Point time!

Well it is back to some model making activity. This time back with my 00 gauge Last Great Project Layout. It is point time and I need to fit point motors to the four points on the removable baseboard section. Unfortunately due to me not getting the planning of the baseboard quite right when I built it there was a cross member under one of the points making fitting an underboard motor impossible. Luckily I tend to use screws to fasten things together so it was reasonably easy to move it although I had to undo a lot of screws to take the profile boards off first!

Original wrong position!

New right position!

Point motors themselves will be the Peco solenoid type. Old fashioned these day s but so am I! You can bend the tags on the motor to create a fastening point to screw to the baseboard but I prefer a proper mounting plate.

I used to use these aluminum plates as shown below but unfortunately I cannot find a supply of these anymore.

An alternative is produced by PECO in plastic. Even I should be able to follow those instructions on the packaging!

Because the PECO point motor is designed to fasten directly to the bottom of the point, the activation pin to operate the point needs to be extended if you are going to mount the motor under the baseboard. I usually end up using some brass tube and steel wire to make an extension if the point itself is not one of the longer pin types but I decided to try these DCC Cocept ready made extensions for ease and speed.

These are what you get which I must admit is not a lot for nearly £10 but I will see how good they are in the next day or so.

With the hot weather having turned the Man Cave into a sauna I have abandoned it until it is a bit cooler to be in!