STUART JORDAN looks at the SEEP range of point motors and accessories, including some recent additions.
The SEEP range of point motors has been a staple part of the Gaugemaster range for some time now. However, over the past few years or so there has been some interesting additions to the range, making the SEEP range a one-stop shop for model railway point control. Our goal is to merge technical excellence and value for money. I'm going to take you through each point motor in the range, as well as some of the additional accessories available.
Suitable for N, HO, OO, & O Scales
The GMC-PM1 Point Motor with Built-In Switch is one of our best-selling items here at Gaugemaster. This motor screws easily under your baseboard, only requiring a small slot to be drilled or cut through to allow the drive rod access to the point mechanism. The advantage of the PM1 is the built in switch, which can be used to operate accessories like signals (for simultaneous changing), and for switching the frog polarity on electrofrog points.
Suitable for N, HO, OO, & O Scales
The vanilla version of the GMC-PM1, the GMC-PM2 Seep Point Motor does not have the additional switch – however this makes it ideal for operating points in hidden areas or fiddle yards, where the need for signal operation is not required.
Suitable for N, HO, OO, & O Scales
Like the GMC-PM1, the GMC-PM4 has a built-in switch for accessory operation. It also has a self-latching mechanism which is useful for handmade points without springs. It should only really be used on points that have no springs, as it will be very hard to throw a point with an over centre spring.
Suitable for N, HO, OO, & O Scales
The GMC-PM10 Classic Solenoid Point Motor, which is also available as GMC-BPPM10, a bulk pack of five, is the rising star of SEEP range. Built with ease of installation in mind, the GMC-PM10 can either be attached directly to the bottom of the point using the spiky legs (most UK track manufacturers put little lugs on their points for these), or mounted to the underside of the baseboard using the screws provided. We even give you a pin extension which can be cut to length, depending on your baseboard thickness.
Wiring is easy and solderless, as the PM10 has screw terminals. You can just use ordinary layout wire, or our GMC-PM51 Point Motor Wire. You can read more about the PM10 Classic Point Motor in this "Product Spotlight".
Suitable for N, HO, OO, & O Scales
The GMC-PM10D Classic Solenoid Digital Point Motor has all of the advantages of the GMC-PM10, with an added digital accessory decoder! The decoder has a built in CDU, which means your point will throw every time. The wire loom allows easy installation of the motor and decoder, as the decoder can be unscrewed, removed, and repositioned so that it can be installed flush.
The real hidden gem on the PM10D's decoder are the screw terminals – these allow you to fit control panel switches and LEDs for mimic panel operation with position indicators. We have a RIGHT LINES article on "Building a Mimic Panel". Of course, this means that the PM10D is not just for DCC operators! You can read more about the PM10D Classic Solenoid Point Motor With Decoder in this "Product Spotlight".
Suitable for N, HO, & OO Scales
Carrying on the philosophy of easy installation from the PM10, the GMC-PM20 Surface Mounted Point Motor can be fitted directly next to your point, with the tie-bar linkage dropping directly over the tie-bar pin on the point. The pre-terminated wire loom plugs directly into the end of the point motor, and then can be connected to the appropriate length of Point Motor Wire with Connection Boxes. As simple as that, and no soldering!
Suitable for N, HO, & OO Scales
To round out the range (for now), the GMC-PM20D Surface Mounted Digital Point Motor combines our rugged PM20 motor with our point decoder, with all the advantages listed in the GMC-PM10D description.
The GMC-CDU Capacitor Discharge Units (CDUs) store up an electrical charge, which is then released when the switch operating the point is thrown (or the decoder is told to switch). This ensures that the point is thrown cleanly and fully, as part-thrown points can cause derailments.
The SEEP range also includes a selection of handy accessories for installing and wiring your point motors (some of which have already been mentioned in this article), including triple and twin wire, connection boxes etc. You can read more about these in the article, "Point Motor Wiring Made Easy". Also, if you need any help regarding which switch to use, take a look at the "Switches and their Uses" article.
That's all for now on the SEEP range, remember that we have a dedicated technical team here at Gaugemaster, so if you ever have any questions or problems with any of our products then, please Contact Us.