ThePurplePrimer Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi Guys I will shortly be starting the actual build of my fiddle yard - it is OO using Peco Code 75 and is made up of 10 large radius points ( with a turntable at the RH end - not show in picture ) I want to control these points with solenoid motors but I am not sure if mounting them underneath the boards is necessarily the best choice in the fiddle yard ? What is your preferred way to handle this - which brand of point motor do you like for your hidden fiddleyards and how do you mount them - above or below ? Here is my layout for the FY ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi Rob Toggle switches on a mimic diagram with slow motion motors such as Tortoise, Cobalt, Fulgurex, or Conrad. All nice and reliable. If you have good access put them under the board - otherwise you will need wire in tube to some of the points from surface mounted motors. No CDU, burnt out push-button switches or thrashing of tie bars. Wire the scissors crossings in pairs and interlock using multi-pole toggles. The toggles show the setting of the points. If you want route setting that can also be done with slow motion motors by using positive and negative half-wave power and a diode matrix. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted March 26, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2015 Although the points on the scenic bit of my layout are manually operated (piano wire), those in the fiddle yard are motorised using Peco motors clipped underneath the points. The reason for motorising them is that I have set them up so pressing macro 1 on my powerpro set up road 1, 2 sets road 2 etc. works like a dream. Frog polarity is switched by frog juicer as I've found the switches that attach to Peco motors unreliable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 As I prefer to be able to operate from one central position, all my fiddle yard point-motors are top mounted cheap solenoids for ease of installation, and maintenance, you don't need slow-action 'off-scene'. My current layout ( Cannons Lane) now has all point motors top-mounted, even on the scenic boards, as I now suffer from back trouble, and it makes life that much easier. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I would go for servos, but if you want to go with solenoids I would avoid mounting them on top - they always get in the way and are easily knocked or a cause of injury. Use PL10EW under the baseboard with PL9 bases. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePurplePrimer Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I would go for servos, but if you want to go with solenoids I would avoid mounting them on top - they always get in the way and are easily knocked or a cause of injury. Use PL10EW under the baseboard with PL9 bases. Hi Suzie - Thanks for the reply I had not considered servos If I go down that route is it possible to fire those via a diode matrix ? And also would I be able to fire them via JMRi if I go down that road ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 It is easy to do servos from JMRI if you control them with servo accessory decoders. You can use a Sprog as an inexpensive DCC command station if you don't already have one. The diode matrix method of route setting will be more tricky with servos - I would just do it the easy way and start off with JMRI! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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