Ballasting points with point motors underneath

[Nokonium]

I have been looking for information about ballasting and have found quite a bit about ballasting in general and some about ballasting points but I cannot find anything specific for ballasting points with point motors mounted under the baseboard and a hole through for the throw bar. Common sense tells me that ballast and ballasting adhesives don't mix with points or point motors and the job needs to be done very carefully.

I am extremely reluctant to remove the throw bar, plug the hole, ballast the point, remove the plug and refit the throw bar on some of my points because I now have no access to some of the motors I have already installed, though I can do something like this where the motor hasn't been installed yet.

Thoughts please.

Thank you.

Gauge - OO, track - Peco 100, points Peco electro-frog and point motors - Cobalt IP Digital.

[Walkingthedog]

Don’t ballast around the tie bar.

[Ron S]

Paint full strength PVA around the area, pour on ballast & press down, 24 hours later, vacuum up the spare ballast to be reused.
Of course one slides some paper under the tiebar area first to cover the big hole.

[Brian]

Exactly as WTD has said. No ballast or glue in the sleeper bed where the moving stretcher bar is located.
I always ballast, trim ballast as needed, then and very sparingly apply a glue mix around the point trying to miss the stretcher bar area, and then around every hour for the next four or five hours move the points over and back a couple of times by hand, I find that although this is tedious it does prevent any spill of PVA from bonding the moving parts.

[teedoubleudee]

There's no problem in ballasting the whole point area so long as you excercise the point regularly while the pva is drying. Previously I have used the program function of Hornby Railmaster to change points every five or so minutes, worked for me.

[Nokonium]

I had already come to the conclusion that, for a variety of reasons, it was best to paint on pva in the point area and generally use a dropper instead of a spray overall. I understand the need to make sure that the point still operates properly but (Brian) I will make sure that I start in the morning so that I can see it through.

Elsewhere I have a smilie that doffs it’s hat as a thank you.

Doffs hat