Point motors

[Edo]

Hi all

Just looking for some advice on point motors. Im looking for slow action point motors in particular. I have acquired some solenoids for the fiddle yard and non scenic areas - but i would like to get as prototypical as possible for the layout itself.

I've been looking at Tortoises, cobalts etc etc...they all seem to have their pluses and minuse and there are endless debates etc etc....

I will need 12 point motors - points are Peco code 75 electrofrog and will end up DCC eventually - but with an option for running in DC.

Any advice, experiences on your own uses, costs etc etc would be greatly appreciated before I take the plunge....

Thanks again

Ed

Edited December 31, 2022 by Edo

[Georgeconna]

 I use Cobalt Digitals, Slow, First Batch I had was Duff, Manufacturing fault but they took them all back, (14 of them) and replaced the whole lot and no problems since.

I can control these from the DCC handset and are easy to program and have inbuilt  frog switching also which is great. I use them for the Fiddle yard too.

12 Cobalts are now 360 notes. Big Swallow for sure!

[amdaley]

3 hours ago, Edo said:

Hi all

Just looking for some advice on point motors. Im looking for slow action point motors in particular. I have acquired some solenoids for the fiddle yard and non scenic areas - but i would like to get as prototypical as possible for the layout itself.

I've been looking at Tortoises, cobalts etc etc...they all seem to have their pluses and minuse and there are endless debates etc etc....

I will need 12 point motors - points are Peco code 75 electrofrog and will end up DCC eventually - but with an option for running in DC.

Any advice, experiences on your own uses, costs etc etc would be greatly appreciated before I take the plunge....

Thanks again

Ed

I have both Tortoise & Dcc Concepts Ip digital on my layout. They both work fine without any problem. I have about 50 points motors.

Dcc Concepts & Tortoise point motors come in a few different varieties depending whether you are controlling them in DC or DCC.

If you're just going to control them with DC then the Dcc Concept COBALT IP ANALOG will possibly work out cheaper.

Here are a couple of links from Coastal Dcc showing the different kinds of motor & the price.

I have no connection with this company but have found them brilliant to deal with.

Just scroll down through the pages.

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/circuitron/

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/dccconcepts/point-motors/

[David Holman]

Have used Tortoise motors for 20 years and they never go wrong. However, being over 7cm deep you need similar baseboard framing. Not cheap either.

 Servos at the other end of the price scale and even with suitable circuit boards to control them, can work out pretty economical.

 The Megapoints system uses servos and offers bounce for signal arms and the like. Worth a look, but costs can quickly spiral, especially if you use the plug and play components.

 If you don't fancy electrickery, then wire in tune is both simple and cheap!

[Edo]

Thanks guys

Food for thought there ......especially the Megapoints system.

thanks again

 

 

[Chris Morris]

I find. thee MBT MP1 & MP5 point motors very good