peco electrofrog

[bnsf0823]

I have a peco electrofrog turnout and cannot figure out how to wire this to make it work.  I heard today from someone that they will not work in dcc.  is this true?  If anyone has a diagram or detailed explanation on how to wire this if it is possible please help!!!  Thanks Fello railraoder

[simon1966]

Everything you need is at this link

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm

[tomikawaTT]

Peco electrofrog turnouts, or any other turnout with a hot frog, WILL work for DCC - just as long as the train doesn't enter the turnout from the frog end with the points set for the opposite route.  Since doing so will almost always result in derailment , avoiding this situation becomes the engineer's responsibility.  Failure to avoid results in a short circuit and system shutdown, but will not result in derailment.  However, clearing the short requires the locomotive to be moved by the Great Hand of God.

So-called 'DCC friendly' turnouts will allow a train to enter from the route not selected.  Thus the train will derail.  This may or may not result in a short which will shut down the system, but will still require the intervention of the Great Hand of God and is more likely to involve damage to the locomotive - especially if the derailment leads to a suicide plunge to the layout room floor.

In light of the latter, I don't know how friendly insulated frog turnouts really are, but my inclination is to answer, "Not very..."

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with all hot frogs)

[hdtvnut]

Peco Electrofrog code 100's were previously not DCC friendly in that the gaps being right at the frog allowed wheel shorts to occur.  Peco code 75 and 83's are new designs and work reliably with DCC.  And recently, the code 100 large and medium radius were re-designed the same way.  The code 100 small radius and curved re-designs should be out soon.

Hal

 

[Motley]

I just recently went through the same issue. I purchased the electrofrogs instead of the insulfrogs. But you can use them no problem, you just have to cut gaps in them.

See this pic here, cut the gaps or use insulated rail joiners.

[Texas Zepher]

bnsf0823

I have a peco electrofrog turnout and cannot figure out how to wire this to make it work.  I heard today from someone that they will not work in dcc.  is this true?

No, I don't understand where incorrect information like that comes from.

If anyone has a diagram or detailed explanation on how to wire this

The wiring is no different in DCC than it is with DC.    As the previous post shows, just put an insulated rail joiner on each of the rails coming from the frog. 

If the track coming from the turnout is a dead end it will obviously need a feeder past the insulated rail joiner.

If there are two turnouts facing each other there will obviously have to be a feeder wire on each of those two rails as they would be insulated on both ends.