Re-using cobalt analogue point motors

[Richard]

I’ve dismantled my layout with a view to rebuilding and extending. I’m going to reuse my cobalt analogue ip point motors along with their associated point levers for the new fiddle yard. I’ve found this necessary as in the first installation I removed the spring from the peco points I was using as required by the Cobalt instructions. I now find that they won’t work with peco solenoid motors which doesn’t hold the switch rail firmly against the stock-rail

Has anyone else had experience of reusing these motors? They are expensive and I don’t want to have discard or ell at a loss on eBay, both them and their associated peco points, double slips etc. Thanks.

Ps do cdus wear out or fail? Mine seems to have lost its punch when used with solenoids.

[Ron S]

Removing Peco springs is NOT an essential with slow action motors like Tortoise/Cobalt but by removing them,lets them move the tiebar & blades slowly instead of a click.
That said, springs can be re-instated if the turnout is going to be used with solenoids but certainly reuse the Cobalts, I see no reason why not unless they have failed ! They can be tested on the work bench with a 9v battery

CDU. what voltage is going in and what is the voltage at the output ? What value are the capacitors ? How many solenoids are you attempting to fire at the same time?

PS... solenoids like these are perfect for turnouts without springs like Shinohara
https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.kkwl4a7W ... 25&pid=1.7
https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.vJrT829c ... 25&pid=1.7

[Mike Parkes]

IME point motors are far reusable than the points which often do not come back off a layout cleanly that has been ballasted even after soaking the area with water for ages. Its one of the costs of replacing a layout that some items you hope to reuse will end up in the bin although anything electrical including point motors should be reusable . Removing the spring is pretty much an obvious necessity with a slow motion point motor as otherwise one of main reasons for using a slow motion motor is negated. Peco will provided replacement springs for the points if you really want to use solenoids or alternatively their is the SEEP PM4 solenoid that has a built in latching mechanism overriding the need for the spring on the point.

[Richard]

Ron S. it’s a Gaugemaster CDU using the 18v ac from the accessory output on my Combi controller firing Peco point motors. It worked perfectly in situ on my previous layout but testing it out with a point from which I had removed a spring it was very feeble.
Mike, thanks for that. I’ve decided to reuse the cobalt motors in my new fiddle yard with much of the old pointwork from the dismantled layout. I’m glad to say that only one point is not reusable after lifting. I found some very useful videos on YouTube showing their installation and wiring and feel much more confident about reusing them than I did.i don’t think that I had fully understood their range of capabilities so I’m going to try wiring in the live frog and possibly even extending to leds on a mimic board!

[Ron S]

Richard, so you have read on a multimeter 18v going in to the CDU, what is coming out ?