PECO Announces Bullhead Track for OO

[gismorail]

I see what you did there.

 

Cheers,

 

BR(W).

Blimey unintended pun / humour there well spotted ...... but I believe it's true     

[Pint of Adnams]

Just wait till the genie follows it - we'll get double-slips, trap points, the works 

That would be genie sequencing then?

[AndyID]

That would be genie sequencing then?

A d'na ken.

[gismorail]

H&M point motors, I have heard of them but I never been able to buy them, are they still in production? If not when did they stop being made?

If you go to the Hattons web site they have started producing a new version of the old H&M point motor. When I had a garden layout I used them outside set in a small Maplins project box and they were very reliable 

[Budgie]

I hope the build quality will be the same, as there code 75 range is getting harder to source I know of only 2 dealers who carry a decent range. For me its better than the offerings from Atlas and Shinohara and its ideal track in our sun-room.

I get my stuff from Invicta. Anything they haven't got in stock, they will order from Peco, which doesn't take long to arrive.

[Godfrey Glyn]

I hope the build quality will be the same, as there code 75 range is getting harder to source I know of only 2 dealers who carry a decent range. For me its better than the offerings from Atlas and Shinohara and its ideal track in our sun-room.

 

Paul at Alton stocks the complete PECO range with the exception of the Code 83 points and even then can get everything PECO has within a week. He also does mail order.

Godfrey

[Roy Langridge]

AC Models in Eastleigh always seems to have a good stock of Peco track as does the already mentioned Alton Model Centre.

 

Roy

[Junctionmad]

H&M point motors = damaged turnouts , in my experience, far too aggressive a unit , I had a few ....

[Jeff Smith]

The only good use for solenoid type point motors that I can see is if you are relying on good electrical contact between point blades and stock rails......otherwise slow-acting (expensive) or under-board manual (a lot cheaper) are kinder and more prototypical.

[steve45]

Just an update, I emailed Peco about the point work, message below was their reply:

''Work is under way on the code 75 bullhead large radius points, and we hope to have these available in the spring.''

This was what they said to me at Warley when I asked the same question whilst speaking to a Peco representative on their stand, so we could be seeing introduction anytime from March through to the beginning of June perhaps

[bertiedog]

If you want to use H&M or any solenoid type with any point, then reduce the voltage and fit a CD unit, and an Omega loop in the wire to the point. With Peco they only need a tiny nudge t change, not the wallop the coils give at16VAC and the Dc from the CD unit.

In no way did I suggest the bullhead point would be weaker.

Personally with small layouts I like lever frames, what I do not like are the stall motor slo-mo types, where the motor is permanently connected, bad engineering to save pennies on switches.

Servos stripped of electronics and adding limit switches is the cheapest slo-mo that works, or work them via the electronics for DCC.

[bertiedog]

This was what they said to me at Warley when I asked the same question whilst speaking to a Peco representative on their stand, so we could be seeing introduction anytime from March through to the beginning of June perhaps

Easter was mentioned on the phone to an enquiry with Peco.......

[Jeff Smith]

Is the large radius point the most useful as an initial offering? Would the medium have possibly been a better choice?

[Dominion]

I hope the build quality will be the same, as there code 75 range is getting harder to source I know of only 2 dealers who carry a decent range. For me its better than the offerings from Atlas and Shinohara and its ideal track in our sun-room.

I see you are in the US. "Model Railway Imports" in Ontario has the full range of current Peco products and posts all over the US and Canada.  

Steve the proprietor has also told me he plans to bring in the new range when available and I believe he already has the bullhead flex-track in stock, as well as DCC Concepts Bullhead flex track.

Excellent service.  Tom 

[mightbe]

Is the large radius point the most useful as an initial offering? Would the medium have possibly been a better choice?

 

I would think not. The medium is perhaps the best-selling of the code 75 and 100 ranges (I don't have statistics, just spitballing), and due to the underscale timbering looks decent enough in many circumstances. The large would look a bit nicer, but the medium passes if that's all that will fit. 

 

With bullhead rail and scale timbering, a medium would look vaguely industrial. In mainline use it might even be called out as silly. But don't listen to me; I like P4.

 

I completely understand Peco's decision to release the best-looking turnouts first. Press will be good, sales will be good, and word of mouth will do the rest.

 

Let it not be forgotten that even a Peco "large" is a TINY turnout in comparison to real trackwork. I think Martin Wynne's closest approximation to a real-life turnout was an A-5.5 or similar. A "large" on the prototype would probably have been an E-something (standard sizes went all the way up to F-20). A C-10 is quite grand for most layouts, yet was actually a humble creature generally seen in marshalling yards, MPDs, and the like. The B-6, which many modellers hold to be ideal and ubiquitous in size, was quite rare and extremely restrictive.

 

Quentin

Edited January 6, 2017 by mightbe

[hayfield]

H&M point motors, I have heard of them but I never been able to buy them, are they still in production? If not when did they stop being made?

 

They have not been made for years, but a clone type as reported is now available plus of course SEEP has one which locks into place

 

At one time they became very popular on eBay and fetched high prices, now quite common as modellers have moved on to either slow acting or servo motors. Plenty available now quite cheaply. They are also prone to being burnt out, as sometimes may stick in one direction, unless you use a Capacitor Discharge unit which solves both issues. Cheap and easy to use, they have a simple electrical switch built in which can be used to change polarity of the common crossings

 

Using servos seems to be the way ahead by those who specialise in electronic's

H&M point motors = damaged turnouts , in my experience, far too aggressive a unit , I had a few ....

 

They can be very vicious and need some form of spring/dampening device between the motor and switch blades 

Edited January 6, 2017 by hayfield

[steve45]

The criticism of the three-chair-only check rails in the Peco point sample shown at the NEC is an interesting one. Whilst I realize that perspective in photographs can induce all sorts of illusions, and I also realize that the spacing of the timbers in the vicinity of the crossing is related to the chosen crossing angle and the chosen width of flangeways, does one of the images below tend to suggest that rather than the length of the check rails it is a shortage of timbers in that area that is the snag?

 

2016 Peco NEC 1.JPG2016 Peco NEC 3.JPG

Just to remind peeps that this was the sample in the cabinet at Warley, note that the switch blades are in one piece and not hinged

[Ramblin Rich]

Just to remind peeps that this was the sample in the cabinet at Warley, note that the switch blades are in one piece and not hinged

Thanks for digging out that set of images, I knew I'd seen them but couldn't think where!

The blades certainly look far better than the current flat bottom versions. The tiebar also seems finer and without the little 'upstands' at the ends (which I always cut off but am surprised how many don't...). Assuming there's an over-centre spring in there, it's also disguised quite well.

[Gary H]

Just to remind peeps that this was the sample in the cabinet at Warley, note that the switch blades are in one piece and not hinged

 

Excellent, good to see those hinged point blades have gone but there's just one glaring snag for me looking at that sample.

Ive never seen a check rail supported by just 3 timbers before, looks most odd.

Hopefully, they'll have lengthened the check rail towards the toe a little in the production version.

[Colin_McLeod]

Re Rich's post, I and many others use the upstanding bit at the end of the throw bar ( tie bar) to connect the actuating wire that links to the point motors.

 

Edit to correct the auto correct.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Colin_McLeod

[Coryton]

Re Riche's post, I and many others use the upstanding bit at the end of the throw bar ( tie bar) to connect the actuating wire that links to the point motors.

 

Where's the me too button?

 

I suppose it would look a bit nicer and be more secure to remove it and drill a small hole in the tie-bar instead.

 

On Hornby points the sticky-up-bits are rather small and prone to removing themselves whether you want it or not.

[Ramblin Rich]

Sorry if I've upset the users of the 'upstands'! I'd always thought they were for finger operation & would use a wire through he hole in the tiebar - but can't see such a hole on the current images.

[bertiedog]

I very much doubt that Peco would move to solid blades, it is part of the design that Mr Pritchard was proud of, saving machining, with basically pressed and folded parts, and with a light positive snap action. Solid blades must double the pressure required to moved them and a far more powerful over centre spring to hold the blade to the outer rails would be needed,

The current joint is intrusive, but can be over painted if the blade has a fuse wire connections soldered across the joint underneath, to bond the blade electrically to the stock rail. The crossing frog remains switched as usual. Peco were offering a choice between the blades switching or a switch doing the switchover of the frog.

[coachmann]

Is the large radius point the most useful as an initial offering? Would the medium have possibly been a better choice?

I imagine 'realism' is the driving force behind chaired points, and so the large radius point is the obvious one to produce first. Maybe it's just me, but chairs, realism and 24" radius should not be in the same sentence, but to add a sense of reality, the real railways rarely go below 6 chains radius curve, or 5ft 2½ins in 4mm scale, and even this is is most often found in sidings. Even the full size equivalent of 9' radius in 4mm is considered sharp on Britain's mainlines.  I know space is the enemy of railway modelling and no doubt Peco will attend to these needs eventually. In fact it wouldn't surprise me to find Hornby has chaired setrack in it's sights.

[LNER4479]

I am now the proud owner of a length of the new track!

 

Mike (87029) at C&M Models had to open his recently-delivered box especially so as I could take a look - it would have been churlish not to have bought a length in the circumstances.

 

Quite a shock to my eyes upon first looking at it, having gotten so used to Code 75/100 with its closer sleeper spacing over the last 30 years. But I'm sure I will soon get used to it. I expect to acquire quite a few yards more (plus points) over the years to come...