Peco Switches

[Anonymous]

I have been quite frustrated with my Peco PL-10 switch motors and Peco Code 100 turnouts. Most of the motors are located under the layout and attached directly to the turnout ties with the tabs located on the switch motor. At one time motor moves turnouts very well. YET when used another time the turnout may move briskly one way but not the other way. Other times motor is "buzzing" but no movement of turnouts. If I disconnect the motor the pin moves briskly. Or I remove the turnout and it moves freely on a manual basis. Put them together and back to erractic results. Several of these switches will be hidden by scenery and access will be difficult. Are there other brand motors that might be "stronger" or more reliable that is compatible with my Peco turnouts? Any suggestions would be appreciated. John

[joseph2]

Hi John.I have 5 Peco switches with PL-10 switch machines on hidden track on my layout.My PL-10s used to buzz,wouldn't throw.My trouble was I didn't have the wires fastened securly to the machine and they worked their way loose.Now I crimp the three wires very tightly,sometimes solder them.I put styro foam access hatches over the hidden turnouts.I wonder how a Tortoise slow speed motor would work on a Peco turnout? The Pecos work OK on my layout,but it took me a while to get the bugs out of a reverse loop.

[Anonymous]

If the motor binds try loosening the 4 tabs which attach the motor to the turnout. These tabs need only to be bent enough to secure the motor. Bending them too far binds the assembly.

Been there & done that!

[Anonymous]

I haven't tried tortoises on my peco turnouts, but I have been told that in order to use them you have to dismantle the spring in the turnout.

[BR60103]

I have 2 Tortoises and a few RixRack machines under my Peco turnouts and I had to remove the spring from all of them. The spring comes out easily after you pry up 2 metal clips on the tie just beside the throw rod. Do not remove the spring if using the Peco motors.
Check your wiring. I have had intermittent problems caused by wire joints touching and causing the motor to try going both ways at once. I also get odd problems caused by the switch machines being screwed too tightly down to slighly warped trackbed.
--David

[WEUSANDCORR]

You can back the spring tension off by pushing the metal clip back and they still work reliable,also check that the contacts under the switch blades is not to tight . These tabs will also stop point from throwing they just need to slip under rails to give elect contact
les

[Anonymous]

John; the suggestions given to you here are good, but I stand by my other post in this forum "The Hobby's Trashiest Technology", not meant at all to single out Peco in this regard. Peco, however, does provide an "integrated" system of switch and motor, and to have to make adjustments to both components to make them work is not right, especially in view of the current price of these things !
To me, it would be akin to having to disassemble brand new Atlas or Kato locomotives and start reworking and adjusting the driveshafts and gearing to make them run.
Here we are in a "golden age" of plug'n play decoders, and highly detailed R-T-R engines and cars, and even ready to use buildings....and turnout control installation, adjustment, and maintenanace is still not substantially better than 40 years ago.
regards / Mike

[dknelson]

Mike: the latest NMRA bulletin has an advertisement for a new kind of manual turnout control. Take a look.
Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

Your description of Peco turnouts reminds me of my old Austin Healey (another Bristish product). You always had to fiddle with the darn thing to get it to work properly.

[WEUSANDCORR]

Mike you sure must have got a bad batch of Peco points I've used these points for 20yrs without any great dramas. The spring tension is meant to be adjusted depending on how you throw them I've found them to be the most reliable of the four brands I tried Les

[Anonymous]

All kidding aside from my previous message. I have installed about 40 Peco turnouts on my layout and have not had a problem, however, virtually all of them are controlled manually.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot. I'll give your suggestions a try. John

[Anonymous]

Thanks. That would be an easy solution. Hope it works. John

[Anonymous]

Jim, so are mine controlled manually,[all but one, now ] for all the reasons previously given....I've only praise for the actual Peco switch itself, manually controlled.
regards / Mike

[Pruitt]

Another problem may be in the amount of power your switch machines are getting. A few yeara ago, I had a group Pecos near the power supply working well, but another group at the other end of the layout buzzed and sometimes didn't throw, or worse yet, moved just enough to pull the points loose from the stock rail and derailing a train (despite the spring). I built a capacitance-discharge supply for powering the switch machines, and even the farthest went from a sloppy "buzz-click" when it threw to a solid "ca-chunk!" The new supply delivered no more voltage, but it delivered a pulse of current more intense than most power pack's accessory terminals can.

[Anonymous]

I really like Peco points because I have not needed to do any adjustments! The Peco system allows the switch machine to be mounted directly underneath the turnout for perfect alignment. I have had Qty 17 Code 55, N-scale tunouts installed now for about seven years. I use 3/4 inch plywood to give a solid mounting surface covered with 1/4 inch pine lath. I cut holes carefully for the switch machine with a jig saw and then covered the holes with wide scotch tape. After laying and aligning the switches, I pushed the switch machines up from underneath and bent over the tabs. This was easy to do as you could see through the scotch tape. paint and ballast can then be applied over the scotch tape. However I keep all ballast and paint away from the movable switch points and pivots to ensure mechanical and electrical reliability.

Doing it this way ensures that the switch machine is properly aligned with the switch. Many train controllers do not throw solenoid switches properly. So I use a capacitor discharge circuit to give a strong surge that throws the points reliably. Circuitron makes a nice one. This combination has made my Peco points extremely reliable with no adjustments required. The Peco points are rugged enough that they mount reliably over the switch machine hole. It helps to fasten the swith with a few pins to hold it in alignment.

The other type of switch machine that accomodates installation misalignment pretty well, is the Circuitron machine. This will allow simple accurate alignment with a small hole in the roadbed. I use these for Micro Engineering switches that have a very weak spring.

For the simplest installation and wiring, always use manual operation. The Peco turnout is unique because the strong spring gives both excellent mechanical and electrical reliability without additional equipement. tonkphilip