Piko points: opinions wanted
- Thread starter Sea Lion
- Start date
Gareth
Railways,Transport, Wildlife ,History
Well I,ve just built an extension to the LG&BR using Piko radius 1 points as an experiment, read this topic after been laid (Great !)Does this problem attribute to just their raduis 5 or radius 1 as well all seems to run well through them . With the rain that is falling as I write here in the North Left Corner of Wales I shall soon find out! Have thought of a cure without having to lift track to repair I think if there is a problem anyway. So hopefull all should be well on the Craigllwydd and Sychnant Mineral branch !
How many men does it take to repair a set of Piko points ?
The answer is indeed 7
1 to supply the offening points
1 to supply the tool kit and multimeter
5 to supply advice and look useful
Result one buggered tool bit cos one of the five forgot to mention the problem he had read on here that it is the screws are often to long
(sorry) but after a while agreement was finaly reached and the multi meter proved that success was the order of the day
Thanks also to lorraines diner for sustaining us and Gillian for photogaphic eveidence that a group of old men can solve the worlds problems in just one afternoon
Tony
The answer is indeed 7
1 to supply the offening points
1 to supply the tool kit and multimeter
5 to supply advice and look useful
Result one buggered tool bit cos one of the five forgot to mention the problem he had read on here that it is the screws are often to long
(sorry) but after a while agreement was finaly reached and the multi meter proved that success was the order of the dayThanks also to lorraines diner for sustaining us and Gillian for photogaphic eveidence that a group of old men can solve the worlds problems in just one afternoon
Tony
KeithT
Hillwalking, chickens and - err - garden railways.
It is most odd that they havent said a word. It is not as if the problems are earth shattering or require a fundamental redesign. They just need the correct gauge copper wire and a bit of attention to the screw threads. However, it does not appear to concern them that their image is damaged and of course thir potential sales.stockers said:
Cliff George
Registered
Tony said:
Well I should have turned up then, that would have added to the useless advice and doubled the resolution time! Hope a good time was had by all.
KeithT said:
As UK trade suppliers for Piko Gaugemaster have advised me they have had very few returns or complaints in relation to their sales of these points. They have forwarded the link to this thread to Piko for their comments.
Meanwhile, would anyone care to state their opinion as to the best available Code 332 R3 points for outdoor use of both live steam and track powered electric traction. It is one thing to flag up potential problems, but what are the better alternatives?
Happy steamings,
John
3Valve
Railways; Air cooled VW's; Soul Music
I would say LGB or Trainline John, but that's just my opinion. I know a lot of folks out there also use Aristocraft, but I found the frog on their R1 points sat a little high and caused loco's to "bounce" over the frog. Don't know about the a large radius stuff though, hence my suggestion for LGB or Trainline as I have experience of both brands and in both case have suffered no issues whatsoever.Sea Lion said:
Interesting that AMS are bringing out points John. Any idea when? I had some AMS track off you recently and I must say I was very pleased with it.
bunnyrabbit03
Registered
The advantage of Train Line points over LGB points is that the frog is brass and can be electrified. Also, do LGB R3 points not have an issue with the check rail being too short?
Accucraft did say they would have the points in 2011, but because the manufacturing is being driven by the American company I'm finding meaningful information regarding delivery schedules hard to obtain, and, well, it feels like Autumn today.3Valve said:
Might have to think about Trainline, thanks for the suggestion Gareth, has anyone else got an opinion on or experience of Trainline points? I'm not keen on LGB points because the surface of the frog is below rail top height and unless you have the deep LGB type flanges locos and stock 'drop' slightly onto the frog.
Happy steamings,
John
bunnyrabbit03
Registered
Very smart, Mike, looks good 
Willem WDLS
Registered
Still the same.3Valve said:Has this been rectified on LGB's latest pointwork or is it still an issue?mike said:bunnyrabbit03 said:
they do, and there is a fix.. 3euros a go..
3Valve
Railways; Air cooled VW's; Soul Music
Deutsche Reichsbahn said:Still the same.3Valve said:Has this been rectified on LGB's latest pointwork or is it still an issue?mike said:bunnyrabbit03 said:
they do, and there is a fix.. 3euros a go..
Ah now you see to me that's a fundamental design flaw (as is the Piko electrical problem) that should be recitified by the manufacturer.
OK it may not be cost-effective or practical to manufacture new moudlings with a longer check-rail, but how about including the checkrail fix with every point, rather than having to source it separtely?
Just a thought.
(Mike where do you get the fix from, gonna need a few)
Rhinochugger
Retired Oik
mike said:bunnyrabbit03 said:
they do, and there is a fix.. 3euros a go..
Proper Job
Neil Robinson
Registered
That fix is a really good one and, IMHO, worth doing on the straight road check rail as well. Not only do the longer check rails guide the wheels better the additional thickness of the brass pulls the wheels sideways a little bit further from the middle of the frog, reducing the risk of the flanges on the opposite side to the check rail striking the nose of the frog.mike said:they do, and there is a fix.. 3euros a go..
