Wiring a Tortoise Turnout Motor for Electrical OperatioWiring a Tortoise Turnout Motor for Electrical Operationn
How to wire a Tortoise slow-motion turnout motor for electrical operation — wiring diagrams, switch connections, and installation tips.
Track Side Times
Practical model railway electrics, DCC and layout know-how, plus a few yarns from the golden age of steam. Written by Bill Pickering, a retired electrical engineer.
CDU for Peco or Seep Style Solenoids
Build a capacitor discharge unit for Peco or Seep solenoid point motors — reliable turnout switching with a simple, low-cost circuit.
A Day at the Western Australia Railway Museum - Medley's Big Debut
A visit to the Western Australia Railway Museum in Bassendean — exploring heritage locomotives, rolling stock displays, and the museum's railway history.
Class 38 by ARM Modifications
Further modifications to the ARM HO Class 38 model — additional detailing, performance tweaks, and running improvements.
Railway Lighting - LEDs for Model Railways
A comprehensive guide to using LEDs in model railways, covering resistor selection, coach lighting circuits, and practical tips for replacing old grain-of-wheat bulbs.
Bachmann Class 40 - Solving the Pickup Problems
Bill diagnoses and fixes the notorious judder and stutter problems on the Bachmann Class 40 locomotive, tracing the issue to unreliable metal-to-metal wiper contacts and fitting a proper wired solution plus a stay alive capacitor.
Locomotive Decoders - A Beginner's Guide to DCC
Bill shares his journey into DCC decoders, from discovering his first one inside a second-hand Bachmann loco to comparing brands like DCCconcepts, ESU, Hornby and Bachmann.
Overload Protection DC and DCC - Is Yours Working?
Bill explores the critical importance of overload protection for DC and DCC model railway controllers, from old-fashioned lamp methods to modern PTC polyfuses.
Morley Controller Repairs
Repairing a vintage Morley model railway controller — diagnosing faults, replacing components, and restoring this classic DC controller to working order.
Servo Movement Module
A look at the Kitronik servo movement module — an affordable, easy-to-use board for controlling turnout servos on your model railway layout.