Orientation of compensators

Discuss the prototype and how to model it.
jamesicunningham
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:10 pm

Orientation of compensators

Postby jamesicunningham » Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:07 pm

Hi,

My latest project is point rodding. I have read the Scalefour digest on mechanical turnout operation (23.6.5) and studied numerous photos and other sources. I am using the Brassmaster etch and have a question about orientation of compensators. The Brassmaster compensator etch has a stubby v shaped krank combined with an accommodating crank. My question is, are there any conventions on orientation. For example, is the v shaped nearest to the signal cabin?

Thanks in advance, James.

User avatar
grovenor-2685
Forum Team
Posts: 3918
Joined: Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:02 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby grovenor-2685 » Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:24 pm

Doesn't matter which way round it is, it converts a pull on one side to a push on the other regardless of orientation so just needs to be half way along the rodding run.
Regards
Keith
Grovenor Sidings

jamesicunningham
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:10 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby jamesicunningham » Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:21 am

grovenor-2685 wrote:Doesn't matter which way round it is, it converts a pull on one side to a push on the other regardless of orientation so just needs to be half way along the rodding run.


Many thanks for confirmation. I have calculated equal push/pull. There is some compromise of precision as, I think, the compensators are over scale and need to be shunted along to accommodate stools and rodding drops! I explored the MODELU stools and cranks which, I think, are more accurate to scale but found them to be fragile, difficult to work with and expensive. I ended up selecting Wizard stools and rodding with Brassmasters cranks. James.

Terry Bendall
Forum Team
Posts: 2420
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:46 am

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby Terry Bendall » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:03 am

There is some very useful information on point rodding in Model Railway Journal numbers 113 and 115, with two articles written by Steve Hall. On Elcot Road I used a range of parts from different sources but the compensators came from Ambis Engineering. I only needed one which was a bit fiddly to put together but when it was finished I was quite pleased that it moved. That was not intended or needed but pleasing all the same.

Terry Bendall

Tony Wilkins
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:57 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby Tony Wilkins » Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:34 pm

The 2mm Scale Association also publish a very useful booklet on Point Rodding.
Regards
Tony.
Inspiration from the past. Dreams for the future.

jamesicunningham
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:10 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby jamesicunningham » Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:13 pm

Terry Bendall wrote:There is some very useful information on point rodding in Model Railway Journal numbers 113 and 115, with two articles written by Steve Hall. On Elcot Road I used a range of parts from different sources but the compensators came from Ambis Engineering. I only needed one which was a bit fiddly to put together but when it was finished I was quite pleased that it moved. That was not intended or needed but pleasing all the same.

Terry Bendall

Thanks for the tips. I’ll read those articles in the Model Railway Journal and check out Ambis. I think I read somewhere that they do a facing point lock.
James

Phil O
Posts: 363
Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 5:23 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby Phil O » Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:22 pm

Ambis do indeed do the fouling bar for facing point locks. I have a couple which I purchased from Hobby Holidays at Scaleforum a few years back.

Cheers

Phil

Terry Bendall
Forum Team
Posts: 2420
Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 7:46 am

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby Terry Bendall » Thu Feb 11, 2021 8:53 am

jamesicunningham wrote:check out Ambis. I think I read somewhere that they do a facing point lock.


On Elcot road we left one of the facing point locks uncovered so it could be seen. Ours was built from scratch, mainly filed up from a piece of brass and is cosmetic only. On Miniories Howard Bolton has working facing point locks. :thumb That was a step too far for us. :)

Terry Bendall

jamesicunningham
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2021 2:10 pm

Re: Orientation of compensators

Postby jamesicunningham » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:08 pm

Phil O wrote:Ambis do indeed do the fouling bar for facing point locks. I have a couple which I purchased from Hobby Holidays at Scaleforum a few years back.

Cheers

Phil


Thanks all. I've decided not to model the FPLs and will scratch build FPL wooden covers which would obscure the detail ;)

I am suspending current construction using Brassmaster and ordering Ambis compensators and some cranks to compare the scale, appearance and buildability! From what I can see the Ambis compensators look more like the photos and illustrations I have seen.

There is an interesting guide to rodding and wiring on their site which has information I haven't seen elsewhere.

James.


Return to “Track and Turnouts”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot and 0 guests