Matador Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I am going to use C&L on my Scottish Branch line but to save a little time I thought I would use PECO in the Fiddle yard do they have the built in snap spring as the OO ones do I have Tortoise switch machines David A Brit in the USA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike hughes Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 The peco O gauge points do now have a spring to hold them over. Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagpipes331 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Hi David, I use Peco points including a couple of double slips. I also use, and highly recommend Tortoise point motors. Just remove the over centre springs from the points. Another bonus is that the Tortoise wil change the frog polarity and the aspect of a colur light signal if required. All my Heljan locos and coaches go through with out a problem. Regards, Rich 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Digital Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 (edited) I use PECO points on "Willaston Road". All work fine with no issues. Operation is by tortoise point motors and have also removed the spring from the point. I used slightly thicker piano wire on the tortoise motor for the drive. Regards John Edited October 13, 2011 by Digital Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 The main problem with PECO is that they are not to Finescale standards but "Universal" to take both coarse and finescale wheels. This does mean that finescale wheels tend to drop into the gap in the frogs although they will run through okay but rather noisily! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUTLER2579 Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 I would suggest you have a look at a topic called "Black Notley" on here to see how good Peco "O" Gauge track can be made to look. I was very impressed when I saw it and still am for that matter. Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) Hi, Peco points are okay and can be superdetailed too....not as good as handbuilt track but less work. I would always recommend - from a mechanical point of view - checking each point/turnout before fitting/laying - especially across the 'frog'/'V' etc. - with a straight edge as they are not always flat/true/level - also try running, using one's hand, a van, wheelsets and/or bogie and feel any irregularities - if all run okay then fine no need to carry out the following. If the point/turnout is uneven in the 'frog' area then, lay the point/turnout on a flat surface, gently par the offending rails down with a fine file, whilst constantly checking your work with wheelsets or a bogie etc., then when happy with the running of the vehicles/point, finish off with fine wet and dry paper so that the finish on the rail-head matches that of the factory finish or thereabouts. This procedure would invalidate, I would imagine, any warranty, yet will help to alleviate/relieve the scenario describled by another Poster, whereby the wheels of vehilces seem to fall into a blackhole around the area of the 'frog' as sometimes it is the uneveness of the frog rails that causes running problems... A friend and I were viewing a superb 009 layout which was running faultlessly and was 20 years old - on Peco 009 track - my mate was puzzled by the good quality running as his Peco 009 track 'had been v'unrelaible', I explained what I did with some of my Peco pointwork and the owner of the layout laughed and said he had perfomed the same 'mods' on his Peco 009 track too....he also did away with reliying on the switch rails for electrically continuity and fitted polarity switches etc (as mentioned above). Also check the switch rails etc. too for any burrs and the like, have a really good look at each point/trunout before laying on the layout, because they are mass-produced and some need a little fettling so as to get the best out of them. ATVB CME Edited October 17, 2011 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 I would suggest you have a look at a topic called "Black Notley" on here to see how good Peco "O" Gauge track can be made to look. I was very impressed when I saw it and still am for that matter. Regards. Hi Have you a link for Black Notley as I tried a search and nothing came up. Thanks in anticipation. ATB CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
boeing757 Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi Have you a link for Black Notley as I tried a search and nothing came up. Thanks in anticipation. ATB CME Hi, Click on Layout Topics then type Black Notley into the search box. Simples. B Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hi, Click on Layout Topics then type Black Notley into the search box. Simples. B Hi, Thanks - easy when you know how CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Peco track looks good ,does anyone remove the spring and spring cover and if so what does it look like David A Brit in the USA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium boxbrownie Posted October 21, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) Hi, Click on Layout Topics then type Black Notley into the search box. Simples. B Theres a search box? Must have slipped down the back of my hard drive somewhere....... How wierd was that.......closed my browser and reopened, now I see a search box! Edited October 21, 2011 by boxbrownie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matador Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) I wrote to PECO this last Wednesday asking for a set of the O Gauge Templates amazingly they arrived Saturfay morning 3 days later UK to US great. My question is do PECO do a large radius O gauge point or a 3 way as there is not a Template for one amongst the ones they sent. David A Brit in the USA Edited October 23, 2011 by Matador Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I wrote to PECO this last Wednesday asking for a set of the O Gauge Templates amazingly they arrived Saturfay morning 3 days later UK to US great. My question is do PECO do a large radius O gauge point or a 3 way as there is not a Template for one amongst the ones they sent. David A Brit in the USA I'm afraid the answer is no! They just do the 6' radius left and right, a Y, a double slip and the recently introduced curved points. HSB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Siddall Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I'm just about plucking up courage to order my first C&L 'turnout in a bag' David... if you (or anyone else) have any hints and tips they'd like to pass on about your experience with C&L's offering they'd be much appreciated. Particularly whether their laser-cut timber bases might be a better option than plastic sleepers? Likewise, if anyone has any thoughts about whether or not Peco's O guage points can be made to come closer to hand-built appearance that would be appreciated too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I'm just about plucking up courage to order my first C&L 'turnout in a bag' David... if you (or anyone else) have any hints and tips they'd like to pass on about your experience with C&L's offering they'd be much appreciated. Particularly whether their laser-cut timber bases might be a better option than plastic sleepers? Likewise, if anyone has any thoughts about whether or not Peco's O guage points can be made to come closer to hand-built appearance that would be appreciated too. Hi, I queried about the C&L timber track bases and asked if PVA/water and/or liquid latex would damage the sleepers when ballasting - the answer was that they didnt know - May be they do now, it is worth considering such as it could all go Pete Tong!... Also Slaters used to do a wooden sleeper, metal pin (solder) with cosmetic sleepers track system, which maybe worth a look. IMHO the Peco track can be improved by removing the over scale dummy facing point locks, improving the look of the stretcher/tie bar and if one is modelling WR/GWR modifying the chairs so as to represent GW/WR pattern/type, also work can be done to help the trackwork flow by cutting some of the plastic mouldings underneath. I see that the fellow that built Vine Street modified the Peco points etc. on the layout from straight to curved etc and the layout won award from Bob Essery for realistic operations etc.. CME Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 If anyone has any thoughts about whether or not Peco's O guage points can be made to come closer to hand-built appearance that would be appreciated too. PECO points can be cosmetically improved as we have done on Ramchester but it took a lot of time and effort. I doubt if it would have taken any longer to use C&L parts. The ends of the check-rails are bent back at a rather acute angle which can be reduced with a pair of pliars quite easily but getting rid of that ridiculous 'V' shaped sleeper and adding lengths of PECO point sleeper and chairs took rather more work! You can see the results below. HSB 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Siddall Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 PECO points can be cosmetically improved as we have done on Ramchester but it took a lot of time and effort. I doubt if it would have taken any longer to use C&L parts. Now that looks the business (great detail photos too)... just the sort of evidence I was hoping for, thanks 'HSB'! However I was heading towards the same conclusion as you about the amount of work involved. However, if I could lay hands on some cheaply enough second-hand it'd certainly be worth a go on the basis of what you've achieved. When I was working in 'OO' I removed everything visible in the mechanism leaving just the tie bar and managed all the latching and switching from point-motors. I guess it depends on the importance one places on the view from above – I see from the photos of 'Stapley' in the current 'Hornby Magazine', and now from your photos, that Peco have persisted in two-part blades in 'O'. Hmmm??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 Nice work on the Peco track - I love looking at nicely laid trackwork, yet any type seems to take an age to build/modify......youre right those separate switch rails do jar a bit when viewed from certain angles - I can live with that though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSB Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 We have used PECO point-motors with accessory switches (to switch the frogs) and as these contain over-centre springs we could, in retrospect, have removed those on the points. On my current H0 layout I used Tortoises and cut away the spring fixtures from the points. Unfortunately this left a big hole in the sleepering to fill in but this would not be necessary with the 0 versions. Thanks for the comments, HSB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 5, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 5, 2011 JUst think of them as old heel switches. Not sure when they would all have been replaced on main lines though. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Siddall Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 JUst think of them as old heel switches... After a hasty Google of 'heel switches'... Good call Don! It's clear that there's even a UK prototype for Peco's two-part hinged point blades! Kieth Norgrove's 'Grosvenor Sidings' web site features a photo of a GWR 15' 'loose heel switch' at Old Oak Common taken in 2000: http://www.norgrove.me.uk/resources/images/tierods-4.jpg. So my next challenge is careful examination of prototype photos of BR(W) branchline track layouts to see if I can spot one which still had 'loose heel switches' in the period from the mid' 1950s to mid'1960s? I can already cite the Fairford branch as featuring full signalling and operational signal boxes into the latter part of that era on my 'justification for including things in a model' list. If I can identify an example of a 'loose heel switch', attempting to emulate the Ramchester team's superb efforts (but with the visible over-centre spring assembly removed) could well be the way to go. Though (dammit) I'm still not certain that anything originating from Beer will be capable of replicating the flow and geometry I see in a prototypical formation when viewed from above... well, not without considerable time, effort and butchery anyway? Decisions, decisions... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 (edited) After a hasty Google of 'heel switches'... Good call Don! It's clear that there's even a UK prototype for Peco's two-part hinged point blades! Kieth Norgrove's 'Grosvenor Sidings' web site features a photo of a GWR 15' 'loose heel switch' at Old Oak Common taken in 2000: http://www.norgrove....s/tierods-4.jpg. So my next challenge is careful examination of prototype photos of BR(W) branchline track layouts to see if I can spot one which still had 'loose heel switches' in the period from the mid' 1950s to mid'1960s? I can already cite the Fairford branch as featuring full signalling and operational signal boxes into the latter part of that era on my 'justification for including things in a model' list. If I can identify an example of a 'loose heel switch', attempting to emulate the Ramchester team's superb efforts (but with the visible over-centre spring assembly removed) could well be the way to go. Though (dammit) I'm still not certain that anything originating from Beer will be capable of replicating the flow and geometry I see in a prototypical formation when viewed from above... well, not without considerable time, effort and butchery anyway? Decisions, decisions... I had a look too, and as they say there is a prototype for everything! You are correct that, depending on one's priorities, there could indeed be a lot of work involved, it could be worse, if you modelling in 4mm 'OO' (sic) then you would have the sleepers and sleeper spacing to have to contend with too!! :mosking: My father tells me that a cousin of his worked on the Fairford branch - a lovely part of the world that! ATB CME Edited November 7, 2011 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Siddall Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 ...there could indeed be a lot of work involved, it could be worse, if you modelling in 4mm 'OO' (sic) then you would have the sleepers and sleeper spacing to have to contend with too!! Definitely BTDT... my 'improved' Peco OO/HO pointwork took forever (and was somewhat frail after the extensive surgery). One of the reasons for the jump to 7mm/O gauge is that I should now at least be able to see what I'm hacking about if I choose to head down that road! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Definitely BTDT... my 'improved' Peco OO/HO pointwork took forever (and was somewhat frail after the extensive surgery). One of the reasons for the jump to 7mm/O gauge is that I should now at least be able to see what I'm hacking about if I choose to head down that road! That's why I changed to 7mm, I was fed up with certain aspects of 4mm modelling, namely decent RTR track - yet of course 7mm comes with its challenges too!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now