Warning: Outbreak of Piko Point Lurgy

KeithT

KeithT

Hillwalking, chickens and - err - garden railways.
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[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"][size=12pt]Yesterday everything ran perfectly.[/font]
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[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Today was v different. I started out with an an acute case of the Piko Points Lurgy[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]I blame Mike![/font]

[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"][size=12pt][size=12pt]Perhaps it is a case of a compuer borne virus.:impatient:
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[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Until I read his post yesterday I had no idea there was a problem with Piko points. I do now![/font]

[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]I had 2 rack locos running but each time one of them ran onto one point it stopped. No amount of cleaning helped.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Eventually I removed it - an awkward job because it is one of a closely linked triple.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Checks with a multimeter were inconclusive, puzzling in fact.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]On removing the cover plates -why do Piko use 2 different screw types on the same point? One is Philips headed and the rest Torx.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]It was clear that there was corrosion on all the screw connections - several were not even fully tightened. having plain steel screws and terminals does not help where corrosion is concerned either.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]I removed and cleaned all the connections but still got 'odd' readings on the meter. On refitting the problem was still there.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Opening it up again I tried to lift one of the wire links to check for connectivity only to find that it was welded to the opposite polarity link. The insulation on the wires had melted and the bare wires were touching, presumably imtermittently hence the 'odd' readings.[/font]

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[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]I have now refettled 3 points with the rest to follow.[/font]
[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]I extolled the virtues of these points when they were introduced and replaced all my troublesome LGB R3s with them with some still to be fitted on an extension.[/font]

[font="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"]Sadly they exhibit poor design with steel to brass connections and corrodable screws plus poor quality cabling; poor assembly, screws not tightened and poor QC which failed to identify the loose screws.[/font]
 
sorry keith, qualitly control seems to be missing at piko
 
Mike
I was trying to find your pics of the repair you did.
Can you "point" :wave: me in the right direction?
 
it would eith be in yesterdays coffie room, or on my thread, lazy grage bay a new dawn...
i fitted a spaceiong washer ,as the hole wasnt drilled deep enought
to help with these kind off "problems" i ve remove all the fishplastes, and fitted railclamps..
swapping a point is a 10 minute jobb

594036a3f5d44955b96d4ddb1031e594.jpg

c9bab6d5f9f44cc7961c5945eef583d1.jpg
 
also, a wire was shorted out, as u say, the isolation coating had melted...
may be the wire isnt up to the job????:impatient::impatient::impatient:
 
mike said:
also, a wire was shorted out, as u say, the isolation coating had melted...
may be the wire isnt up to the job????:impatient::impatient::impatient:
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Spoiling the ship for a h'aporth of tar.
I only went for Piko points because the quality of the LGB ones had deteriorated.
Who DOES make points which actually work I wonder?
Points were always the Achilles heel of my 00 and N gauge. More understandable on such intricate work but not expected on G Scale.
 
mike said:
it would eith be in yesterdays coffie room, or on my thread, lazy grage bay a new dawn...
i fitted a spaceiong washer ,as the hole wasnt drilled deep enought
to help with these kind off "problems" i ve remove all the fishplastes, and fitted railclamps..
swapping a point is a 10 minute jobb

images

images
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Thanks Mike these were the ones I was thinking of.
 
LGB ones are not immune from this either unfortunately. At least it is an easy fix (if you can get rid of the torx stuff).
 
For what it is worth I have sent a complaint to Piko.
Hopefully, they might at least re-examine their choice of materials.
 
798.03 said:
What about the Train Line 45 points? They received good reviews and were released at about the same time as the Piko ones. Anyone any experience of using these over a period of time yet?
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Look promising but this time I shall await opinions.&:
 
I have 8 Aristo and 3 LGB all R3/10 foot diameter points. These are between 8 and 0 years old and so far (touch wood) I have had no problems. My standard point for some years has been Aristo point with LGB motor.
 
I thought it was just a rare occurence when the 3 large radius Piko points I bought about a year ago developed all the problems mentioned. I thought at the time that the quality control on the assembly was extremely poor, especially the use of mixed metals which corroded. I cured the points with additional washers and soldering as others have done, but this really shouldn't be needed on new points.
Peter
 
peterexmouth said:
I thought it was just a rare occurence when the 3 large radius Piko points I bought about a year ago developed all the problems mentioned. I thought at the time that the quality control on the assembly was extremely poor, especially the use of mixed metals which corroded. I cured the points with additional washers and soldering as others have done, but this really shouldn't be needed on new points.
Peter
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It's disappointing.
Piko is a new player in this area and it does not bode well.
I seem to recall some problems too with their railcars when they were introduced.
 
Well adding to the debate i have 22 sets of points all were sechand when bought and used outside previously here are my findings

LGB /
5 x rad 3 .... 2 i have had to replace the check rail with a longer one made from brass rail the other 3 so far seem ok though 2 dont like small locos going slowly
6 x Rad 1 so far all seem ok
1 x crossover everything jumps when crossing but all so far stay on

Aristo (US sleeper type)
3 x rad 3 all seem ok but the lever was to high and Bachmann locos with lower beams would catch
2 x Rad 1 all seem ok

USA trains
1 x rad 3 seems ok

GRS
5 proberly rad 5 points and 1 double slip..... 2 i have had wires come unsoldered but the best looking and performing though they do seem to attract more 6mm ballast than the others

Tony
 
KeithT said:
For what it is worth I have sent a complaint to Piko.
Hopefully, they might at least re-examine their choice of materials.
Click to expand...

Keith - have you had any response from Piko? :thinking:
 
One of my 2 Piko R3 points has just failed. They are both less than a year old. I have 4 Trainline R3 points which are 3 years old. One failed when a soldered connection parted. It was easy to access for repair but needed powerful iron to repair. Otherwise i have been happy with the trainline points.
 
I have been to an open day where things were not working due to a faulty Piko R3 point. On examining this tonight it is exactly the same as the first picture. Loose & corroded wiring. The Lurgy is spreading.
 
As a matter of interest it is now over 1 month since I emailed Piko about the problems.
Result?
Complete silence.
Not good PR.
 
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