[Beakster]

Hi,

I'm a constant newbie to the hobby having been dipping into magazines periodically over the last 10 years, but now I want to move forward! I have a few bits of Peco track and some points, a Hornby 08 shunter, and a few questions.....

Has anyone got any advice on making working mechanical points, ie not using point motors, but brass rod or similar.

Also, what's the best system for uncoupling. I have fitted kadee coulpers to a couple of pieces of rolling stock but haven't looked at other options so far. And what magnets work best, between the rail, over, or electromagnet under the track.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Doug]

Take a look at Kadee info here.

 

[mikeg]

I have two mechanical leaver frames one of 6 levers in the fiddle yard, and the other of twenty levers controling the station. I have used .7mm brass rod running in 1mm holes in brass angle 6x6mm with from 1 to 4 holes at approx 75mm spacing (O gauge) and the longest run is about 5.5m. The angle crank at the point has a long spindle that goes through the baseboard and has a lever attached to work a micro switch for the adjacent frog. The lever frames are home made but ambiss and scale signal supply both make lever frames and there are others, so its fairly easy to do. I use DCC for control but do not like it for point control, just my preference!

regards

mike g

 

[alastairq]

there's also the 'wire in tube' system, used to be called ''Mercontrol''...this had the advantage of being fairly flexible in routing under the boards..or on top.

I have also used stiff rod [wire coathanger] directly off the point, to the board edge.....with either a right angle at the end, with nob.....or bettr still, the end pssed through a hole, drilled in the plastic slider nob of a DPDT microswitch...move the switch, the blade s got moved, and the crossing polarity got changed!

 

[John Webb]

QUOTE (alastairq @ 29 Feb 2008, 18:27) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>there's also the 'wire in tube' system, used to be called ''Mercontrol''...this had the advantage of being fairly flexible in routing under the boards..or on top....
It still is called 'Mercontrol' and is available with a range of accessories - see www.gemmodelrailways.co.uk and is available by mail order - also sometimes from stands at exhibitions or mr shops.

There's an alternative system by Modeloils under the name 'Slippery Sid' which uses a plastic outer tube. I've not seen a recent advert for them - try www.stores.ebay.co.uk/modeloils, but I can't guarentee that will get you through.

An alternative mentioned recently on this Forum is to use the cranks, clevis (fork) and rod fittings used by radio control enthusiasts for operating things from servo-mechanisms in model planes and boats.

Regards,
John Webb

 

[dwb]

I once made my own "wire in tube" point control from empty Biro &#153; ink tubes and piano wire. I was a student at the time and getting through an entire Biro's worth of ink once a fortnight writing notes, so it didn't take long to acquire enough to hook up the points I wanted to control.

David