I am planning on using Peco PL-26 Passing Contract Switches mounted in my control panel. Peco makes a mounting plate for these (PL-28) but I am having a very difficult time finding these plates. The only internet source that I have found is Wathers and they are not in stock. All of the other internet sources are from England. This makes me wonder if there is another, more common, way of mouting the PL-26 switches. Just looking at the swtiches, I do not see an easy way to do so. Does anyone have any experience mounting these without the PL-28 plates?
I don’t think that many folks (at least in the US) use the PL-26 electrical switches, so there may not be many suggestions for alternative ways of mounting. (And may explain why you are not finding retail sources here.)
Many use standard off-the-shelf momentary-contact electrical switches to actuate solenoid switch machines like PECO’s. These can be easily mounted on a panel or the fascia.
But if you’re set on using the PECO PL-26, you may be stuck with ordering the mounting plates from an offshore source.
They appear to be a snap in mount, you should be able to make your own from sheet Styrene.
EDIT:
Your post got my curiosity up so I did a bit of research. I like the concept of the Peco Passing Contact Switch. It momentarily makes contact (passing contact) and the handle stays either up or down indicating turnout position. The only disappointment is the price, very high at almost $12 compared to a $1 mini toggle switch.
I did find the switch mounting plates in stock at Hobbylink, 5 pack for $5.54.
Thanks for your responses. I bought the PL-26 switches because of the fact that they can be used to indicate the position of the turnout and wanted to use the plates because I had intended to locate the switch on the control panel at their respective positions on the track diagram. However, after posting this I looked further at options for mounting the switches and discovered that Peco makes a console for mounting up to 6 switches which I had decided to use in lieu of placing the switches on the track diagram. While this is approach is not quite as “user friendly” it solves another problem I had - a cramped control panel.
However, now that a source for the plates has been found I will have to re-consider my re-consideration!
Further to my earlier reply, the mouting plate that is available at hobbylinc is acturally for the PL-10 turnout motor that is located at the turnout, rather than the PL-26 passing contact switch that is used to activate the motor.
Thanks, again, for your time and interest in checking this out. I have decided to use the mounting consoles so… problem solved.
Hobbylink shows it in stock, you need to scroll down the page . . . it is at the bottom of the page. Click on the picture of the cover and it will bring up another listing.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951