Electrical track points

[Wayne2467]

Iis it possible to buy these pre wired?  When I purchased one of the track packs it came with a left turn point track with the wire in. Looking around though I can't find any only the wires you add yourself and iam having problems running trains on different tracks thanks

[Fishmanoz]

Wayne, I'm going to assume that what you have called an electrical track point is what is usually called just a point and that the wire you talk about is actually a DCC point clip.

 

Hornby points as bought are configured for DC layouts.  They don't have DCC point clips fitted and, when you power them from the single end, they are live only in the direction the point is set.

 

However, for DCC, we want the entire layout live all the time.  To achieve this, DCC point clips are bought separately and 2 fitted to each point.  You can't buy them pre-fitted.  In fact, even in DCC train sets, the points don't have clips fitted, but they are supplied so you can fit them.

 

So what you've said about a point in a track pack coming with clips fitted is very interesting.  It explains a problem someone had a couple of weeks back where a point from a track pack seemed to have clips fitted too.  No one believed it had come this way at first.  So for now, just think yourself lucky you need clips fitted, it won't usually be the case.  Can you tell us which track pack it was?

 

Admin, you might note this as it seems some track packs are coming with DCC point clips pre-fitted.  Is this a new normal or a mistake?

[Wayne2467]

Wayne, I'm going to assume that what you have called an electrical track point is what is usually called just a point and that the wire you talk about is actually a DCC point clip.

 

Hornby points as bought are configured for DC layouts.  They don't have DCC point clips fitted and, when you power them from the single end, they are live only in the direction the point is set.

 

However, for DCC, we want the entire layout live all the time.  To achieve this, DCC point clips are bought separately and 2 fitted to each point.  You can't buy them pre-fitted.  In fact, even in DCC train sets, the points don't have clips fitted, but they are supplied so you can fit them.

 

So what you've said about a point in a track pack coming with clips fitted is very interesting.  It explains a problem someone had a couple of weeks back where a point from a track pack seemed to have clips fitted too.  No one believed it had come this way at first.  So for now, just think yourself lucky you need clips fitted, it won't usually be the case.  Can you tell us which track pack it was?

 

Admin, you might note this as it seems some track packs are coming with DCC point clips pre-fitted.  Is this a new normal or a mistake?

 

[Wayne2467]

I think it came with the Somerset Belle pack. If not it was either pack A or the pack with the level crossing (D I think)  but I'm pretty certain it was the Somerset as the  piece of track in question is part of that layout. 

Thanks for the reply that helped

[Fishmanoz]

Now that's different Wayne as Somerset Belle is a DCC set.  So maybe there aren't some rogue track packs out there after all Admin.

[Ajay1]

I've just been reading this topic and seem to recalI when I  brought the DCC Mixed Freight Set  here in New Zealand in January, the tracks that was supplied with the set included  track pack A, it also contained one point track with the clip already fitted, I had to obtain more clips however when I extended the layout.

[Wayne2467]

Just say the track clips arrived today. Thought they would be awkward to fit but pretty easy and all track is now live

[RDS]

Glad you are sorted Wayne, thanks for letting us know.