Model Railway Forum

Not necessarily a solution for the original post but peeps starting out may find it useful in the future. A little expensive overall but I like what I have eventually arrived at.

I made an early decision with my layout to have separate track and accessory buses. I used Cobalt Alpha switches on a control/mimic panel to operate Cobalt IP digital point motors. The Alpha system allocated the addresses for all the point locations. Using Alpha switches, wired appropriately, I was able to switch crossover points with one Alpha switch. Further down the line I found another advantage of using a DCC accessory bus, adding signals. With the use of Train-tech relays I was able to add Dapol powered semaphore signalling, both distant and home that change with the operation of the points via the Alpha switches by giving them the same address as the point motor.

Thanks for the advice and on the wire size Brain.

I already have a CDU from 'blocksignalling' so I shall go and try not to burn anything out!

Hi all

An update on my wiring and I have another question,
I have successfully wired two PL11 above board side mounted points motors via the CDU to a single toggle switch and all is working great.
Though not without issue because it didn't work the first time when connecting using the guideline from 'blocksignalling'..

Checking the PL11 instruction leaflet and after chatting with 'blocksignalling' they confirm the PL11 motor uses the green wire as the common return and not the black. Seems strange to me that the PL10 and other Hornby motors use the black wire as the return. Does anyone know why this is the case, is it possibly because the motors are totally different in design maybe.

Thanks

On the pre wired Peco solenoid motors the two operation wires are Red and Black and the common return is Green. This also applies to the Gaugemaster PM20 motors. The Peco PL10 motor is not pre wired and you can use any wire colour you choose! Though the Peco standard is Red and Black with Green as the return.

Hornby use Red and Green as operation and Black as the return.

It is something you should always be aware of and check the manufacturers leaflet for wiring colours used.
This shows the difference. Link to item Scroll down a little to the surface motor wiring examples.

Thanks Brian

Really appreciate your advice, my electrics knowledge isn't great, but as you start to get involved in things it seems to fall in place.

I have a requirement for some under baseboard motors so I can use your link on wiring though I still may end up asking where to solder the wires
On the upside my soldering is getting better now and I can solder the wires onto the small tabs of the toggle switches without problems.

Great site -thank you