What is the correct term for the "probe" part when control points are activated on a control panel using "stud & probe" and from where are they obtained?
Maurice C.
 

Peco make such probes, the PL17:
https://peco-uk.com/products/probe-for-operating-turnout-motors?variant=7435676418082

Jan

Probe is the correct term.  As Jan says, Peco sell the probe and the studs with tag washers.

I used stud-and-probe on my layout back in the mid 80s.  It works well enough but I did find I got the probe wire tangled with the hand-held controller cables.  In the end I upgraded the controllers to 5 core cable and used the extra core to run the probe connection up and out of a jack plug fitted to the top of the controller, so I could do everything one-handed and no tangles

I still have the small stud-n-probe panel I made for my garden line


I much prefer miniature push-buttons for operating points



... or momentary centre-off toggle switches if I really need to save space on a busy panel

The probe is correctly named "The Probe" 
While several suppliers will sell you an expensively priced, over engineered solution (such as the Peco item linked above, in reality almost any solid conducting item on the end of a wire will do the job just as effectively...
Use of a simple jack-plug is common, and I know of a layout with a rather neat home made solution consisting of those little biros you used to get in Argos and a brass nail..

Momentary push buttons for me over the past 25 years for DC operation.

I have a couple of the Peco ones lined up for use on my layout

Thanks all.

Maurice C.