Alternatives to Train-line45 for R2 points

Ralphmp

Ralphmp

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I'm looking to add some additional R2 points to my layout and, since Glendale Junction has closed, it seems the only way to get the Trainline45 ones I've used in the past is to order direct from the company. Thing is, the current TL45 price is €109 plus postage and packing (no idea - say another €20?), and with the current spiffing exchange rate, I'm thinking a better alternative would be to buy some bespoke points from GRS which are quoted at £105 (no postage, they're only 25 mins away).

However, I haven't had any experience with GRS points, in particular adding LGB point motors to them (manual control is not an option for me). I know this can be done but I'm unsure how complicated it is. Also, I have heard tales of smaller locos stalling on the GRS points due to live/dead frog issues and I'll typically be running single motor locos over the points when they've been installed.

So before diving in, I just wondered if anyone has experience of alternatives to TL45 or GRS for R2 points; e.g Aristocraft - I'm sure I read somewhere in the past that Aristo used to do a 5' diameter switch that approximates to R2 pretty well to 5' diameter.

Thanks in advance
 
Phil, if you're looking for something around 90cm radius (which I think is what TL45's R2 is, or pretty close?), the Modell-Land's own branded range of track - which appears to be badge-engineered TL45 products anyway - has 90cm Rad points for a much more reasonable price of 50 Euro each:

www.modell-land.de

ML-Train Weiche Messing R90 cm mit 3X Verbinder für Spur-G (Links)

Kombinierbar mit allen Spur G Gleissystemen. Herzstückpolarisierung (optional).
www.modell-land.de www.modell-land.de

These come with railclamps (Massoth-type) included, but do NOT have a point motor, so you'd have to add the cost of your preferred type (I assume that LGB ones will fit).

Jon.
 
Nice find Jon. The modell-land link you gave says they work with LGB point motors. Sadly they are not in stock.
 
For the same price of ca. 50 € you can buy R3 (120 cm radius) points directly from Modell-Land

www.modell-land.de

ML-Train Weiche Messing R3 R120 cm mit 3X Verbinder für Spur-G und weitere Gartenbahn Schienen (rechts)

Kombinierbar mit allen Spur G Gleissystemen. Herzstückpolarisierung (optional).
www.modell-land.de www.modell-land.de
www.modell-land.de

ML-Train Weiche Messing R3 R120 cm mit 3X Verbinder für Spur-G und weitere Gartenbahn Schienen (Links)

Kombinierbar mit allen Spur G Gleissystemen. Herzstückpolarisierung (optional).
www.modell-land.de www.modell-land.de

The product description says it will work with the following motors

• DCC - Weichenantrieb Elektro Train Line 1020002
• EPL Weichenantrieb LGB 12010
• Handweichenantrieb 2 Stück LGB 12060 (manual control)
• Handweichenantrieb Train Line 1020000 (manual control)
• Digitaler-Weichenantrieb DCC Modell-Land 84002020


Andreas
 
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Thanks Jon, as Dave says a great spot. Pity they're OOS - I think I'll give the guys a call (always amusing to see how much of my Deutsch they'll put up with before asking me in English to send an email...). Motors I have a plenty after cannibalising some LGB RhB light signals and buying them secondhand when I see them at a reasonable price.
 
Ralphmp said:
Thanks Jon, as Dave says a great spot. Pity they're OOS - I think I'll give the guys a call (always amusing to see how much of my Deutsch they'll put up with before asking me in English to send an email...). Motors I have a plenty after cannibalising some LGB RhB light signals and buying them secondhand when I see them at a reasonable price.
Click to expand...

Please let us know what response you get from Modell-Land, Phil - it would be useful to know if/when these will be back in stock. ML's "own" branded track and points range is quite obviously using TL45 designs (note the equalised sleeper spacing at track ends, hence the need for shorter-than-LGB joiners, and the little brass inserts in the point frogs), but I don't know what their actual link with TL45 is - if they (ML) are simply buying them from TrainLine and re-selling them under their own branding, then availability may be a little sporadic, as TL45 are not known for having large stocks of their own products on hand.... from my experience of them, a lot of their products (particularly locos and coaches) seem to be assembled in the back room of their Wernigerode store as required, whenever a dealer orders them!

Jon.
 
Will do Jon. I confess when I visited the TL store in Wernigerode I was underwhelmed as the person "serving" was surly and walked away from talking to us when some other customers who had more fluent German came in. Their loss as I was looking to buy a loco and rolling stock. (Most unlike everywhere else we shopped / ate / drank, when we were welcomed by very friendly folk. Maybe the server was having a bad day.)
 
Ralphmp said:
Will do Jon. I confess when I visited the TL store in Wernigerode I was underwhelmed as the person "serving" was surly and walked away from talking to us when some other customers who had more fluent German came in. Their loss as I was looking to buy a loco and rolling stock. (Most unlike everywhere else we shopped / ate / drank, when we were welcomed by very friendly folk. Maybe the server was having a bad day.)
Click to expand...

Yes, that's exactly the reception we got too... the one staff member seemed much more interested in being out in the back putting stuff together than being in the main shop dealing with customers!
Like you, I was considering a decent-sized purchase but in the end all I bought was a few back issues of Gartenbahn Profi and Volldampf.
So I don't think you got him on an "off day", he seems to be like that all the time....
I gather that since our visit (2017) they have relocated the shop to the HSB station itself - has anyone here visited since then and found things to be any better in the new premises?

That said, I do like TL45's products - I have a V3, two Mallets (5901 and 5902) and the Fiffi/Pfiffi "twins" as seen in my avatar, plus rakes of red/cream and the green "traditionszug" coaches - and they are all lovely models, if a little more fragile than equivalent LGB. But they could certainly stand to learn a bit about customer service in their retail premises!

Jon.
 
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OK, so I've taken the plunge and ordered a set of points from Modell-land. I'll update when they arrive.
 
So at 9:15 this morning DHL delivered my points from Modell-land. Total cost including postage - just £57.67.

The points came in plain box extremely well packed in bubblewrap and with 3 Massoth-type track clamps and screws. On inspection, the points do appear identical to the other TL45 R2 points I have - see photos:

20190803_122049-jpg.255101


20190803_122124.jpg

I'll fit them tomorrow and test them and provide a further update of anything significant.
 

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Thanks Phil - very interesting to see confirmation that these are indeed TL45 points (I was about 98% sure that they had to be). Useful to see that they've still got the TL45 short push-on joiners as well as being supplied with the clamps.

Jon.
 
A question about the site in the links, is there a want to translate the text into English my German is non existent.
I am looking for some points but being in Aust the postage would probably be quite high.
 
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Agree with Jimmy. Google translate works pretty well. I usually open a second browser window and "copy and paste" into the translate box.
 
If you use Chrome browser it translates it for you, after asking you.
 
phils2um said:
Agree with Jimmy. Google translate works pretty well. I usually open a second browser window and "copy and paste" into the translate box.
Click to expand...

Yes, agreed - Google Translate, though far from perfect, is generally pretty good at conveying the overall meaning. Like Phil, I just copy a block of text (whether from an eBay listing or whatever) and paste it into the translate page open in a separate tab.

Jon.
 
funandtrains said:
You can order all the Trainline 45 stuff from their own website which is in English and German.
Click to expand...

...Yes, you can, but the ML prices are cheaper and you get the clamps included!
Example of 90cm Rad point: TL45 website price (without clamps) 66 Euros, ML price for same item WITH clamps 49.99 Euros......

Plus, an awful lot of the items on the TL45 website are showing as out of stock anyway.

Note that I have nothing against TL45 (the above-mentioned poor shop service notwithstanding), but I've always had excellent service from ML in the past. YMMV, of course.

Jon.
 
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