Hi all. Today I got my first order of PECO E C55 turnouts and am in a puzzlement as too insulators. My torn down layout had C70 Shinohara's and I power routed all of them. On the PECO's some say insulate only the frog rails and others say all four rails at the frog end. I am going to power route these if I have to or maybe a juicer but what is the reliable way to install the frog insulation on a PECO Electrofrog C55 turnout and do I need to cut the wires under the turnout when power routing as some suggest. Shinnohara turnouts were different in this respect . Yes I am switching to DCC. Appreciate all suggestions. Doug
I have installed some on the club's layout and haven't modified a single one.They were installed as per Peco's instructions with insulating joiners at the frog end of the turnout.They've been in place for over five years now and none has ever caused a problem.
The key is to understand if they are the Insulfrog type(plastic frog), or the 'Electrofrog'(metal frog). The Electrofrog turnout will need insulation on the frog end.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Hi Doug,
Ditto to the above with a couple of add-ons. Insul-fishplates are only required frogs facing each other IE on loops or at crossovers as per instructions.
I would fit Peco Point Motors and the 3 contact add on switch to back feed with the single cotact soldered to the frog and the 2 cotacts soldered to the blade end fishplates. The blade contact is so small anything caught inbetween can cause an arc that has melted the plastic base moulding when just fead through the blades, missed when I was running DC.
As long as scale late model wheels are used I've not had any shorting, some real old stuff did cause problems.
be in touch.
pick.