Model Railway Forum

Hat tip dtb - his retailer had them in stock and they're now on their way.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Once I decide what to make baseboard tops from I can start laying and wiring it all up.

Shunts

Rog (RJ) wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 4:23 pm

Mountain Goat wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 3:27 pm I have never had a Bachmann point, but I did hear it mention that Bachmann points had live frogs........

I have 1 Bachmann point, it is NOT live frog, the frog is plastic just like Hornby's, but it is not self isolating - so it works just like a Hornby point that has digital point clips (R8232) fitted. They are code 100, just like Hornby and they are identical to look at, maybe a very slightly different colour of sleepers.

I knew there was something about them. Interesting. Actually if can be useful or not depending on the situation one wants it to be used.

Mountain Goat wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 7:50 pm

Rog (RJ) wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 4:23 pm

Mountain Goat wrote: ↑Tue Feb 16, 2021 3:27 pm I have never had a Bachmann point, but I did hear it mention that Bachmann points had live frogs........

I have 1 Bachmann point, it is NOT live frog, the frog is plastic just like Hornby's, but it is not self isolating - so it works just like a Hornby point that has digital point clips (R8232) fitted. They are code 100, just like Hornby and they are identical to look at, maybe a very slightly different colour of sleepers.

I knew there was something about them. Interesting. Actually if can be useful or not depending on the situation one wants it to be used.

Bachmann, like Hornby, do two types. The self-isolating and the 'digital' non-self-isolating. As Rog (RJ) has said, they are identical to look at with a slightly different colour of sleepers and a plastic frog.

So here we are - just finalising a few things like length of sidings etc.

Then I'll get some foam boards, heave the lot onto them and start wiring it all up.

Didn't get much done for ages but now have the first board more or less wired and the track stuck down on cork.

I decided to just cut holes through the MDF in the end to locate the point motors. Both work, I just need to get my head around where to locate the switches so I can operate it comfortably.

I know it's only a few bits of track and a couple of points but getting my head round how to wire it all up, use a soldering iron etc was quite enjoyable.

Maybe a board a fortnight is a good target to aim for as modelling has to fit around various other things.

Coming along nicely.

I thought so too but things have now hit the buffers.

I've spent ages trying to get the point motors on the first section wired up and working without success.

They worked fine the first night. The second - when I was testing them before gluing the track down and starting on the next board - they both only worked one way, regardless of what I did with the wiring, jiggling them about a bit etc over the next two fun-filled evenings.

I read a CDU might help, so I got one and it didn't. All it discharged was £15 of my hard-earned.

I've tried digging up the points and fitting new motors/wiring off the boards but the controller's now given up the ghost.

So it's new controller, try again and see how we get on from there.

And you guys love this..?

You’ve made a great start. Don’t give up - it can be frustrating when things go wrong but when the problem is worked out you can sit back and look at the fruits of your labours and say, “I did that.”

Thanks, yes - I have a back-up plan.

I'll bin the motors if I can't get them on-message and try the wire-in-tube method to get this side up and running.

I need a new work desk to fit in the space the layout goes around but can't finish making this and install it until the track's working.

I’ve used wire in tube - easy effective and cheap. Plus, there’s something about actually doing something ‘mechanical’. Good luck with the solution you decide upon.