My new layout has a crossover (not a diamond crossing) and I am usinf Peco insulfrog turnouts for this purpose. I will power all four "input" tracks but I don't know for sure if that will cause a short if only one of the turnouts is thrown. I never has a crossover in a two track main before so this is new also.
At this point I think I will need no rail gaps. Will I? Will I need to install feeders on the (connected) divergung tracks?
73
Bruce in the Peg
Bruce:
Why not be safe and install plastic rail joiners where the divering tracks meet. This way if the polarity is wrong nothing will happen until the engine reaches that point, and nothing bad can happen.
Dave
They are power-routing, Bruce, so they must both be thrown at the same time to have an item of rolling stock cross them if it has metal/power-picking tire surfaces. For plastic tires, it won't matter. When nothing is crossing over, you can leave them thrown as you like....BUT...this all means you should/must gap them where they meet midway through the crossover.
This topic comes up quite frequently and quite often incorrect advice is given.
Peco Insulfrogs do not need gaps.
Bill
Blind Bruce My new layout has a crossover (not a diamond crossing) and I am usinf Peco insulfrog turnouts for this purpose. I will power all four "input" tracks but I don't know for sure if that will cause a short if only one of the turnouts is thrown. I never has a crossover in a two track main before so this is new also. At this point I think I will need no rail gaps. Will I? Will I need to install feeders on the (connected) divergung tracks?
Bruce, what you are proposing to do will work just fine.
You do not need to gap any part of the either turnout because all of the gapping required for a Peco Insulfrog is already done at the factory.
By placing feeder wires at the ends of each straight through route (four sets of feeder wires), you will completely power the crossover as long as you connect the divergent routes with metal rail joiners.
If you throw one turnout to the divergent route, no short will occur. Of course, if you run a loco through the crossover without throwing the divergent route of the other crossover, a derailment could occur, but no short.
Peco Insulfrogs are fully gapped, and these turnouts are power routing. However, as long as you add metal rail joiners to connect the two turnouts, power will flow through the divergent route. The metal rail joiners connecting the turnouts do not need feeder wires, just make sure that the connection is tight.
One of the replies mentioned that there is a lot of misinformation about the use of Peco Insulfrogs and indeed there is. If you want your eyes to glaze over, check out this thread:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/225955.aspx?page=2#2524219
Peco Insulfrogs are power routing, but that does not cause shorts. Now, if you were using Peco Electrofrogs to form the crossover, you would need to add gaps to prevent shorts.
Rich
Alton Junction
selector They are power-routing, Bruce, so they must both be thrown at the same time to have an item of rolling stock cross them if it has metal/power-picking tire surfaces. For plastic tires, it won't matter. When nothing is crossing over, you can leave them thrown as you like....BUT...this all means you should/must gap them where they meet midway through the crossover.
Crandell, you are correct about Peco Insulfrogs being power routing turnouts, but they need not be thrown at the same time to prevent a loss of power or a short. If you only throw one turnout to the divergent route, power will flow through the metal rail joiners connecting the two turnouts where the divergent routes meet at the center of the crossover. Since the frogs on an Insulfrog are not live, there is no risk of a short.
No gaps, whatsoever, are required when using Peco Insulfrogs to create a crossover. I speak from experience, since I have recently done it on my layout.
The one time that gapping would be required would be in an instance where the crossover creates a reversing section. However, in an instance such as Bruce is proposing with a crossover connecting within a double mainline, no gaps, no shorts.
Bruce,
I left you a message about your static problem on the " 10kv. to rails " thread.
Kay.Div.
Fellas, quite right. The insulated frogs make gaps needless. Bruce, sorry, I am the one with the senior moment.
-Crandell