addy Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I'm seriously angry. Half way though building my 00 gauge digital layout using Peco track and having just finished ballasting (beautiful job) one of the turnouts gives up on me. The small spring broke and now I can only use manually. Useless now as all the ballasting has rock solid dried. All points are computer controlled otherwise. Sorry just a rant. Grrrrrr. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel001 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Hello. I am sure this will have been posted previously however it may be useful to say it again. Peco will supply spare springs f.o.c. (Unless they have changed their policy) They can be replaced with the point in place. I have even made a new top spring keep plate from plasticard quite successfully. "Don't get angry - get a sense of satisfaction" Jeff P.S. I have just noticed differences in the mechanisms on some points. Some points hove the top keep plate and others don't. Unfortunately I do not know which is the more modern type. If it is the one without the top plate than unfortunately it looks as if a spring could not be replaced without a major upheavel of the track. This would seem to be a retrograde step as the springs can break. I will leave the post anyway and if other forum members could comment on which type of point came first please?. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mod2 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sorry just a rant. Grrrrrr. The place for rants is in Wheeltappers, not Layouts. If you actually want help, then the place is Help, oddly enough. Now moved and merged with Jeff's useful reply. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Never say die Even if the spring is irretrievably busted you can change the point motor to one which locks the rails in place. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted February 23, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 23, 2011 ...and if you've used PVA to ballast, you can loosen it easily enough by spraying with water and then lift the point without damage. Done this tons of times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Change to a Tortoise and calm down the point switching as well as your blood pressure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel001 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Well there you go then!. Thought I was being helpful.....that'll teach me. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 ? You were! Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Well there you go then!. Thought I was being helpful.....that'll teach me. Jeff The Mod does say Jeff's useful reply. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Bird Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Jeff P.S. I have just noticed differences in the mechanisms on some points. Some points hove the top keep plate and others don't. Unfortunately I do not know which is the more modern type. If it is the one without the top plate than unfortunately it looks as if a spring could not be replaced without a major upheavel of the track. This would seem to be a retrograde step as the springs can break. I will leave the post anyway and if other forum members could comment on which type of point came first please?. It has always been possible to replace the springs but, with older points, only by lifting them. As you have noticed, there has been a modification and the later versions are the ones with the retaining plate on the top. Presumably this is to make the job possible with the point in situ. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sorry to hijack the thread but do the peco springs fit the Hornby points? I have two Hornby points without springs and they still work with solenoid motors (also Hornby) but occsaionally, a passing train dislodges the switch rail with predictable consequences. Hornby do not supply replacements and I know of no other source (except looking for damaged points on ebay). Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel001 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Hello Harold. I don't know anything about Hornby points so can't help you I'm afraid. However, is it not possible to replicate the spring? Something like a very high note guitar string may be the right diameter and have the necessary tension? I have made replacements for the points I have as well as the keep plate. Can you measure the OD of the spring wire and post a picture of it? Regards, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Al Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 However, is it not possible to replicate the spring? Should be fairly easy - N gauge handrail wire would be just the ticket, and plenty stiff enough. All you'd need to do is cut it to length and bend it to shape. Cheers, Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thank you Jeff and Alan. The reason I have two points with missing springs is that I took one from an old point to replace one in a new point that had broken; I dropped it several times and had difficulty finding it - despite its falling onto a plain surface - and eventually lost it! My sons have offered to replace them for me if I can get new ones as their eysight is much better than mine (and probably their fingers are more sensitive too). As they both play guitar I will suggest that idea to them - if that doesn't work, I will find some N gauge handrail. In due course, I will let you know how we get on. Thanks again, Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rail_blue Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Change to a Tortoise and calm down the point switching as well as your blood pressure. I've just fitted cobalt point motors to my layout, they don't need point springs as they lock the point in place. Cut and paste the below link into your address bar to go to the Cobalt manual. It would be easy to fit if you already have an existing point motor fitted (and hole under the tie bar). https://clarahost.clara.net/www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/assets/own/cobalt_manual.pdf Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RFS Posted February 25, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 25, 2011 If you've used a Peco PL-10 motor mounted below the baseboard then a simple soulution is to mount the motor on a PL-12 adapter base. This has a built-in spring and thus will replace the function of the spring in the points. I would have thought this PL-10 + PL-12 combination would do the Hornby points, but I don't have any of these so I'm guessing. I mount all my PL-10s on PL-9 bases under the board because it makes them easy to fix, but a couple of the PL-9s have been replaced by PL-12s when the point springs failed and it was too fiddly to fix the in-built spring. A couple of other points have had their springs replaced in-situ - quite easy to do if they're easily accessible. Peco eill send them to you free of charge - just write to their Technical Bureau and enclose an SAE with a stamp for the large letter rate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Thank you Rail Blue and RFS for your suggestions. Unfortunately from this point of view, I have used Hornby surface-mounted point motors so it would be quite difficult now to follow either suggestion. I have today acquired a spring that looks like those I lost so I may be half way to overcoming the problem. However, I am most grateful for your input. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 Double disappointment today - (1) the spring I had acquired was of a different design and so no good; (2) My son made a replacement spring from a Hornby point clip but it did not work - we think the metal is probably too stiff. He plans to try a guitar string next. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDiesel001 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hello. Sorry to hear that your replacement springs have not been successful. Did you measure the wire size of the old spring as you will need to get something the same diameter and with the same or similar tension? The od of the wire on a Peco spring is 0.013" and V shaped with 2 upturns at the end of the legs. What shape is the Hornby spring? If I can help further please let me know. Regards, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Jeff, Thank you for your further comments. From your description of the Peco spring I would say the Hornby one is identical. I calculate that 0.13" equals 0.33mm which means that the problem with the point clip wire is that it was too thick at about 0.5mm. Obviously it is worth trying something thinner. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Today has been a very rewarding day! Peco was happy to provide me with some point springs for just the cost of postage and I am delighted to say that I was able to fit them to my Hornby points which now work with the Hornby point motors. The shape of the Peco springs is the same as those in the Hornby points (and the distance across the "V" seems to be so too) but the prongs are very much longer. It was an easy matter to shorten those and everything now appears to be in order. Both my points are Hornby curved points, one of which is ballasted in place, the other being unfixed. I found the unfixed one easier to do as I could insert it with the longer prongs and cut them off afterwards from underneath; for the ballasted point I had to cut the prongs first which made the spring more difficult to handle. I can now run trains confidently in both directions over the ballasted point. I am slightly embarrassed that I have had a free fix from Peco for Hornby points but I have used other Peco products. Thank you to those who offered advice. Harold. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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