Peco Unifrog

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

Looking at the pictures above, I don't understand this change.

I can understand PECO wanting to have only one product rather than two, but this design seems unnecessarily complex and full of potential problems.

A simple, completely one piece metal, isolated frog that can be wired, like nearly everyone else (at least in the North American market) has gone to, seems so much better.

As for appearance, I guess era modeled, type of trackage, etc, plays into what looks best. 

But for example, with some cosmetic work, the Atlas Custom Line frog looks very much like modern cast frogs, even if it is a little bulky in actual size.

Sheldon

[SeeYou190]

riogrande5761

I'm sensing a disturbance in the force!

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Welcome to the darkside.

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-Kevin

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[riogrande5761]

wcu boy

Does anyone know when Peco will complete its full line of Unifrog turnouts and make them available to the public?

My understanding is as the tooling wears out, they will be shanging over slowly from a dual line (insulfrog and electrofrog) to single line of unifrog. I've seen no timeline and it my depend on how long the tooling lasts.

One of my concerns is the frog on the unifrog looks almost the same as the insulfrog, which has reported shorting problems where the metal wheel may bridge rails of opposite polarity.

Here is the Peco insulfrog area that may short with some wider metal tread wheels:

Now here is the unifrog - the plastic part has been replaced with metal but beware, the part that shorts on the insulfrog looks exactly the same on the insulfrog.  I'm sensing a disturbance in the force!

That shorting issue can be mitigated by painting the part that shorts the nail polish, at least until it wears off.  The same trick my be necessary on the unifrog by the looks of things.

Personally, I'm stockpiling electrofrog Pecos so if/when Peco does discontinue, I'll have what I need.

I've read on British train forums some are upset about this apparent changeover as they much prefer electrofrog.  They look more realistic, no shorting issue with that gap and live frog.

[richhotrain]

wcu boy

Does anyone know when Peco will complete its full line of Unifrog turnouts and make them available to the public? 

I do not know the answer to your question, but you should email Peco with your question. I can tell you from personal experience that Peco is very good at answering modeler's questions. Here is their email address:

[e-mail]

I have several of the Peco Unifrog Double Slip turnouts, and they are superb.

Rich

[wcu boy]

Does anyone know when Peco will complete its full line of Unifrog turnouts and make them available to the public?