d600 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Hi I brought two of these o gauge points ready built from marcway ive noticed they haven't got any chairs and the sleepers are a lot slimmer than peco flexi track ones which I have also the points don't have no spring fitted so what I need to know is: 1) can I fit chairs which I cant see how now there built. 2) can I raise the points to mate up with peco track or will it look funny. 3) will I have to use a tortoise point motor to over come no spring. 4) do I control frog polarity the same way has I do for peco oo points. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamsRadial Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I've had some Marcway points for 20 years now, happy with them, but as to your points (bad pun, sorry): 1 They are solder-construction to PCB sleepers so there won't be any chairs. You could if you felt like it blob bits of epoxy along each rail. I started, but got bored... 2 I cut strips of card and stuck beneath the PCB to increase the thickness to match Peco flexitrack. I used wire-in tube control so I can't help with the motor question. The wire also moved a magnet which operates a reed switch to change frog polarity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Marcway points are built on copperclad sleepers. 1.) It is possible to fit cosmetic chairs. They will have to be cut in half and glued onto either side of the rails. 2.) Yes. Generally this means laying a sheet of balsa or card underneath to pck them up to the same height. 3.) You can buy separate over centre springs for peco point motors. 4.) You will have to wire up tue frog as for an electrofrog point but it must he separate wiring. You cannot use the point blades to chamge polarity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted March 18, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18, 2015 As described in the latest issue of Model Railway Journal, you could use the Blue Point operating mechanism. Available from EDM Models (including all the fittings) http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/TRA/blue_point.html . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Yes to all 5 questions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Hi I made some copperclad points (see my GWR) thread - link below. They are raised up on balsa to match the height of the Peco plain track. I use Tortoise motors, which incorporate switching for the frog/crossing. I sprayed the track with rattle can black & the airbrushed the rails rusty brown, I didn't bother with cosmetic chairs. HTH Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alant Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I had some Marcway points a few years ago (kit built, not ready made) and I used Seep Self Latching motors which keep the point blades over and also change the frog polarity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted March 19, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2015 Another point to note is that Marcway use plain line sleeper width too when building their turnouts. They were amazed that I wanted wider copperclad when I bought supplies from them for the pointwork on Fourgig East ...... Don't tell Kenton, but I use TT300 point motors Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freightmaster Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Another point to note is that Marcway use plain line sleeper width too when building their turnouts. They were amazed that I wanted wider copperclad when I bought supplies from them I too have built from there kits, and they seemed just as surprised when I contacted them to request replacement sleepers! Although I have to say they did replace them free of charge when I returned the narrow ones. I used the Slaters cosmetic chairs on mine, well worth the effort even though they are not technically the correct chairs, it does take a fair amount of time though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d600 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi thank you all most helpful been having a play and I can use two bits of cork underlay under the points,don't think I will worry about the chairs has when the ballest has been laid I don't think it will stand out to much I like the blue point mechanism so think I will use these so I can still use wire in the tube method which I like on small layouts,has for the frog wiring do I solder a wire to the frog then cut and bond the rails further down and add a wire to each of them then wire them up to the terminals on the blue point contacts or dpdt switch the same has I do for oo Peco points. Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 you need to isolate the frog - 4 places. connect the frog to the moving ("C") contact of a SPDT switch and connect the other two contacts to the stock rails of the point. ensure that it operates in the correct sense. I'm not familiar with the "blue" point motors but expect that they have a switch of this type. Being copperclad, you need to assure that the sleepers are gapped correctly. normally the closure rails are connected electrically to the stock rails up to the frog gaps, so the sleeper gaps must be in the middle from the start of the point up to the isolation breaks for the frog. After these breaks, you will need to gap the sleepers between checkrail and frog to the end of the point. If you have isolated the frog at the end of the exit tracks (ie with plastic fishplates) you don't need to gap the sleepers between the exit tracks. Be triple-careful with gapping - its easy to miss one, and not understand why your layout is a dead short. Once they are done, you can wipe some epoxy over the gaps, it will keep them clear of bits of swarf and fill in the bit you've filed or ground off (the dremel with a little grinding drum or ball is brilliant for gapping sleepers) HTH Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d600 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi simon so I have got to cut every sleeper so there not joined I think I will buy some peco points, I just don't like the way that rollingstock falls into the gap at the frog and the big brown box thing over the tiebar on the peco points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I wwould hope that Marcway points are ready gapped. The copperclad points that Dad and I were using back in about 1980 (not Marcway but similarly priced and identical in construction) certainly were. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi simon so I have got to cut every sleeper so there not joined I think I will buy some peco points, I just don't like the way that rollingstock falls into the gap at the frog and the big brown box thing over the tiebar on the peco points Marcway points come ready to use with the copperclad sleepers ready gapped Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Gapping is not cutting the sleepers, it's ensuring just the copper on top is cut. I've only ever bought Marcway point kits, and these, you do need to gap yourself. I'm not negative at all about them, they are a good product. If you want to go to the next stage, C&L offer chairs, crossings, blades, wooden sleepers & fancy tie bars in kits, or as separate parts, or you can file your own blades, etc. HTH Simon Edit - spelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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