Point motor housing with a surface mounted point?

[Lindsay-373053]

Hi folk,

Newbie question incoming!

After great advice on my last question I thought I would brave it and ask another.

I would like to put the R8243 surface mounted point into the R8015 housing.

I had seen instructions for this but that was ‘somewhere on the web’ and I can’t remember where or how.

Ive been super focused on getting the tracks down (all soldering etc done - the wiring into the board starts tomorrow) etc. Learning in a month what I think needs at least a year!

My present plan is to simply modify the side of the hut and the additional arm and do it that way as I simply can’t remember where I saw the instructions/plan.

Done neatly I can live with that for now as I’ve just started this hobby but is there a quicker way?

I feel I’m missing something obvious but I can’t see what!

Thanks in advance.

TL - how can I fit a surface mounted point into the point motor housing aimed at the solenoid? (Wiring is fine it’s simply if there is a quick way to put that point motor in the housing as I can’t find the instructions on the how to that I did see some time past in October!)

[LTSR_NSE]

@Lindsay - the R8015 housing is designed to disguise/contain the R8014 motor. The R8243 motor is a completely different shape and comes in a utilitarian housing. These different products are not designed to be used together and would therefore require very good modelling skills to produce a bespoke creative solution.

[ModelerXYZ]

Hi Lindsay. The surface mounted point motor is designed to fit next to the point without the housing hut. It simply screws to the board. I don't know if you could fit it into one of the huts, Ive never tried. If you do manage it, definately show it off in the forum. Otherwise just screw it on and wire up your preferred control method.

XYZ

[96RAF]

The R8243 motor is not designed to be mounted remote like the R8014/8015 combination can be with the extension bar. The operating lever is very fiddly and requires to be close mounted to the point tie bar. Even if you could mount it to the hut base the hut would likely foul passing rolling stock.

[P-Henny]

Ive been super focused on getting the tracks down (all soldering etc done - the wiring into the board starts tomorrow) etc.

 

 

Since you say the wiring starts tomorrow and since wiring is the only thing that would warrant being soldered, then what soldering have you done?

Just in case you have soldered the track joints, then that is a complete and total No NO. The joints have to flex to allow expansion and contraction else the track in extreme changes of temperature (direct Sun through a window in Summer for example) can buckle.

[Lindsay-373053]

Hi there,

Ive soldered the droppers onto the tracks ready to be put onto the board and through and wired. Plus led light kits etc. I was going to leave the points until later as they’re not super essential. I would prefer them in the housing so I would leave those until later too in case of incorrect placement.

I did read info from a guy who is very proficient with modelling on how to put the point in the housing. But I’ve read and watched a fair few YT videos from proficient people and I can’t find the site which had how they wired it now.

They had the housing facing like it would with a solenoid but it was a surface mounted point and I felt the housing made it look so much better for authenticity.

I would definitely not solder the tracks together.

Hornby and some respected modellers have very good tutorials on the basics.

I joined RM too just to set off on a better footing.

Re track soldering:

Do people really do that? Seems a little silly and it could or would damage the track surely due to the heat potential of bending it. Plus you wouldn’t be able to insulate track that needed it. No I wouldn’t do that!

Thanks for answering though!

[Lindsay-373053]

Hi all!

Thanks for all the responses. I shall leave it and do as suggested. I saw a suggestion on painting it with the Humbrol tank grey. To camouflage it better. Or using lichen to hide it. In time I will learn the ways of the wiser than I!

The housing hack was something I came across but it’s such an obscure item I doubt I will ever find it again!

On a side note, I got the surface mounted originally as I thought they might be easier.

But now I see how people wire up and use the solenoids they are no longer as daunting.

Is one better than the other or does it simply come down to personal choice?

Thanks again everyone. It’s all a learning curve and it’s nice folk answer us newbies :)

[ntpntpntp]

Personal choice really. I'd always go for mounting the point motor under the baseboard, whether it's a twin solenoid motor, a servo, a stall motor, or whatever. Having it underneath keeps all the gubbins and wiring out of sight :)

[96RAF]

They had the housing facing like it would with a solenoid but it was a surface mounted point and I felt the housing made it look so much better for authenticity.

Here you seem to be talking about mounting the R8014 motor on the surface in an R8015 housing which is clearly shown on the hut instructions. The wiring is the same for any solenoid point motor.

[Lindsay-373053]

Hi there,

No it was the R8243 that he had put in the little hut. As I was trying to cram railway modelling I don’t recall who he was. He is similar to the man who sadly passed away on Hornby who left all those awesome cheat sheets

Thats why I wondered why it wasn’t showing how to put the surface mount in the hut 🛖 only the solenoid.

Now I’ve learnt why as you’ve all confirmed it’s meant to be for the solenoid alone.

That’s a cool industrial layout. Loving the metal plane. It looks like the Spitfire monument at Fairhaven Lake, Lancs. :)

[Lindsay-373053]

I would definitely do that on the next one. Or when I look to improve on this one through the year.

It’s for under the tree. I know I know, I think I may be fitting a stereotype there!

Yet it’s a proper double track layout (standard ovals / for bespoke layouts I need more knowledge yet) with a country village theme with hills. I’m trying to be as prototype as I can but it will need more such as cable trunking to make it become better.

Which is why I wanted to hide the points ha ha

I think I will get the solenoids in the future and leave the surface mounted for the goods yard where I can paint it gray and camouflage it.

It has become quite a fun hobby. Due to space I am going to look into N gauge as I would like to build a Gotham style city along a wide bookshelf top. No doubt I would be back with point questions for that gauge too!

Thanks again to all who have replied I do appreciate the input.

[Rallymatt]

I’m not a fan of surface mounted point motors, they are never a good looking option, even in OO, in TT:120 even worse! Placing motor or servo under the board is a much neater solution. I do have one surface mount due to a rethink on pointwork after baseboard construction, but that is hidden in a water tower. You can only have so many structures before it’s starts looking odd. I’d really check out getting any point actuation hidden under that board, a bit of time now will give you hours of satisfaction later 👍

If you want to pack more in for the available space but still have a very detailed model, have a look at TT:120 scale, Hornby have taken the plunge with a big launch range and lots more to come, and a very active and long established scene internationally and the scale is accurate to the gauge for once in UK 😁