD3-35. It might look familiar to you, as it is almost the same as Tomix FG-17, however it has an extra switch that turns power to the turntable on or off. Two power feeder outputs, one of them switchable, how cool! Just as the turntable, Tomix FG-17 came out few years later as well, as part of few starter sets.

 

(images from http://yuji.moe-nifty.com/blog/2012/10/sl35-007c.html)

 

FG-17 has a blind spot where the extra feeder is present on KD3-35, also has almost the same print at the connector sides. FG-17 codename is printed where the turntable switch is located on KD3-35. That led me to an idea of upgrading one of my FG-17s to include that switch as well so I can connect to the turntable as originally intended. What was my surprise when I opened the controller and found a circuit board that included all the circuits for the turntable switch! Seems they never changed the board since KD3-35, they just stopped populating a switch and a feeder cable. What a simple change. My first idea has been to combine two FG-17s into one, however that turned cumbersome. I instead dived into internet to search for the switch and found out a KNITTER-SWITCH MFP 201 N fits perfectly. After a quick order, little manual processing of the plastic shell, and simple soldering, I now own a KD3-35 clone! I made it two-colored to differentiate it from my other FG-17s. It has been my first project processing plastic and I've found out that it's not that easy as how it looks, will need more experience for the result to look great. But it's working just fine and that's what counts 🙂 I'll add some labels to the new switch and feeder in the future.

  

[cteno4]

Very nice work. Sweet they did not change the pc board, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it and just leave the switch off.

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

Very interesting information!

 

Rich K.