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Tiebars and point motors


guspaul
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So I am quite confident now in building points etc from C&L components.

 

But I am completely stuck on actually installing the point on my layout especially when it comes to tie bars and attaching the point motor (I'm using DCC Cobolts) to the tie bar.

 

Can anyone offer advice on what they do here, preferably with pictures?

 

thanks

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Hi

 

I used the Ambis tie bar sets (from C&L) - these consist of etched brackets that are soldered to the switch rails and thin double-sided copperclad strip that is used for the stretcher bar.  I made the first stretcher bar longer on one side to take a loop of brass wire that engages with the operating wire from the point motor.  Hopefully this picture will help (click on the picture to see full size):

 

post-5673-0-66855600-1503501913_thumb.jpg

 

My track is built using Exactoscale chairs on ply timbers in 7mm scale.

 

Unfortunately the price of the Ambis sets has increased to the point (ouch!) where, in future, I intend to make up my own brackets from 0.5mm wire and use these to attach copperclad strip for the stretcher bar.

 

Regards.

Edited by 66C
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The stretcher bars I made for our club layout -

 

post-6524-0-90818900-1504296886_thumb.jpg

 

made from two small pieces of double sided pcb 1mm thick, connected by a 0,5mm phosphor bronze wire underneath. The pcb provides both the insulation and the means for keeping the switch rail from rising, and the wire is finished in a pigtail loop that takes the wire from the point motor underneath. Ours are the "switch tender" motors from Micromark in the US, but the principle is exactly the same as for a Tortoise or Cobalt.

 

I had used the Ambis ones on our previous layout, and whilst they are good, I did find it something of a pain having to cut and gap the pcb, and fitting them wasn't easy. Out of about a dozen sets of switches on the layout, I had only one breakage in service, I think down to the lug on one switch rail coming away, but it not wasy to repair in situ, at least not once it was surrounded by scenery.

 

Jim

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  • 4 months later...

I have always used, for my N and Nm points, a different option for tiebars.

 

A preliminary note: I am producing my own points since many years, and I am really interested in Templot as a great source for the complete making of my future Nm modules. My problem is that (living in Italy) I am really in the metric system, really far from inches etc. and this is a big problem from me. Do Templot consent to pass to the metric system?

I am scrolling through old messages :)

 

Tiebars: I am using, for the bar, a plastic sleeper (a bit wider in dimensions that the PCB ones) drilled in two places (in order to have the right space between the rails), so to have two little holes that will host two "L" 0,5 mm wires bent to 90° and soldered to the really end of the blades.

These two wires, entered in the holes of the plastic bar, will attach the rails to the bar (see the picture, the Nm three-way point is still to be finished).

post-4814-0-46488100-1517071192.jpg

Edited by VanBasten
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If using the thin copper clad on edge as a stretcher bar, the point blades can be connected to it by using 10 or 11 gauge guitar string.

The guitar string can be soldered at one end to the switch blade and the other end to the stretcher bar.

Much cheaper.

 

Gordon A

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You can change all measurements in Templot to metric if you want to. I can't remember where the button is, but no doubt someone will be along in a minute tell us.

 

As for point motors, I've just been shown under the Folkestone MRC's "Hythe" OO layout. They use model aircraft servos to work their point. cost around £2.50 each and they need a module to work them for about £10. Each module will control up to 4 servos, which are far smaller than any point machine I've seen so far. I understand the MERG sell various mounting brackets for these servos. Servos can be bought from Hobby King.

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You can change all measurements in Templot to metric if you want to. I can't remember where the button is, but no doubt someone will be along in a minute tell us.

 

As for point motors, I've just been shown under the Folkestone MRC's "Hythe" OO layout. They use model aircraft servos to work their point. cost around £2.50 each and they need a module to work them for about £10. Each module will control up to 4 servos, which are far smaller than any point machine I've seen so far. I understand the MERG sell various mounting brackets for these servos. Servos can be bought from Hobby King.

Using these on one of our new layouts.

 

Dave

Carshalton & Sutton MRC.

Edited by dasatcopthorne
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