Help changing points to DCC (baseboard problem)

[Tony -374688]

Guys,

I have a number of turnouts that I have converted to DCC and as far as I can tell all are working ok. I have wired the points with cable, unfortunately the turnouts now don’t sit correctly on the baseboard. Is there another material I can use that is flat?

Mod note - post moved to general section as it is baseboard related not DCC.

[96RAF]

What is the current baseboard material. Maybe post a photo to show what your ‘not flat’ problem is.

[Tony -374688]

What is the current baseboard material. Maybe post a photo to show what your ‘not flat’ problem is.

The board is 25mm polystyrene with a green grass mat covering. The points rock when loco moves over them and can derail or stop. I could cut away the poly but I thought another flat connecting cable might save a bit of time.

 

 

 

 

[Rog RJ]

Photos would definitely help but IMHO polystyrene isn't suitable as a baseboard material

[P-Henny]

As others have said more detail along with photos would help. What track brand and what point motors are you using?

If the point motors are Solenoid type then if anything you need to make thin wires thicker not thinner. If you're just saying that there is NO under-board wiring and all wiring runs on the top surface and track is laid over the top of cable runs. Polystyrene is very soft, so why not just cut a slot and recess the cable in the Polystyrene where the track runs are. As others have said, Polystyrene on its own is not really considered to be a good baseboard material.

[96RAF]

Some grades of polystyrene can affect the insulation on cables, which requires the wires to be sleeved to protect them.

[ntpntpntp]

Not sure why converting to DCC should have made any difference? Have you done some sort of "DCC Friendly" modifications involving rail cuts and additional soldered wires underneath etc.? If so then simply create a recess in the surface to accommodate the wiring if it is now proud of the bottom of the sleepers.

I agree with Rog, I'd never use polystyrene as a track bed, not even the closed cell stuff. 9mm ply for me, with cork strip under the sleepers for a ballast shoulder :) Cork strip could have recesses to accommodate wiring etc. if necessary, but I'd always drop the wiring down through holes in the baseboard.

Where I've seen "DCC Friendly" mods carried out to points, the bonding wiring etc. has all been between sleepers and nothing exposed below them other than the frog polarity wire going down through a hole in the baseboard to a point motor changeover switch or "frog juicer" device.