The Bigbee Line Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Has anyone tried these from Conrad http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/219999/Universal-Point-Control-Mechanism-with-Limit-Switch £5.99 each. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Has anyone tried these from Conrad http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/219999/Universal-Point-Control-Mechanism-with-Limit-Switch £5.99 each. Absolutely NOT! - the cheaper one at £3.99 is exactly the same! Have a look at: http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/219998/br-br-br-Point-drivesbr-Size-Universalbr/1606490?ref=list They are very good value for money - but watch out for the carriage charge. I have used them for both OO and O gauge turnouts. The thicker of the two supplied spring wires is not quite stiff enough for Peco turnouts that still have their over-centre spring. It does hold over my hand-built O gauge turnouts without any problem. They are much faster at moving over than Fulgurex or Tortoise but do not have the violent thump of solenoids that can damage soldered tie-bars. They do not have to be wired according to the instructions. They can be operated from DC or by half-wave using "steering" diodes. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bigbee Line Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 (edited) Absolutely NOT! - the cheaper one at £3.99 is exactly the same! Have a look at: http://www.conrad-electronic.co.uk/ce/en/product/219998/br-br-br-Point-drivesbr-Size-Universalbr/1606490?ref=list They are very good value for money - but watch out for the carriage charge. I have used them for both OO and O gauge turnouts. The thicker of the two supplied spring wires is not quite stiff enough for Peco turnouts that still have their over-centre spring. It does hold over my hand-built O gauge turnouts without any problem. They are much faster at moving over than Fulgurex or Tortoise but do not have the violent thump of solenoids that can damage soldered tie-bars. They do not have to be wired according to the instructions. They can be operated from DC or by half-wave using "steering" diodes. Regards. Thanks, £3.99 well worth a look. Got any pictures of your installations? Edited February 8, 2014 by The Bigbee Line Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 My latest little layout made from some leftovers/odds/track experiments (easitrac chairs on ply sleepers), uses simple mechanical actuation of both points and uncoupling magnets just using some wire/tube and DPDT slider switches, which many have used. This is a cheap/easy/flexible method. Again I can post some shots if it would be of assistance. Izzy Yes please re. the photos Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 9, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 9, 2014 Sorry, I just wanted to see one and have a go at making it. Certainly will shut up those who complain about the difficulty in threading 4mm chairs If I'd wanted it that much I would have bid more. Have fun building it. I found it easier to put the check rails on before any other bit of track. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Kris Not opened the plastic bag yet, too many other bits on the go. I will have to bite the bullet and admit I need a magnifying glass for tiny items Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamjamie Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 My latest little layout made from some leftovers/odds/track experiments (easitrac chairs on ply sleepers), uses simple mechanical actuation of both points and uncoupling magnets just using some wire/tube and DPDT slider switches, which many have used. This is a cheap/easy/flexible method. Again I can post some shots if it would be of assistance. Izzy How did you find using easitrac chairs on ply sleepers? I'm planning to build the track on my current layout using this method... I'm actually using real wood sleepers from the US site handlaidtracks rather than ply. My original plan was to use laser cut ply sheet with holes in each sleeper to use the pegged FiNetrax chairs, but this was just too small for my local laser cutting company. I might hand drill holes every fifth sleeper, or so, and use a combination of pegged and non-pegged chairs... I'd be interested in anything you discovered about this method from your experiments... Jamie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Thanks, £3.99 well worth a look. Got any pictures of your installations?Hi Ernie As requested - first view is the underside. The operating wire that goes up through the baseboard is at the bottom of the picture - this is the heavier of the two spring wires supplied with the motor. The heavy brown and blue wires are the DCC bus. Yellow/green wire goes to the common crossing of the turnout. Black wire is the common return for all the turnout motors. Small blue wire is the feed wire for this motor. The two diodes from the motor are connected together as the AC supply is split - one side is the common return - the other is divided by two diodes to give half wave positive and negative. A two way toggle switch is used to switch the motor supply between positive and negative. This is the same as the "steering" diodes method described in Tortoise instructions. The second view is topside - looking down on the turnout switch. The operating wire from the motor is at the bottom end of the right hand tie-bar - this is very discreet - the layout is normally viewed from the top of the picture. The track is 32mm gauge, ply timbering, Exactoscale chairs and Ambis tie bars laid on a Templot plan. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted February 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2014 Hi Bill, Thank you for posting those pictures, they look like quite compact motors - what are the dimensions? I was looking at Cobalt and Tortoise motors and realised I'd never be able to fit them into the viaducts/embankments on Gresby, which also rules out wire-in-tube, so these seem to be just the ticket. Are they only for DCC? Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Hi Simon The picture is fairly close to life size on a 96 ppi (pixel per inch) monitor - fairly standard for most. The main body dimensions are: length 70mm, breadth 23mm and depth 25mm. The motor comes with 2 fixing screws and two different thicknesses of spring wire for the operating wire that passes through the baseboard. One thing to be aware of is that the connecting wires are quite fine and need to be handled carefully. The diodes shown are as supplied - ready wired. They can be used with DC or DCC systems. My motors are not linked to the DCC system. Bear in mind that on the prototype turnouts and signals are not operated from traction power. I have a control panel with a row of switches (like the levers in a signal box) and these provide (with a lot of wires) electrical interlocking between signals (when I eventually install them) and the turnouts. If you are really stuck for space under an embankment I can offer two suggestions: Firstly use a crank with operating wire under the tie bar and link to a remote motor with wire in tube. Secondly have a look at Minx Microdrives - website here: http://minxmicrodrives.com/ Not cheap but very compact. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2014 Those micro drive motors do look good, but massively expensive. If they sold spare motors to add it, it would be great and I might consider it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Izzy Posted February 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yes please re. the photos Andy Okay, I'll get some taken and posted as soon as there's some decent light, flipping rain....... How did you find using easitrac chairs on ply sleepers? I'm planning to build the track on my current layout using this method... I'm actually using real wood sleepers from the US site handlaidtracks rather than ply. My original plan was to use laser cut ply sheet with holes in each sleeper to use the pegged FiNetrax chairs, but this was just too small for my local laser cutting company. I might hand drill holes every fifth sleeper, or so, and use a combination of pegged and non-pegged chairs... I'd be interested in anything you discovered about this method from your experiments... Jamie No problem at all. I cut mine from the 1/32" ply sheets normally used by aircraft modellers and glued the chairs using Slaters Mek-Pak. It was only experimental for me in respect of the (2mm) size. I did not really expect any issues with the chairs sticking to the ply since I have been building track this way since the early 1980's when Len Newman (C&L) first produced his plastic chairs and gave me some of the initial test mould chairs to play with. In other scales it is now an accepted method of construction and if you look on the hand-built track forum and the track/signalling one you'll find quite a bit of info. It's all applicable, only the scale differs, and that the 2mm chairs are less detailed, no bolt detail or 'special' chairs. Hardly an issue in 2mm and makes life easier. No issues with the number of bolts (2/3/4) or the 'handing' of the chair keys for example. I don't see any advantage in using pegged chairs, quite the reverse, it would make setting the correct chair site and adjusting it where necessary almost impossible. I would not use or recommend this method. Too much effort and open to hole location errors for hand built points. Track needs building using gauges for best results. Chairs simply glued to wood sleepers mean that a scalpel blade can be slid between them to break the joint and re-position when needed. However, I have not had a chair come adrift from a sleeper unless this method is used as the glue means the chair base 'keys' into the grain of the sleeper. I know fiNetrax points use the peg & hole method, and the reasons why, to provide easier construction without the need for gauges, but they also use much looser standards than the 2FS that I use, and so there is a greater measure of leeway. Izzy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanders Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Those micro drive motors do look good, but massively expensive. If they sold spare motors to add it, it would be great and I might consider it. Those look rather a lot like a linear servo to me, and you can get similar items for less around $10 each. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Izzy Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 A few shots of my simple point tie-bar and magnet control. These are easily made from bits of K&S wire and tube and slider switches. I used 0.9mm brass wire, with 1/16" tube which it fits as adjusters, for the points. Just solder in place either side of the switch body to control how much actual movement there is if the switch movement is more than is needed. In this particular case my tie-bars use a steel wire dropper (K&S piano wire) that fits in a hole in them, so I just drilled a small hole through the 0.9mm and soldered the wire dropper rigidly in place to provide a sprung action, the wire holding the tie-bar either way under tension. Because the wire dropper is L shaped and can't drop out of the tie-bar the 0.9mm wire is just arranged to slide along up against the underside of the baseboard by the actual position of the solder joint position, which also adjusts the position/tension of the wire dropper. I hope this is clear. It is much simpler to make and set up than it is to describe! If you were using the fiNetrax tie-bar, (which I think is a very good design and overcomes several issues that can be problematic), then extending the 0.9mm wire and running it in some tube fixed to the baseboard to support the end would be needed, as the wire dropper moving the tie-bar wouldn't stay in place in it and the whole lot would just fall out. I hope I've explained that well enough. The magnet uncoupler system uses 1/4" round rare earth magnets - power magnets they are often called - rising/falling in suitable diameter K&S tube. A slot in the tube to allow the control rod, 1/16" tube with 0.9mm wire at the end, to 'push' the magnet up under the track, gravity lets it fall. A Peco steel track pin is used as a retaining pin to stop the magnet and rod falling out of the tube, which the magnet is also attracted and sticks to. The control rod works on the pivot system with some heatshrink on the end for better grip. Hardly any force is needed to push the rod down/the magnet up. It needs to be held there of course while the vehicles being uncoupled pass over it. The tube/magnet design is not mine, but comes from a good 2mmSA friend, who uses servos to raise/lower the magnets. In use it would seem that I need to drop the magnets further away from the track by using longer tube, as some couplings are still affected by the magnets in the current lowered position. As a matter of interest I include a shot of my tie-bar, which may be of use as some clarification of that which I have written above, which is a PCB sleeper turned edge on, a hole drilled in the centre for the wire dropper, and ones at the blade locations for fine soft iron wire wrapped around the top half, to which the blades are soldered. Like the fiNetrax tie-bar the latter bit allows the blades to pivot on the tie-bar as the soft iron wire allows some movement. This is a feature, the blades pivoting, that I deem essential in tie-bars, as it not only reduces stress on the blades and tie-bar, but allows the former to take up a natural position against the stock rail. Finally a shot of the alternative servo design I use on another layout. This is the test bed one. Full servo movement used via, again, the sprung steel piano wire and a fulcrum point, again very crude, just a hole in a piece of pcb sleeper strip. I now use the servos shown. Although more costly than the common Towerpro ones, a much superior action coupled with sounding better. The former have a rough action, and match it by sounding like cement mixers. Izzy 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2014 Moving away from the comments about point motors, I have now received the crossing that I ordered. This arrived quickly so was good on that side of things. Whilst postage is expensive Wayne did spend all of it on the stamp. It was a massive box that was used! Once I finish the point I'm building, this crossing will be next up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 i think you can buy the easitrac stuff from the 2FS at exhbitions. obviously by post it would make more sense to order in bulk rather than 2 length of flexi and a turnout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2mm Andy Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) i think you can buy the easitrac stuff from the 2FS at exhbitions. obviously by post it would make more sense to order in bulk rather than 2 length of flexi and a turnout. The only Easitrac that is sold at exhibition is the short length included in the promotional kit packs (diagram 1/108 16t minteral wagon and short length of track). The sample packs of Easitrac that we used to sell on the stand are no longer available, and pointwork components have only every been available via the Association shops (ie. to members only). Andy Edited February 13, 2014 by 2mm Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas G Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 It was nice to see the review of FiNetrax by Ben Ando in Model Rail this month, and to read that a more detailed article on using it is on the way there and also in the NGS Journal. Is it going to really take off now, I wonder (and hope)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philsandy Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I don't model in N gauge but this track does look really good, the right rail code and correct sleeper spacing. I assume in the photo in MR the other track alongside it is Peco code 80, for realism there is no comparison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas G Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 I think it was Code 80, but perhaps a better comparison would be between FiNetrax and Peco Code 55 "Finescale". The difference with the turnouts is even more striking, especially as the switch blades on the Peco Code 55 turnouts are thicker than code 55. I am now planning to use FiNetrax for my layout and have just got a copy of the 2mm Society book "Track" to learn about some of the techniques of track making. The distinction between N gauge and 2mm Finescale is definitely blurring with these developments, especially as the availability of FiNetrax will no doubt encourage people to make their own turnouts for configurations that are not available in the range. Douglas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
-missy- Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 The distinction between N gauge and 2mm Finescale is definitely blurring with these developments, especially as the availability of FiNetrax will no doubt encourage people to make their own turnouts for configurations that are not available in the range. Douglas Hi. I think its a good stepping stone towards 2mmFS where the consistant standards and much better overall appearance far outweigh N gauge 'standards'. The skills achieved from building finetrax pointwork can easily be used to build to finescale standards. Missy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglas G Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Hi Missy, Yes, you're right, it is a potential stepping stone to 2mm FS. However, I suppose people considering FiNetrax will have to make a decision how far down the finescale route they wish to go, just using finer N gauge track or crossing the stepping stone to 2mm scale track and wheel standards. For me FiNetrax combined with commercial N gauge stock is where I want to go to right now. As I have said here before, I don't want to have to rewheel my stock and I hate soldering, so want to reduce the amount I have to do as much as possible. I can live with modern commercial N gauge wheels, especially as you tend to look at them from the side usually. Douglas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglian Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) Does anybody have a photograph of a Farish loco and/or coach on FiNetrax? Or can anybody point me to one on the net? I want to get a sample length of track but the minimum postage charge is £6.50. Edited July 10, 2014 by Anglian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Does anybody have a photograph of a Farish loco and/or coach on FiNetrax? Or can anybody point me to one on the net? A couple of photos on these threads. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/58469-track-comparison/ http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=9732.0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted July 10, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 10, 2014 If those are not good enough I can take more. There are also a few distant ones on my Coombe viaduct thread. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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