Replacing a point.

[roythegrass]

Re: Hornby 00 track.

For some time my locos stutter or even stall when traveling over a point/crossover. The points are relatively new and thoroughly cleaned. I want to replace one of the points with a new replacement.

The track is screwed down so removing the screws and ballast is easy but how do I remove the fish plates with the track either side of the point remaining in situ?

[96RAF]

First things first - are you sure the point needs replacing and not just installing correctly, by ensuring it is dead flat using an extra track pin if necessary (drill a new hole in the sleeper). Is the frog sitting proud and just needs filing flat, etc.

The easy way is to replace a point is to cut the chairs from the sleeper on one side of the joint with a scalpel so you can force the rail joiner back into this area to clear the point rails.

Another method - if the old point is not fit for reuse, just cut the point rails with a cutting disk to allow removal of the point and rail stubs and the invoke the rail joiner chair method with better access to allow the new point to drop in and be reconnected by fitting and sliding the joiner back into place. Any power bus droppers obviously have to be de-/re-soldered from/to the point rails.

[morairamike]

Use a Dremel cut thru the two rails at the toe and the fish plates at the inner end of the fish plates on the toe. Lift the point up and pull away from the other ends.

Pull off the remains of the fish plates and cut rails.

To fit new point pull off the fish plates and then remove chairs so that you can slide the fishplates further up the rails. Fit points and slide the fish plates along the rails onto the points. Tighten by squeezing with pliers.

[roythegrass]

Thanks folks.

I've noticed a slight tilt on the point -only about 4mm so I'll try leveling this first before replacing the point.

[morairamike]

I was typing when 96RAF was. We were both trained at the same trainng school hence similar replies.