Gapping the frog rails on an Insulfrog/Unifrog will do nothing - they already have bond wires from the stock to the point/closure rail (which on Unifrog is all rail - no silly hinges any more!) and from the point rail side of the frog to the exit side of the frog.
My little bit of testing seems to indicate issues are much exaggerated. Usually oversize/non-RP25 wheels. Not going to be an issue for me, I have no old equipment pre-RP-25 that I run, and any rolling stock has had wheels replaced if they didn't already come with good metal wheels. I have to get my caliper to get a truly accurate measurement, but what I got with other means has the gap wider than the median target for RP-25 tread width. So I don't know how any RP-25 wheel can possibly short, unless the two rails aren't sitting flush to one another int he turnout when it's built. Not having an actual Insulfrog to compare with, I can;t say what the gap was in those.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerMy little bit of testing seems to indicate issues are much exaggerated.
That's my feeling as well. Some fear spreading going on without a lot of context to frame it.
All of my equipment was built after probably 2005.
- Douglas
Lastspikemike Unifrog are power routing. They use an Insulfrog isolated frog but with a power connection. Technically, they are electrically similar to Atlas Code 83 Customline or Superswitches. Quality control manufacturing for Peco is very high, justifying the price. Atlas and ME can't touch Peco for quality out of the package.
Unifrog are power routing. They use an Insulfrog isolated frog but with a power connection.
Technically, they are electrically similar to Atlas Code 83 Customline or Superswitches.
Quality control manufacturing for Peco is very high, justifying the price. Atlas and ME can't touch Peco for quality out of the package.
The Unifrogs are most definitely NOT power routing. There are jumpers from the stock to point/closure rails preinstalled, as well as jumpers under the frog from the closure rail to the diverging rail. I have a little test track set up on my workbench which is a piece of flex track, a right hand Unifrog, and then a piece of flex track on each diverging leg. Power is applied at the far end of the piece of flex track connected to the point end. Regardless of point position, locos on both diverging route have power. Unifrog is wired through exactly like an Atlas turnout.
The Electrofrog I previously had there is indeed power routing. Flip the points to the straight route and the dead route lost power, and vice-versa.
Peco'a latest run of Unifrogs are modified to solve the problem. I have a bunch of first gen #6 unifrogs and most have evidence of arcing on the coverging frog rails Just before the tip. If all your wheels aren't tapered it will happen. The latest Unifrog has additional cuts about 1/4 inch higher up the frog rails. They didn't change their tooling though, so the frog looks the same but with extra gaps cut. It will definitely solve the issue and allow people to run old brass and cars reliably but the frog has funny look to it compared to the electroftog, which in my opinion sets the standard for frog aesthetics.