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electrical point control

959 Views 4 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Brian Considine, 
T
I have one electrically controlled point on my layout, the only one I can't reach to switch manually!. It is a Peco large radius fitted with a Peco point motor energised (via a flash switch) to the AC output of a 15 volt transformer, which also supplies a 12 volt DC current to a controller. Operating the flash switch invariably sets off the automatic cut-out in the transformer which also , of course, brings the entire network fed by the controller to a grinding halt for about ten minutes (or so it seems!) until the re set takes place. Very oddly, the circuit does not "blow" when the point is operated through the 12 volt DC output.
I have no means of checking the actual current, ie amperage output of the transformer ,nor indeed the rating of the point motor but I wondered if there was some sort of incompatability involved....I would think it quite likely that a point motor coil would soak up quite a high current and that my transformer just can't cope. It is a heavy steel cased affair but unfortunately, I cannot identify it at all.
Would anyone care to have a stab at this one.
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B
Peco point motors are quite crudely engineered compared to what's available from European manufactures, therefore they are power hungry beasts requiring something like 4 amps to operate - compare that to a point motor from Fleischmann or Roco that takes around half an amp................

Your point motor probably is on the limit for your supply & takes just that bit more on the AC side, hence tripping the unit. 2 - choices - feed the point through a CDU (probably the cheapist & easier option) or find another supply just for the point.

Hope this helps.
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L
I use a old non DCC supply to power mine, it gets hot if I switch a lot of points but it works fine. You can get them quite cheap off ebay second hand,
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T
Many thanks for your comments.....as a consequence, I have been able to borrow a 12volt output transformer ( 5 amp ) from someone's workshop. It was used in conjunction with mobile power tools. Anyway all seems to be well now.

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B
Glad it's sorted now.
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