All three point motors up and running South end of Wanganella.
One circyuit breaker supplies feeds to all of Wanganella, and proceeding with replacement of all droppers. About half way through but need to install 10 new point motors after track continuity tests ok.
NEWS
Look at what Roger is doing :)
I fear my layout is not good enough for such a magnificent building!
Its a huge shed, but it has plenty of room opposite Wodonga platform penciled in opposite 3 road.
This morning I found a damaged curved point and had to fix it before getting on with todays work. It was an early point with pressed in tabs rather than twisted lugs, so I expect it will continue to give me grief, however I do not have a replacement point handy. I tried supa gluing it in place.although it did fit back in tightly. Think the Tortoise was putting too much pressure on it. I backed off the tension.
This code 100 insulfrog point has been modified with styrene shims glued to the base of the frog, and the insides of the guard rails ensuring scale wheels roll through freely and don't hit the pointed (plastic) nose of the frog, wearing it down. It also stops wheels dropping in to the frogs. Peco Code 100 is Universal and designed to allow older Hornby and Euro standard wheels to run through, and is not good enough to run code 88 through without these mods.
The other problem I have with points is that mechanical joins do not conduct power well over time. Our club layout with fully ballasted track, has started to fail just over a year after it was laid. So I solder the blades to the next section of track leading to the frog. I then join the outside rails to that section of track with droppers direct to the DCC bus. This means that the mechanical linkages between point blades and outer rails is eliminated. The Universal frog is wired in, but if using an electrofrog, I add another dropper which goes to the point machine, or a juicer, whichever is fitted.
No failures when wired this way, and entirely necessary, if you do not have "Keep Alive" capacitors added to your decoder to prevent drop outs.
SUGGESTION OF THE DAY !!
Don't use Peco Code 100, instead use Peco code 83 NMRA standards, or Peco code 75...Really!
Ok back to the floor under the layout, only 55 connections to make and prove.....
Rod
