To help in need for clarification, please refer to Layout #56 - Dayton and Northern in 101 Track Plans by Linn H. Wescott.
Disregard round house/turn table comlpex.
I will be using Peco HO code 100 electrofrogs to make the 4 crossovers between the 2 main lines around the layout, SL-E88's and SL-89's. The remaining switch areas will be the new Walthers HO code 100 Electrofrogs. Walther switch machines will be used to power all the frogs. After trying to to determine the installation for all switches and there has been so much info in the forums, that I am confused.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of power routing for ease of installing such as required wiring, where to gap if required and where to gap?
Want to eliminate soldering except for frogs using the attached wire on the turnout.
If the frogs are powered, you need to gap the rails at the diverging end and have a means of switching the polarity of the frog depending on which route is selected. That is because the frog connects with the left rail of one route and the right rail of the other route which creates a polarity conflict. I've always gapped all four rails at the diverging end of a powered frog turnout but I think you really only need to gap the rails that diverge from the frog.
The Tortoise switch machine can handle the polarity change to the frog as well as throwing the points to the desired route. Peco makes a mechanical switch that attaches to the bottom of their switch machine to change the polarity. I am unfamiliar with the Walthers switch machine but if they are designed to work with a powered frog, I would bet they have a means of changing the polarity of the frog.