Hello, I need some help with this issue. I'm kinda new to DCC. Anyways, I'm in the process of laying track. However, I want create a crossing from my outer loop to the inner loop using two left Peco Insulfrog Turnouts.
My question is, do I need to put any plastic (insulated joiners), or any other special considerations. I think that I don't need to do anything, but your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Pablo
YES, you need insulated rail joiners between the two turnouts. Just because they're "insulfrog" doesn't mean they cannot cause a short when one is thrown to the "crossover" position and the other isn't. Insulating both rails in the middle of the crossover will prevent shorts.
You must also insure that both main lines are wired "in phase" or your locomotives will stall when crossing from one track to the other.
Pablo,
I have a double main line oval using a total of 4 Peco insulfrog turnouts for crossovers, two on the back side of the layout and two on the fronf.
The outside and inside railsof both ovals have the same polarity. If you have the same polarity you will not need to use insulated joiners. BUT KEEP in mind that ovals are different than loops. Trace the polarity of your rails by running your finger along the top of the rail until you get to a crossover to the other track and it should meet the joining rail with the same polarity. If it doesn't then you have a loop
In that case you will need to isolate both ends of the loop and get an auto reverser (PSAR) from Tony Train Exchange for the train to automatically change the polarity.
Also if you have to isolate use a small gap in the rails. This works better than plastic joiners.
Happy Railroading
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
no insulation required on dead frog points on a crossover, maybe a diagram from the first reply poster to explain where the short comes from in his oppinion? i think he got insul and electro muddled up
No insulated joiners are needed if you are using insulfrogs.
If it were my layout. I'd install them anyway. That would let me isolate the loops from each other for troubleshooting and to run a train on each loop.
Martin Myers
If both the inner "loop" and the outer "loop" are both wired in phase, then there is no reason to insulate the rails between the two left hand turnouts which form a crossover. Even if the two turnouts are not controlled by the same switch, throwing one turnout and not the other will not cause a short although it certainly will cause a derailment. So, the two turnouts should be controlled by a single switch but they need not be insulated from one another.
Rich
Alton Junction
No insulated rail joiners are needed. I too have crossovers with the insulfrog turnouts and they work just fine. Also, our historical society layout has insulfrog crossovers that operate without insulated joiners with no problems. That is one of the positives of the insulfrog turnouts. Yes, you can use insulated joiners if you want, but not needed in your situation. PW