Hornby R8243 point motors.

Not personally, but are you aware that Peco introduced their own version not long ago?

Well yes I am -- in fact I have many in use. I saw a photo of the Hornby unit and then asked the question. I then sawsome going cheap and bought a couple to look at and perhaps modify. This very day I decided that they are of inferior design and not worth the messing about!

Are you refering to the Peco version as not being worth messing about? What about the Hornby one on a Peco point?

I've got a Peco point over a baseboard join and a clip-on motor would solve the problem.

Greg.P. NZ.

ote:

Hi Greg - my remark was aimed at the Hornby motor as being rather too much effort to fit onto a non Hornby point. I was attracted by it's size as in a complex system it could be useful. The problems were:

Having to file down the point pin or replace it with a 1.5mm metal pin. Shortening the sleepers either side of the throw bar. Removing the distance lugs from the motor which but to the point sleepers. Thinning down the throw bar underside to facilitate entry into the motor orifice where the actuator lives (to get it over the sole plate ).

Having done all this and achieved a light smooth operation by hand I found that the motor had less get up and go than I do most of the time. I would reckon that the PL11 has about twice the grunt! Their literature also warns against distortion/ over tightening etc which also suggests that it is not a happy bunny.

Regards

Peter A France

On 24/08/2010 09:18, Sailor wrote: [...]

You need 16-20V AC to make them work well; 12V DC just won't do it. And a momentary-contact push button, unless you like fried switch moor for breakfast. ;-)

wolf k.

I find that a quick touch of 15v DC from my SPSU (bench tester) is good enough -- if it needs more than that then I guess that it is not my idea of suitable. My operating system which uses unsmoothed 12v onto 10,000 micro Fs is really configured for rapid sequencing rather than a single shot operation on a test board.

Regards

That's ok then :-) The Hornby motor was a possibility as I can get one 'over the counter' here in New Zealand. For Peco I have to send to England, which usually means dreaming up a big enough order to justify postage.

A motor that _just_ works when it's newly installed probably won't work in a year or 5 years time, long enough for me to have forgotten how I did it.

Greg.P.

I'm in favour of "end off" switches so that the motor disconnects itself when it has thrown - admittedly I've got about 6 motors out of 50 odd with that feature, but I'm definitely in favour of it! ;-)

Greg.P.

You can do that with any H&M motor using just one of the two fitted c.o. sw units.

Regards

Long ago I standardized on the old H&M point motors - until the supply dried up. I moved to Peco motors, but the limit with the cheap add-on switches seems to be two switches - one for frog polarity, one for sequencing. For my hidden sidings (code 100) I have some Roco (curved turnouts) with end-off and frog polarity switches combined. The motors look fragile but keep working. I have Atlas for the ladder tracks, absolutely basic but dirt cheap. The main layout motors are operated by computer so the impulse time is defined. My little exhibition/shunting layout has Peco under point motors, so can be operated by hand, push-button sequencing, or by computer. Sequencing is fun with other operators on the layout - if they throw the last turnout thenall the logically preceeding turnouts will throw, one after the other. I've been accused of witchcraft when routes set themselves. :-) (almost all operators set routes from the destination back to the train's position)

Greg.P. NZ

I have stopped underboard mounting as it wrecks the heavy flooring panels which I prefer and does no favours either to my back or vertigo (anno domini effect). I also made the decision to abandon auto routing in favour of localised lever control (as in signal box operation). This is where the PL11 came into my plans. it does not look too out of place and can be remoted to a degree. Is very easy to position and reposition when necessary. There is no point of Peco origin which cannot be operated by them.

It would be nice if they were a little smaller but I guess that it is a compromise.

If there is a problem then it must be what to do with all the redundant PL10s and H&Ms!

I have had my moments with DCC but having the ability to control at several places around the system or even just push the STOP alarm is good. It also supports the idea of zoning with it's own local points, signal and control. I have fitted micro sw's on the access gates (3) to kill the approach power and now can move freely from region to region without the need for olympic flexibility! As age keeps on coming (uncontrolled & no micro sw's there) ,it is a tad harder to remember which loco is which despite only numbering up to 19 (I could not have coped with the 70 or so of 2 years ago). This means plenty of wall mounted data sheets.

As a Control Engineer I have had to remember just what I am modelling and how it worked in that era otherwise I will end up with a pile of PLCs chatting amongst themselves -- they made poor company during the last 20 years of my proffessional life and left all the cleaning and tea making to me! At least I am finally in charge.

As I model mountainous country there's not much left of my chipboard once the layout is built. Even the hidden siding area under the main station has every un-needed bit of board cut away!

I wanted interlocking and the baseboards seperable into bits I can manhandle - plus the memory of past layouts where the control panel was usually two rebuilds behind the layout.

I'll send you my postal address :-)

I tried DCC but the only thing it ever did better was provide constant lighting and demand excessive amounts of money.

I have fitted micro sw's on the access gates

I have about 120 locos - can represent any train that ran in my modelled region and era. As I can't read the loco number from more than about a foot away loco addresses were a major factor in my abandoning DCC.

Electronics has always just been a minor hobby for me - Basic and my own printer port interface ...

Greg.P.

I came to the same conclusion without even trying DCC.

Yeah, but I'm not very smart! ;-)

Greg.P.

LOL!!