[alastairq]

there will be an issue of re-acquiring the correct check rail gauge.

especially as the running rail security is closely allied to the check rail moulding?

Retention of the plastic check rail, which CAN be disguised by suitably painting......also allows one to adjust the check rail gauge to improve passage of wheelsets through the frog area?

also, replacing the mouding with actual rail....likley the moulded 'fixings', of check rail to sleeper, will be lunched...and would need to be replaced by something suitable...for appearances' sake..otherwise one ends up with a lump of rail sitting flat on the sleepers, with no visible means of retention?

mods I have done in the past, to old peco points, include, thin strips of plasticard glued to the insides of the frog wing rails, to slightly narrow down the gap...to reduce the risk of the wheels falling into the gap at the frog.

I think Peco have adjusted this gap on later points anyway......in the bad old days, one might actually glue a bit in teh bottom of the frog gap, to support the wheel FLANGE........the things we did to persevere?

 

[alastairq]

''Individulay??''

notice the wooden boards laid ,on the prototype, over the point rail locking mechanism..to protect it from dragging couplers, or broken stuff under trains?

placement of these palnks, with the sloping ends, over the Peco blade spring housings, disguises this effectively.

also.....if driving the point rails by motor, from the centre of the tie bar, do away with the little plastic knobs on either end of tie bars?

on my US layout,I tied the tie bar end..with two long parallel planks.....to a home made switch stand, which turned with the tie bar movement.

once laid, ensure the whole point is absolutely level, at rail top height.

confirmation of this can be done, by passing a fine but big file over the whole point.......if any of the plastic sections have raised thmselves, the file will take the top off...

 

[alastairq]

blast from the past......there USED to be a pneumatic system of point control on the market.

anyone remember it?

forget how it was 'powered'...probably a bicycle pump!.......