Seep PM1 Point Motors

960 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by TonyDaly, Mar 18, 2009

RFS

Discussion Starter · Mar 17, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

From a layout I dismantled about 10 years ago, I have about a dozen PM1 Seep point motors. (They might actually be PM4s - the self-latching ones - but I can't tell). I've been using Peco PL10Es lately but the final section of my layout is a scenic run over the hidden storage yards. Here there's limited headroom so I've re-used these Seep motors as they require less clearance than a PL10 with PL13 switch on top.

However, on only 2 or 3 of them do the accessory contacts switch the frog polarity. The rest seem to be dead. There's a slight bit of rust around the springs but nothing serious. I've tried cleaning and a bit of lubricating to no avail. Both track feeds to the switch are live but the frog output wire is dead.

Has anyone else had reliability issues with these contacts after time?

Thanks in anticipation.

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Edwin

· #2 · Mar 17, 2009

The contact is nothing more than a brass washer sliding over PCB tracks, so I imagine with lack of use it would tarnish and cease to conduct. I think somebody has suggested the grease you use on electrical contacts, but I haven't tried this.

It's also important to position the motor accurately, otherwise the washer can miss the PCB tracks entirely or even short them together. If the position is slightly out it can be corrected by bending the actuating rod.

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TonyDaly

· #3 · Mar 18, 2009

It is a known problem that poor contact is made on some NEW seep point motors.Perhaps some electrical contact cleaner might work.Move the actuating rod back & forth quickly 20 or 30 times & see if that cleans the contacts for you also make sure that under the brass contact washer is good & clean.I presume that you tested these motors before you fitted them to your layout. I would always advise this even when the motors are new.

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