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Peco SL-E8361 Turnout Connected To Peco PL-11 Side Mounted Motor

Bruce asks:

“I have an HO Peco SL-E8361 turnout that I’m trying to connect to a Peco PL-11 side-mounted motor, but there’s no connecting rod to go between them. Does anyone have a solution for doing this? The hole in the turnout is quite a bit smaller than the hole in the motor. Thanks.”

3 Responses to Peco SL-E8361 Turnout Connected To Peco PL-11 Side Mounted Motor

  • geoff says:

    As far as I know, the PL11 is designed to clip directly to the UK “00” turnouts. The hole on the motor goes over the lug on the turnout. It seems as if the HO turnouts have a hole instead of a lug on the turnout. I think you will need to make a lug, out of wood maybe, to fit into the turnout hole, that the point motor will then fit over.

  • Nigel says:

    To add to Geoff’s response, there is a short thread on a forum:

    The main points are:

    “It is well known now that Peco blew it with this surface mount equivalent to Atlas turnout mounted switch motors. No way the Peco motor works with their own code 83 turnouts. The motor is designed to pop over a pin in the code 100 Peco throw bar, and fits neatly on the ties (sleepers in the UK). Well done Peco.

    Code 83 throw bars have a hole instead of a pin. And the hole is half the size of the hole in the PL11 switch motor. Not so clever Peco.

    Ahaa though. Get yourself a tiny bit of styrene 3/32 tube and 3/64 rod. Push a very short bit of the rod inside the tube and glue. Drill or ream out the hole in the throw bar to 3/64 (it is a very tiny bit smaller than that) and the hole in the switch motor arm to 3/32 (it’s a very tiny bit. …..). Cut the assembly to fit so that the 3/32 tube end interference fits the switch motor arm hole and the 3/64 rod end interference fits the throw bar hole.

    Clip the protruding ends to a satisfactory length, the rod end will need to be nearly flush. I’ve left the tube end sticking up to facilitate inserting the pin. I suspect I’ll need to glue the tube end into the switch motor given the vigorous “snap” action of these Peco solenoid especially when fired with their CDU.”

    At the end of the post, the original poster confirmed that the modification worked.

    Good luck!

    • Bruce says:

      Nigel thanks for the suggestion! It sounds pretty straightforward. I contacted Pecorino and they said to use a specific screw but they don’t even carry them, they really did blow it on this setup. Thanks

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