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Using Piano Wire For oo Gauge Points

Have has a question for experienced model rail buffs:

“I am trying to operate some 00 points with piano wire but I do not know how to get the wire from under the table through it and a right angle to operate the point?”

Comment below.

One Response to Using Piano Wire For oo Gauge Points

  • Jay says:

    I have spent much time using wire to operate HO turnout points. I’m not sure you want to manually or electrically operate the points. My post here is only on electrical, using servo motors, mounted under the table. I use the Tam Valley Singlet DCC controller with a small RC plane type of servo. They instruct you to drill a hole large enough to allow for the control wire to move side to side to move the points via the servo. I had to improvise a way to avoid removing my turnouts from the table, to drill such a hole. I mount my servos vertically, not horizontally. I used a .020″ brass wire mounted to the servo’s output arm. From the table topside, I drill a hole through the center of a rail tie, approximately 1/2″ to 3/4″ from the tie that moves the points. I mount the servo under the table, and feed the .02″ brass control wire up through the hole. On the top side, I bend the brass wire at the top of the tie, and over to a hole drilled into the control tie. (2 bends). The brass wire is easy enough to bend. The brass wire is springy enough to keep tension on the points when the servo goes fully clockwise or counter clockwise. The cost for me per turnout is around $15 each.

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