[stets]

I was hoping someone can help me. Im a novice to the railway modelling world but looking extremely forward to my 1st project. Im currently in the process of designing my track, and let me tell you - HARD WORK!!!! (anyone with a track design for a 1.8m x 2.4m table layout??????)

Anyway, back to my query - How do I manage to install a point motor to a turnout when my track is sitting on a 2" woodlands scenic riser? Where is the best position to have the point motor placed? Do I need to cut out the foam riser and embed it on my table top or do I sit it next (level with the riser)?

Any suggestions to make this project achievable would be greatly appreciated!

Stets

 

[Brian Considine]

Welcome to MRF.

If you are using a point such as Peco then use the surface mounded switch firmly & securely mounted on something like plasticard that also goes under & is fixed to the point itself. You would then have to disguise the motor, but it would be accessible.

Alternatively, you could cut away some of the riser & mount the motor on the bottom of the point, but this would give access problems at a later date if you had problems with it.

If you are using different points to Peco then please let us know.

Hope this helps.

 

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Stets,

This answers your question I trust. This is a photo from my previous layout where I mounted the motors using below baseboard mounts onto plywood and then cut out the foam to make a recess for the plywood to sit in then glued it all together.

This worked well in terms of strength etc. This is also the method advocated by Woodland Scenics in the manual and DVD.

Would I do it again?

No, I don't like the point motors and moved to Tortoise slow motion units however the same method could be used for those or the use of a remote mounting.

The other way to go if you wish to persist with a peco motor is to mount the motor directly to the points and make a cut out in the riser to receive the motor. Once ballasted etc this makes access to the motor unlikely if anything goes amiss.

 

[Robert Stokes]

No comment on the point motors issue but something about layout design.

You table size is 6 ft by 8 ft in old money. Surely by "table layout" you don't mean that it is going to be one solid piece that size? This is going to make access to the middle very difficult and, unless it has some form of scenic break down the middle will look somewhat toy-like. Also an oval shape rather than rectangular might be better.

I would suggest having a central operating space; you have plenty of room for one. If you made it 4 ft by 2 ft this would still leave you 2ft either side and at each end which should be plenty for an interesting layout. I would make it even larger and only have about 18" each side, perhaps more one side than the other.

It does mean that you have to decide how you are going to get into the middle of the layout but it has some advantages. The trains go behind you and so seem to "go somewhere" rather than round and round. However, the biggest advantage is to do with trains, especially passenger trains, on a bend. Seen from the outside the gap between the coaches opens up and looks most unrealistic. Seen from the inside the gap closes up and looks much better.

There are a number of ways round the access problem. If the layout is set quite high, and you are not too old, then crawling underneath is reasonable. Alternatively, you could make part of the layout removeable, perhaps as a lifting flap as I have done, or completely removable.

Good luck with it whatever you decide, Robert.

 

[stets]

Guys, this is all great feedback! What more can I say! It has helped imensley!

As for the table layout, I found the plan in one of those layout books. I can't remember the name of the layout off the top of my head, but basically, its a figure 8 with a loop or 2 around it. I think from memory, its the Denver layout. I'll check it out when I get home and post it.

I just bought an entry level Hornby Goods Master set and am expanding it with flexi track and other track bits and pieces.

I have been told that I can only use Peco track parts - is this true?

Any recommendations as to what type of Peco point motor I should use? What are people using for control panels? Ie, switches to make the turnout work?

 

[stets]

Robert, I checked the details and its the Denver Central HO scale from the book 48 top notch plans. Has anyone heard/seen of this track plan? I think its best suited to the old traditional table layout I have had built. It will sit central in a room, so I can access it from around the table.

Lancashire, do you have any more pics of your point motor/turn outs? Do you have many of these in your layout?

Brian, your help was great. I will be using Peco turn outs for my track as I have been told only Peco works for the Hornby track. Not sure if that's true, but I'll take any advise that comes my way.

Stets

 

[stets]

Lancashire,

What do you mean by Tortoise slow motion units or the use of a remote mounting?

Do you have a link I can research on this?

Stets