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Wiring for DC and DCC?
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<p>How do you wire a turnout? </p><p>I was amazed by how COMPLICATED such a simple thing as a turnout was. The main reason is there are so many different kinds of turnouts and options. </p><p>The simplist is an Atlas turnout that has all legs hot at all times (aka NON power routing), just wire it up like a piece of track and you are done. All three legs will be hot all the time. </p><p>But you also have other options. They include issues such as insulated frogs, metal frogs, plastic frogs, power routing, non-power routing, insulated powered frogs, non-insulated powered frogs, jumpers on the bottom of the switch and no jumpers on the bottom, sprung points, non-sprung points, points with jumper wires, turnouts with manual throws, turnouts without manual throws, turnouts with electric throws, turnouts without electric throws, throws with switches to power the frogs, throws without switches to power the frogs, and some I have forgotten. And many combinations a permutations of the above options. Whew!</p><p>NO WONDER PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED!</p><p>Fortunately you don't have to understand ALL the above. Keep life simple. If you can stand the Atlas non-prototypical throws use Atlas snap turnouts either manual or electric.</p><p>If you can't stand the Atlas non-prototypical throws use Peco Insulfrogs.</p><p>If you absolutely must have low speed steam NOT stalling on your turnouts, bite the bullet and use Peco Electrofrogs (or some other version of metal frog turnout) and learn how to wire them up and cut the gaps. </p><p>The big advantage of Peco is they are manual throw ready right out of the box, no need to add a manual throw. But Pecos will require a power connecton at just about every turnout, and the Electrofrogs require cutting gaps.</p><p>I also noticed some Micro Engineering turnouts that have powered metal INSULATED frogs which is how I think a turnout SHOULD be work. It didn't have the sprung points though....</p>
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