piggy backing pl-13 switches on PL-10E

[Jules59]

Hi has anyone piggy backed 2 pl-13 switches to a single PL-10 Peco point motor ? is the motor strong enough to operate both and the point in N gauge ?

Jules

[Flashbang]

If it were OO then possibly, but the lack of throw may be an issue with N gauge? Have you considered replacing the PL13 with a PL-15 DPDT micro switch https://peco-uk.com/products/twin-micro ... r-mounting
Or using two conventional micro switches mounted so as the PL10 drive rod underneath the motor operates the micro switch lever? Example micro switch.https://www.bitsbox.co.uk/index.php?mai ... th=116_134 either the SW158 or SW111 should be fine.

Another alternative where two set of switches are needed is to use a Gaugemaster GM500 Latching relay. Hattons are cheaper than GM direct.. https://www.hattons.co.uk/128834/gaugem ... etail.aspx This of course does not rely on the actual motors drive pin moving.

[Suzie]

No, this would not be a good thing to do.

Instead use the much better PL15 switch which has two separate switches and is far more reliable.

[RAF96]

I find one PL-13 can often be too much load for a standard solenoid motor, unless a CDU is being used to whack them over.

My present layout has both regular and surface mounts types of solenoid some with PL-13s and some without operated by DCC accessory decoders. Reliability is reasonable for the non PL-13 equipped motors but dire for those with switches.

Until I get a dual DCC/CDU circuit installed I have to put up with it, although I am working on a micro motor-gearbox surface mount point motor, that will use microswitches for travel limiting but also allow banking of more switches for other purposes, e.g. frog or led.

What I have found is mounting a PL-13 direct to the underside of a point and mounting the solenoid topside works better as the load is better distributed. A track pin connects the point tie bar to the switch slider.

[Bufferstop]

My points are mechanical but I still want frog switching and self isolating sidings, I could incorporate Peco switches into the linkages I use between baseboard edge and the points, but they would almost certainly need to be mounted under the board as they are so big. Instead I use bog standard miniature lever microswitches. They can be placed anywhere along the operating rod or even on the opposite end of the tie bar. they are small enough to be hidden by a fragment of lichen "shrub", beneath the duck boards which cross the run of the point rods or in any trackside structure. Their big advantage for solenoid users is the very light spring which only need exert any pressure against the movement just at or slightly after the mid point of travel, if two are used only one will be exerting any force at one time and the friction of a point without an overcentre spring is enough to avoid unwanted movement. Oh and did I mention they are dirt cheap.

[Jules59]

HI Guys

Many thanks for the responses. To make my life easier ( I hope as I havnt built one yet ) I have purchased some PL-15 Peco Microswitcheds as I know these are easily fitted to the bottom of the PL-10Es that I have purchased and will give me the polarity changing I desire between the frog and the subsequent rails.. Wish me luck with the wiring tho im still trying to get the trackwork complete as and when I can afford it !!