Turnouts in DCC

[zg27]

Hi to all

1.  To avoid short circuits in a DCC layout PECO recommends to use insulating joinesrs

      on turmouts whether they are insulfrog or electrofrog and crossings.

      Is this procedure  good for Atlas turnouts also ?

2.  Is the Atlas under table switch machine working weel

 

Zeev

[jbinkley60]

I've never had to use them with Atlas turnouts.  Atlas turnouts have insulated frogs to avoid this.  I've got close to 50 Atlas turnouts that I have just installed with no modifications.  I believe you can get Peco turnouts with insulated frogs also.

 

[zg27]

Peco is suggesting this method for both insulated and electro frogs.

I asked this  question because I'm geting a short circuit on one of Fleischmsnn insulated frog tournout

with one DMU train so I thought that this can be a  solution to my problem.

Zeev

[locoi1sa]

 I have Peco Insulfrog turnouts on all my modules and have no shorting problems. There are no insulated joiners on them. The only insulated joiners are between the districts.

   Pete

[retsignalmtr]

I use both Atlas and Peco insulfrog switches. No insulated joiners are required unless you are creating a block. I have a shorting problem that didn't effect my layout until I switched to DCC. The point on the frog where the two rails of opposite polarity come together are too close and wheels bridge those rails and cause a short. A little dab of nail polish now and then at those spots has eliminated the short and doesn't effect operations at all.

[Phoebe Vet]

I have all Atlas turnouts and none of them short anything on my DCC layout.

[zg27]

How can I add to this a PDF file to show you the PECO instructions

[jrcBoze]

zg:

The replies here have been isolated experiences and opinions, which may or may not relate to your setup.

If you want to actually understand what is going on with different kinds of turnouts in DCC, check out this website:

 www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm

It does need a short bit of study, but will help you make informed decisions and not rely on opinions.

Dick Chaffer

[rrinker]

 The difference here being that int he Peco Insulfrog turnout, the insulated section is rather small. Out of gauge or out of spec (too wide tread) wheels can short as they roll over the insulator. The benefit is that the insulated section is so short you probably don't ever need to power it. On at Atlas turnout, the entire frog is insulated, so there's no chance of a wheel spanning the entire insulated area and cuasing a short, the downside is short wheelbase locos will probably require that the frog be powered to prevent stalling. Less of a problem with 8+ wheel pickup, but back in the bad old days when most diesels picked up power from 2 wheel on one truck and 2 on the other, even they could stall at slow speeds.

 I happen to use Atlas, on th Custom-Line turnouts there's already a hole for connecting a wire to power the frog, however the type of metal used for the frog makes it practically impossible to solder to. I use 1-72 brass screws, without bothering to tap the hole. I screw them in flush to the top of the hole (from the bottom, screwing up) and solder a wire to the screw. Once the turnout is located, I drill a hole just liek any other feeder wire hole at the location of the screw and wire, and feed it down as I place the turnout in position.

                                       --Randy