If you can use Insulfrog switches I would try to do so. Electrofrog switches have a problem when the back of wheels on long steamers or six axle diesels touch the open point when the equipment moves through the curved portion of the turnout. Both points have the same polarity as the point that is in contact with the stockrail. When the back of the wheel touches the open poiint it causes a short. I am in the process of modifying some Shinohara electro frog double crossovers because of this situation. It requires insulating both points from each other and cutting some gaps in the rails.
retsignalmtr has a point regarding the possible shorts, but the code 83 points come wired with the optioin to make them 'dcc friendly'. this basically electrically bonds the switch rail with the running rail and totally isolates the frog. the only down side is that the frog HAS to be fed from a switch that changes with the switch rails. this is more easilly done using a point motor, but wire in tube type control with a slide switch actuator would also suffice. use one lot of poles for the frog, and the other lot of poles to light up a mimic panel. as you are DCC the rails after the frog will be fed from the bus.
Hi from Belgium,
I use Peco electrofrog turnouts in Nscale in code 55. They use the same electrical design like their HO sisters.
I completely isolate the frog like a friendly DCC turnouts of Micro engenering or Fastrack homemade turnouts (the one I use now) and second I solder very thin wire between the two rail which form the closure rail at the joiner.
To isolate the frog Icut gap in the two diverging rail of the frog and two gap just before the frog including the closure rail. I use the method of Fastrack using a jeweler saw, you put the blade between the ties and you cut down the rails; for more info look at this link www.handlaidtrack.com and click on the Trackwork building guides to see how they do it.
The frog is powered by a microswitch activated by the switchmotor (for me) or by the device which trow the turnout.
For most of the electrical problems of wiring turnouts and other pieces of track, take a look at www.wiringfordcc.com
Good luck.
Marc
I use the meth
Allow me to echo what the two posters above have said.
The design of the Electrofrogs was changed from the original HO code 100 to the code 75 and code 83 to ensure shorting problems at the frog or open points would not occur. But it requires that you power your frogs by switchmotor auxiliary contacts, or in your case, probably slide switchs that also operate the cables. Before installation, you just cut one set of jumpers on the bottom of the switch, add a different set of jumpers, and add a frog wire. The addition of the second set is not explained in the instructions, but you will see that there are gaps in the roadbed where they should placed from the bottom side. The job only takes a few minutes.
I have been using 35 code 75's for about six years now, and have had zero problems with engines either shorting out or stalling at low speeds. I use DCC with PSX circuitbreakers that have Sonalert alarms on them, and have never once heard a beep from engines that cover the range of 0-6-0 to 2-8-8-8-2, brass with limited feeds thru plastic with all-wheel feeds. Also no problems with six-wheel truck passenger cars that have metal wheels and sideframes.
Hal