broken throwbar on Nscale code55 peco turnout Agood idee to repare them???

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hello guys from Belgium,

I have some bad news in my sunshine and this one is not the first.

Some of my Nscale code 55 Peco turnouts broke their throwbar.

In fact the plastic broke just in the middle of the eyes where the arm of the motor comes.
( I use switchmaster and tortoise slowmotion motors; the spring of the turnout are removed).

To repare them there are three solutions, first move the arm of the motor to the other side in the other eyes of the trowbar; second remove the turnout and place a new one.

If the first is easy to do, some of these turnout have the same problems in the second eyes a few months later. There is no more way to move the arms of the motor and replace the turnout could be expensive an ruin a whole section of track and scenery.

I have an approach, my third solution, not very easy to do, I must obviousely agree.

I d’ont remove the turnout, I let him in place. With some surgery with an hobby knife I cut down the plastic throwbar in place, let the two swing rail completly free.

After that I cut down the under plastic plate of the turnout protecting the throwbar
so I obtain a free passage under the two stock rail.

I take a pc ties and put it under twe two stock rail like the plastic throwbar.

Then using an NMRA gauge I solder back the two swing rail to it and drill a hole in the pc tie for the arm of the motor.
Sometimes I have forget to cut a gap for the electricty polarity in the throwbar so you know what…

A few touch of color make everything invisible.

To resume, its a hard way to do and yes to reach.

So didn’t anyone good idee to simplify this HARD work…

Thanks a lot in advance.

Marc

2

Hello from Texas,

If your soldering skills are up to it, I would use a PC tie for the through bar and solder the points to it. This method works well with code 40 rail so it should be almost unbreakable with Peco code 55 rail. Make sure to cut a gap in the PC through bar.
Wishinmg you the best in model railroading, Houston Jack

3

I have installed and/or replaced a few Peco N scale code 80 TO’s on the club’s layout and haven’t had this problem so far.I suspect that your switch motors have too much travel and put too much stress on your throwbars,splitting the holes open.It is a “could be” but still worthed investigating any way.If such is the case,I suggest installing softer actuating arms that could bend a little while still holding the moving rails firmly against the stock rails.

It is also possible that Peco uses a different plastic for code 55 but I don’t think this is likely however.Finding the cause and fixing it is not to neglect,in my opinion.As far as fixing the broken throwbars,I can’t figure out a better way than what you suggested,sorry.