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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/24/2022 in all areas

  1. I've just removed the spring and elastic from the first 'sprung' point and changed it to the later method which is proving to be a big improvement. Using the short length of springy wire there's less force required to push the points across when wagons are running through them and even the lighter wagons are now able to handle the points successfully. The points are beginning to look in a sorry state after all the pinning, lifting and relaying they've endured over the years but they're still working well and at least there's now less about them for me to worry about. There's no longer an over-centre spring and there's also a big chunk of plastic missing from immediately in front of the tie-bar where the over-centre spring was located - but I found that necessary in order to get friction free travel. The only problem with removing that plastic is I believe it holds the tie-bar/point blades in place and without it they can work their way forwards until the heel comes adrift from the wing rail so a little dab of glue was necessary just to hold them back. It doesn't prevent movement in the blades themselves. The heel of the point blades fits inside the wing rail and that's where I've applied the dab of glue. I'll fit a spare sleeper in the empty void ensuring it's kept clear of the tie-bar so that it doesn't create friction. I've done a lot of messing around on the layout, creating unnecessary work, doing things that really weren't important, but I feel that springing these two sets of points has been really worthwhile and it makes operating so much easier than before. I don't have to worry about the points anymore, there's no switches to flick, buttons to press or anything. Trains running clockwise stay to the outer track of the double track section and anti-clockwise trains automatically switch to the inner. For my needs it's perfect. I just need to remember that when there's two trains running I need to hold one of them in the double track section! The railway cottage protecting the auto frog module now has a base and a driveway and I've turned it so that the front door faces away from the railway which I imagine is how it would have been. The residents will certainly get a great view of passing trains.
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