Aristocraft Point Motors

D

DVRR

Registered
St Aubins Trains, USA is selling Aristo slow motion switch machines,( english pont motors), for $19.99. Pretty good price! Has anyone had any experiences with them outside? I would run them on Massoth digital.. They are called"waterproof".....any comments would be of help,
Sandy DVRR.
 
I'm planning on coming to the open day on Sunday :bigsmile: - I'll bring one along for you to look at if you want.
 
Not sure they would work on digital. The point decoders give a pulse of power and I asume these slow motors will need power for a little longer.
 
Good thinking Alan, I am competely ignorant on the electronics front but you do make sense. Trainworld are selling them for $15.99......do you think I would fry one if I tried or is it simply more liikely just not to work?
 
I made sense!:thumbup: WooHay!
I am fairly ignorant of electronics but it seemed to make sense to me!:confused:
I assume there is a small motir inside - I dont think you will blow it. But for $16, its all information to the forum:wave:
 
Depending on what type of motor drive, I'm sure you'll be able to find a suitable DCC accessory decoder. Don't just limit yourself to only thinking about Massoth decoders. There are other brands of decoders capable of driving solenoids, flip-over motors like LGB, slow action motors, stall motors, servos etc.

I've no experience of the Aristo point motor you're referring to so I don't know what type of drive it is.
<edit>
Going by the wiring diagram, it looks like it takes a reversable DC supply or half-wave rectified AC just like the LGB point motor. It does indeed appear to be motor driven. Alan may well be correct in that it may need a longer burst of power than some designs. Some point decoders are certainly adjustable in that regard - I seem to remember that the Massoth decoder has a cv for the pulse duration?

There's an old thread about these motors (2009) on mylargescale.com. Seem to be very similar to another make (Bohler?). Doesn't look very waterproof to me, and even if it is supposedly sealed I fear the slightest bit of damp on the motor commutator would upset things, unlike the LGB design where the electrical coil is fixed and the solid armature moves.
</edit>
 
I believe the ART motors aren't as water/weather proofed as the LGB ones? However, I have no personal experience of these.

On my LGB switch decoder, I have programmed the pulse to maximum, for extra oophm! Especially as each channel operates a pair of motors....
 
Thanks for that Tim. Seems to be you get what you pay for. They seemed nice and cheap but not for outdoor use without a lot of TLC, which they would not get on my line.
Back to LGB........again!
 
I only have experience of the old aristo motors . The little electric motors never gave me any trouble. The rest of the mechanism did. Out of six one is still working fine. I'm sure the new mechanism will be better than the old. My normal set up is LGB motor and aristo point.. This works well but the LGB accessory switches are giving me considerable grief.
 
Yes. I leave them out all year. I have only ever had to strip & rebuild one LGB motor but the old style aristos required a lot of work. the screws have gone rusty on the newer LGB motors.
 
I will certainly look at these Tim, I heard a story allegedly of a Dealer using these on his layout, getting failures and reverting to LGB....but the concept has really got me interested so I will be keen to hear of anyone who has any experience with these..
Incidentally,Adrian kindly brought an Aristo slow motion motor to show me at my open day yesterday.............I do not think it would last long up here in the Pennines, without an awful lot of protective work which will not happen.
Sandy
 
I installed 12 LGB points ten years ago and eight are still working. The other four rusted inside.
I bought an Aristo point motor to try but it looks nothing like weatherproof so I will stick with LGB.
Peter
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom