Are gaps needed between two DCC-friendly turnouts facing each other?

[richhotrain]

The purpose of rail gaps is to isolate a section of track.

The purpose of isolating a section of track is to deal with reverse polarity, create a power district, or for occupancy detection.

Power routing turnouts don't require gaps unless the frog is live.  For example, Peco Insulfrogs don't need any additional gaps unless they form part of a reversing section, power district, or occupancy detection.

Turnouts that require gaps do so because the frog is live, not because the turnout is power routing.

Rich

[peahrens]

I have about 20 Walthers-Shinohara code 83 (2012 purchases) and installed them in various arrangements without need for gapping.  Only exceptions were gaps added (I chose to do so near the turnouts) on two reversing loops.

If you have the turnouts in hand and turn them over you can see how the electrical side is arranged.  The frog is isolated to itself (unpowered unless you add a switched feeder) and the other rails have jumpers you can see underneath. 

If your getting ready to install, suggest first check the continuity of the rails for each jumpered rail set so you know there is not a faulty jumper (I had one).  And of course decide whether you want to power the frogs (not hard, especially if during initial installation and using Tortoises). 

Update: here's some more depth on the W-S turnouts from a handy DCC site:

http://www.webring.org/l/rd?ring=modelrailroadele;id=8;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewiringfordcc%2Ecom%2Fswitches_walthers%2Ehtm

[rrinker]

 If they are always live, not power routing, then you should not need any extra gaps. Such turnouts cna be powered even from the frog side. The only turnouts that need gaps on the frog side are ones where the two middle rails (fromt he frog) change polarity depending on the position of the points, because in one position, both of those rails have the polarity of the north rail, and in the othe rpoint position, they both have the polarity of the south rail. If two of these face each other, and are not both thrown at the same time, you will have a short unless there are gaps added.

               --Randy

[mobilman44]

I don't see the need for the gaps, unless you are isolating a reverse loop or using it as a division point for a power district.

[mbowline]

I've traced out rail polarity for DCC-friendly turnouts (Walthers HO) installed facing each other for all combinations of points alignment and I do not see that gaps are needed between the two turnouts as they are with power-routing turnouts.

Can anyone agree or disagree? Eliminating gaps would be nice to do.