Suggestions for automating manual LGB points

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HobbitFertang

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Hi everyone. My 'near ground-level' garden layout has nine manual LGB R1points contained within a 3 x 10 m area. Any suggestions for automating these so they can be operated from one corner of the area?
I'm aware of two options: electric and pneumatic but have experience of neither. What would be the pros & cons of these?
 
In another thread you've mentioned running live steam and if this and/or battery are the only means you have in mind, then the LGB EPL system seems a good idea, well-tried and proven, easily available, not necessarily too pricey, plenty of advice available on this forum and requiring two wires per point motor. An LGB control box will handle four points, or you can make up your own controls with easily available parts.
 
Ah, I should have have pointed out that my track is not powered (trains are all radio controlled and self powered), so I would need a separate wiring loom of some kind.:)
 
HobbitFertang said:
Ah, I should have have pointed out that my track is not powered (trains are all radio controlled and self powered), so I would need a separate wiring loom of some kind.:)
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With the EPL system you have two wires per point from the control box and two wires feeding into the control box from a stable source, e.g. a mains transformer.
 
playmofire said:
In another thread you've mentioned running live steam and if this and/or battery are the only means you have in mind, then the LGB EPL system seems a good idea, well-tried and proven, easily available, not necessarily too pricey, plenty of advice available on this forum and requiring two wires per point motor. An LGB control box will handle four points, or you can make up your own controls with easily available parts.
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I agree, I've got a lot of LGB switch control boxes I've bought used on eBay or Facebook Marketplace pretty cheap the they all work well. There are 4 switches per box, and you can wire two switches for crossover to one switch on the box. All you need is a cheap 18 volt AC power brick. I've also bought this on Amazon very inexpensively. If you have 10 switches or points you'll need three boxes, unless you have a couple crossovers where you throw two switches with one control box switch.
 
HobbitFertang said:
Ah, I should have have pointed out that my track is not powered (trains are all radio controlled and self powered), so I would need a separate wiring loom of some kind.:)
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There is no easy answer..
You will need wiring of some-sort. - Even if you use a RC system, you will need power to each point-location.

Simplest is standard LGB-like point motors, and one pair of wires per point.

PhilP
 
HobbitFertang said:
Ah, I should have have pointed out that my track is not powered (trains are all radio controlled and self powered), so I would need a separate wiring loom of some kind.:)
Click to expand...
As Rhinochugger Rhinochugger said Pneumatic is a much simpler way to go. Just one pipe to switches, multiple fed by T pieces then 1 pipe only to each point. It makes sense to have local switching panels. Costs more than wire based solutions but much simpler. There was a supplier in UK either Devon or Cornwall but they appear to have given up now so only option as far as I am aware niw is to source direct from Sunset Valley.
sunsetvalleyrailroad.com

Pneumatics Archives

Sunset Valley pneumatics are a simple and robust way to remotely operate your G gauge switches, using industrially rated components.
sunsetvalleyrailroad.com sunsetvalleyrailroad.com
Useful old link in here about pneumatics.
maxi-model

Thread 'SVR air powered points'

As a result of musings on another thread (thank you Martino) I have come to the conclusion that air power is the way to go and with the Suset Valley Railroad (SVR) system . The LGB electric motors and Train Engineer momentary actuators were ripped out 3 years ago and I went all manual on my mix of LGB R5's and GRS 6', with a Piko (R5/R3 lgb equiv') curved point interloper. 12 switches in total, all code 332.
The proposed air powered set-up will have 2 sets of 2 switches and one of 4 switches operating grouped to "set a road". The remaining 4 operating independently.

Principal...
 
Thanks everyone for this, it's given me lots to think about ! The only compressed air source I have is a Badger air-brush pump. Would that do the job?
 
HobbitFertang said:
Thanks everyone for this, it's given me lots to think about ! The only compressed air source I have is a Badger air-brush pump. Would that do the job?
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Well yes and no, if it has a tank should be ok otherwise it will kick in every time you change a point, but would be fine for testing things out. One guy years back used an old inner tube getting air in for his start of day. Perhaps a bodge of something along those lines with your badger suppyingbthe air. But would need some complex joins to get it working me thinks.
 
RDFMTS2 said:
Anything Narrow Gauge used to stock pneumatic systems. Maybe worth giving them a phone call. David
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ANG still list pneumatics under their 16mm accesories from page 5 on my machine.

16mm Accessories

Anything Narrow Gauge
anythingnarrowgauge.co.uk
 
Allow me to put my two cents in here. If you are familiar with those little key fob transmitters and receivers, mostly sold out of China, but easily obtainable from Amazon, you could simply power each turnout with a nine volt battery. The receiver acts like a DPDT toggle switch, which would be placed at or near the turnout. The key fob transmitter usually has two buttons. This will eliminate long runs of wiring or Pneumatic tubing.
 
Madman said:
Allow me to put my two cents in here. If you are familiar with those little key fob transmitters and receivers, mostly sold out of China, but easily obtainable from Amazon, you could simply power each turnout with a nine volt battery. The receiver acts like a DPDT toggle switch, which would be placed at or near the turnout. The key fob transmitter usually has two buttons. This will eliminate long runs of wiring or Pneumatic tubing.
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Thanks, Madman. I'm leaning towards pneumatic at the moment but the prices are high. It did occur that Bowden cables might work (not sure what they're called in the US?). They might be difficult to hide though.
 
Madman said:
Allow me to put my two cents in here. If you are familiar with those little key fob transmitters and receivers, mostly sold out of China, but easily obtainable from Amazon, you could simply power each turnout with a nine volt battery. The receiver acts like a DPDT toggle switch, which would be placed at or near the turnout. The key fob transmitter usually has two buttons. This will eliminate long runs of wiring or Pneumatic tubing.
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9V may well be a tad low to reliably fire the points..
But two 9V batteries in series, would be fine.

PhilP
 
PhilP said:
9V may well be a tad low to reliably fire the points..
But two 9V batteries in series, would be fine.

PhilP
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I have a single turnout that is powered via 9 volt, but it is a new switch drive, so I agree that two 9 volt batteries would insure the points move as desired.
 
Something like this might work nicely.

With some work you could gut the remotes and installed them in a panel.

This approach assumes you would use the standard EPL motors for the points.

The receive has a momentary mode which should work fine with the motors.

 
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