spring come off points...

[bluedepot]

disaster has struck causing weekend delays on my layout... the spring has come off some points on my layout, peco electrofrog medium radius ones to be exact...

i found the spring, anyone know how to put it back? so small hard to see or pick up....

thanks


tim

[Vulcan]

How did that happen on a working point? You can only get the spring out if you take the cover plate clip off the bottom of the point. to replace it you will need some pliars, but make sure you don't bend it, otherwise it will lose the spring action. a solution would be to attach the point to a PL-12 point motor mounting (even if it doesn't have a point motor in it) as these also have an over-centre spring like all the points have.

[H]

How did that happen on a working point? You can only get the spring out if you take the cover plate clip off the bottom of the point. to replace it you will need some pliars, but make sure you don't bend it, otherwise it will lose the spring action. a solution would be to attach the point to a PL-12 point motor mounting (even if it doesn't have a point motor in it) as these also have an over-centre spring like all the points have.

Yep, and they're not easy to get back in as they are under tension when fitted. The ends of the spring are bend down at right angles and fit in to small holes. Then the cover plate needs to be clipped back in place to stop the spring pinging out.

I can understand one spring being dislodged but 'some' points?   How many?

H.

[Vulcan]

Just had a look at one of my medium radius points. The only way you could have got the spring out would be if you were meddling with it, there is no way it can escape by itself.

[bluedepot]

hi

it was just one set of points, i was cleaning the track and the spring came away....

ok i will have a look and try replace it but it that fails i'll replace the points completely or get a PL-12 point motor mounting ....

thanks


tim

[Vulcan]

What on earth were you using to clean the track??

[H]

it was just one set of points,

Phew, you gave the impression is was a few points that had lost their springs.

i was cleaning the track and the spring came away....

That old excuse eh? "honest gov, it just came off in my hand" 

It sounds like you were a bit rough on the track. You only really need to clean the rail tops rather than rubbing the track/sleepers as well.

H.

[cloughie]

never mind Tim, look on the bright side, you are keeping vulcan in work

cloughie

[Vulcan]

never mind Tim, look on the bright side, you are keeping vulcan in work

cloughie

lets get this clear, I do not what everyone to deliberately go round breaking their pointwork and buying new replacements just to keep me in work!    If you have found the spring, it should be possible to carefully put it back with some needle nose pliers. Its not my department, so don't quote me on this, but I believe they can do minor repair jobs if the point is posted to Peco Technical advice Bureau.

[bluedepot]

hi,

i was using some clean paper to clean the track.... yeh maybe i was too rough...

anyway i found the spring so i am going to post it to peco to see if they will fix it for me!!! it's only 1 medium radius point but would save some money if they could fix it for me.

if they don't i'm switching to kato... just kidding....

best wishes,


tim

[Vulcan]

haha, I hope you ARE kidding!

That sounds like a good plan, but please don't put in your covering letter anything like 'David said you'd repair it'. All I know if I have seen points that have been returned to us and I believe they have then been repaired.

[bluedepot]

full credit to peco, they re attached the spring and posted the points back to me very quicky

tim