I am a newcomer to DCC and layout wiring in general. My layout is a fairly simple 9 x 10 around the walls arrangement. I am using Peco ElectroFrog turnouts. There are places (such as an industrial area and two passing sidings) where turnouts are face-to-face forming a runaround type track. My question is how to properly wire the track in this area and specifically the track that joins the facing turnouts. I suspect I'm not fully understanding of the polarities involved, have not had success and, lacking experience, am frustrated. I would appreciate any help (here or off forum email) as I'm a bit (a lot!) stuck without any progress made. Thanks
I believe that you must have gaps, immediately at the end of the turnout diverging routes, to prevent any shorts when you line for that siding. So, instead of using joiners to get both turnouts fixed to that siding track, simply glue them into alignment, but leave 1/16" gap between them. Or, use a track nail at the centre of the end ties to keep them aligned if you prefer.
If you elect to leave both turnouts gapped, then you'd have to feed the track between them with separate feedes...which is what I resorted to doing.
When wiring for a hot frog turnout there is no difference in DCC and DC. There should have been a direction sheet included with the electrofrog Peco turnouts that show where to place the gaps and feeders.
A passing siding can be done with just two gaps (one gap in each rail between the two frogs), but that could cause some operational issues.
Generally one would put a gap in each of the rails coming out of the frog on each turnout. Total of 4 gaps. This would be just past the fouling point (the point where trains on the diverging tracks would hit each other). The primary track feeders would be placed on the point end of each turnout (duh - I know they are probably already there but thought I should say it anyway). Supplimental feeders would be required on each of the two sections now separated from the rest of the layout by the gaps above. Looking down from the top the passing siding will be two parallel tracks. The two inside rails will be isolated and dead (the left rail of the right hand track and the right rail of the left hand track. So simply hook a feeder to each of the dead rails from the power as if the turnout was not there. That is the left hand rail of the right hand track should get power from the same supply as the left hand rail before the turnout. I know a picture would help but I don't have one, nor can I find one on-line. Don't confuse yourself by making it complicated, it isn't. Left rail to left power supply, right rail to right power supply.
Once again this has NOTHING to do with DCC.
I recently had a problem with a short created by a turnout that wasn't moving properly. It looked like it was aligned properly but the switch machine was aligned opposite the turnout which reversed the polarity of the frog and caused everything to die when a loco got up over it..
Because I had not been using that particular turnout and the short only occured when a loco bridged it I didnt detect the problem for a while. I just bring it up to illustrate the kind of thing that can go unexpectedly wrong.
Chris