Hi,

A k84 plus an auxilliary 12V power source will do the job (+ 2 diodes if the aux source is AC). Just follow the Tortoise manual for wiring.

But why not keep your DS64? Now, the marklin central station (or ESU, IB,..controllers) send both motorola and DCC codes, and then could control your DS64.

Fred

Hey!
Of course can you use AC power for tortiose motor too!
The only you need is 2 diodes 1A 4007 model,one switch decoder k84 and one AC trafo about 30 VA.(AC trafo can been use for all tortoise motor)
Use diodes to connect tortoise motor or at switch decoder k84.Even better at AC trafo.(You must use wires too)
Connect one wire from AC trafo to diodes to feed power to switch decoder k84.
Connect second wire from AC trafo to tortoise motor.
Connect wire from k84 to tortoise motor.

You have manual for tortoise motor.Just simple follow same diagram as it show about AC power.K84 equal as switches.

Which means you must get total 15 of k84 switch decoder.
Each of them cost about 110 euro today.
Total amount will been therefor about 1650 euro...
If not less you can get some cheaper switch decoder...

Not truth...if father and son shares togehter of same hobby!

If you are good at soldering, I buy the K83 from LDT as a kit for 15.9 Euro (at the current conversion rate, about $19US) and I make a small board with a latching DPDT relay that I buy for about $2.50US. If you buy more than 250 Euro form them, they remove the VAT. I have also bought LDT S88 modules as a kit. I find their kits very easy to make. It might save you some money if you can solder. The downside is my previous orders have taken about four weeks to arrive here in the US. That having been said, I am probably going to place another order with them very soon.

Robert

I prefer to use the Viessmann "k83" decoders. They will take a separate power source so you can connect DC to run through the relays. Also, the dip switches are easily accessable. The Marklin k83 you have to take the cover off.

It´s not possible since tortoise motor need constant feed power to motor to make sure motor go all the way by turn tounge of turnout move to other side.
At least 2-3 second is what tortoise motor needs to move tounge of turnout.

You can program pulse time in the CS-1,2 etc. Instead of 250ms you use say 3000ms (3sec) or however time you need to move the tortise. I know that the tortise can continuously take the current but the k83 are more of an impulse sender. This would save on power...

The only question I have is how to mount the lever to the C-track frog. The switch arm in the ballast into which the regular switch motor goes inside the mechanism cover. It may make for tricky wire forming to get it to reach in.

That arm is still attached to a spring to allow wrong way locs to spring open the points rather than derail. Other than that, I know that the points can move slowly as demonstrated by the Viessmann 4554 slo-mo switch motor.