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The points leading into the storage sidings in the garage are now operated by servos, triggered by slightly modified servo testers - cheap and cheerful.
Thanks to GregH for alerting me to Dave Bodnar's online article and to Graeme (GAP) for getting me started.
A great little video really shows how simple it is to use a tester (assuming you don't get a windscreen wiper type that flails around)
Why would you do point control any other way?
Re: Servo operated points
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:55 am
by Peter Butler
At the start of my own garden railway build I was able to pass wires underneath the boards supporting most of my track. These wires fed point control servos and testers in precisely the same way Rik has. These were all rather quickly removed.
Because..... firstly, in our climate (West Wales) it is notoriously wet, so anything electrically operated is subject to many issues caused by damp and corrosion. Also, I found the rather delicate links were subject to accidental damage when maintenance work was undertaken, as is a frequent occurrence in these parts.
The main problem encountered was one I hadn't considered; following many years of model railway exhibitions I was used to having a central control panel with track diagram to show the various locations of points, a great advantage when the operator is located in the centre of a layout, but not if located many metres away from the action. I discovered that shunting and running around a train became a real issue when I had to trek to and from the panel every time a point had to be changed, much easier to be near the action (when possible) or having manual operation on site.
I'm sure many people can make servos work for them and benefit from them, but I am simply passing on my own experience before others invest time and money prior to thinking about these potential problems, another Forum membership advantage.