PECO SWITCHES

[Anonymous]

NEED SOME HELP . I AM IN THE PROSSES OF INSTALLING PECO SWITCHES .tHE PROBLEM I AM HAVEING IS THAT THE LOCO STOPPS AS IT STALLS OUT AT THE SWITCH WHAT AM I DOING RONG NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH MY ATLAS SWITCHES ' HOPE SOME ONE CAN HELP ME THANKS FOR YOUR READING THIS
[e-mail]

[Jacktal]

There are a few things you don't say here...first,are you replacing old turnouts by newer ones at places where the older ones worked fine or is it a new trackwork altogether?If so,is your problem a lack of power or short-circuits?Do you have Insulfrog or Electrofrog Peco turnouts?Both types are good turnouts but require different installations?Have you installed any insulated joiners and if so,where?Peco turnouts usually come with detailed installation instructions,did you follow them to the letter,nothing less,nothing more?Does your loco have good electrical pick-up on both trucks?Locos with poor electrical contacts will stall at turnouts,even more so on Insulfrog type TO's.There are a few answers you'll have to find by yourself if you'd like members of this forum to help you.

[Anonymous]

i am doing new track work. i am useing insulated frog I have not installed any insulated
joiners . as i have stopped here thanks for your advice

[Jacktal]

Insulfrog TO's are just fine and should give you satisfying results.As their name says,their frogs aren't powered meaning that there's a short length of the TO trackage that is dead.However this shouldn't be a problem for nearly most locos except very short ones (switcher,0-6-0 steamers,etc) or locos which have defective (or dirty) wheels or contact points.

It is also possible that one of your joiners isn't making good contact so that your whole turnout isn't properly powered.Running a conductivity test with either a voltmeter or a test lamp will reveal any such flaw.If this test is all OK,then you possibly have a problem with the loco itself,which is not rare,specially if it has been sitting for a while.A good clean/lube job may be required then.I'd suggest you try another loco if you have any.

[BR60103]

Ae you using Peco rail joiners or leftover Atlas ones? Peco joiners are a bit tighter on the rail base. Atlas may need to be tightened a bit to make contact.

[Anonymous]

thanks for your answer i am useimg new atlas joiners. again thanks ill follow your advice,
BUT DO I HAVE TO INSULATE ONE OF THE RAILS? AND DOES IT MATTER IF ITS THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE RAIL.
fuzzypa