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Hornby Points problem.

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  • wonwinglo
    • Apr 2004
    • 5410
    #1

    Hornby Points problem.

    This winter I built two layouts of which both featured Hornby points for sidings etc,it seems that no matter what I do the engines seem to run very lumpy over them sometimes causing derailments,even small shunting engines do not ride very well into the points themselves ? my question is, is there a known problem with Hornby points and can they be improved for smoother operations,or dare I say it is there a more reliable alternative ? open to any advice on this as it is spoiling operation of the layouts,they are mounted carefully dead flat with frogs neatly pushed together,over to the railway buffs here ! thank you.

    Wonwinglo
    Tags: None
    • Guest
      #2
      Hi Wonwinglo.

      A good place to ask for your model railway issues is Model Rail Forum - Model Railway News, Reviews & Resources

      They are a friendly bunch there, much like here. I am sure someone will be able to answer better than I could.

      However, Hornby points are not the best for smooth running. They are insulfrog for a start, so there will always be a dead spot at the frog. This is made worse by small locos having such a short wheelbase and restricted pickup area.

      There is a much better alternative in Peco code 100 Electrofrog Points. They are identical in track height and fitting methods, but, need a little extra wiring in order to feed the frog with the correct polarity dependent on which way the points are set. All this involves is a switch to swap the current and can be a micro switch acting directly on the point motor.

      Peco points also allow more realistic track spacing.

      Peco points are similarly priced to the Hornby equivalents, but shop around and they can work out cheaper. ehattons.com from Hattons Model Railways is one of my favourites.

      Derailments could be caused by incorrect back-to-back spacing of the wheels. This causes the wheel to ride up over the check rail and derail.

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        • wonwinglo
          • Apr 2004
          • 5410
          #3
          Most informative Terry,I appreciate your assistance,I will look into all of the options that you mention here especially these Peco alternatives.

          Barry.

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