Frog juicer question

[Blind Bruce]

If a frog is isolated AND wired to a tortoise set of contacts, what is the need for a frog juicer?

 Suppose the turnout frog was NOT wired to external contacts, the frog juicer still wouldn't power the frog.

[MisterBeasley]

If you have Tortoise contacts to power a frog, then you're right, the Frog Juicer is unnecessary.  But, it can be useful if you are using a simple ground throw instead of a Tortoise.

A Frog Juicer is like a mini auto-reverser.  It selects the right polarity for the frog based on the polarity of any wheel which bridges the gap between the rail and the frog.

[fisker76]

Hi Bruce

a. 1st scenario you will not. The tort can switch the polarity by wiring  frog lead to contacts 4 & 5.

b. I am unsure of the meaning of your second statement/question

[rrinker]

 It's use one or the other, not both together.

Switch motor contacts can power a frog. Works, although unless the frog is actually completely isolated, like an Atlas, or a hand made Fast Tracks one if the gaps are cut per the instruction, it IS possible for the frog to get power some other way, like the point rail, before the Tortoise contacts switch - part of the reason for some of the turnout modifications suggested on Allan gartner's site.

The Frog Jucider can power the frog. There are two input wires, one to each bus wire, and then one wire to the frog. The Juicer works like the contacts, but is an electronic switch and changes connection when it senses a short on the frog.

Use one or the other, never both. It would make sense to use both.

For simple sidings - it's pretty easy to figure out how the contacts need to be wired so the frog has the correct polarity. On more complicated puzzle switches, or something without points to move, like a crossing, the Frog Juicer makes life easy. The original idea seems to have come from Tim Warris's CNJ Bronx Terminal layout, if you've seen some of the trackwork there (all hand built!), you can see how trying to arange switch motor contacts to get the frogs right would be a virtual nightmare. There might even be conflicts. The Frog Juicer avoids those complications.

                      --Randy