I have several peco curved turnouts - insulfrog - they worked fine when they were installed less than a year ago. Power went to the direction that the turnout was set for. Now after a few months of not running trains very often and working more on scenery - four of them do not seem to have power to the branch when the frog has been turned that way. Today I found on that was not working so I took out the plastic fishplates beyound the turnout so that the power could flow from that direction. And that worked - but about 15 minutes later the power started flowing through the peco switch like it should have been. And then I had to put the plastic fish plates back in. It is a crossover between the two main lines.
Perhaps you got glue/paint/scenic material on the are where it makes electrical contact for the power routing, around the points? And maybe just operating the points a few times cleaned it up enough to start working again.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Before I install any Peco insulfrog turnout, I always solder jumper wires to the bottom. This bypasses their "power routing" feature, but avoids power loss problems later on such as you're experiencing.
Older Peco turnouts had a very small tab that slipped under the stock rail to make electrical contact when the points were thrown. This tab frequently became corroded or bent and no longer made contact, or became intermittent.
Newer Peco turnouts have a blackened wire on the top on which the point rail slides to make contact. This may be more reliable, but is still subject to intermittent contact problems.
If you examine the bottom of the turnout before it is installed, you will notice a notch in the crossties between the stock and point rails. This is where I solder a short, bare jumper wire and have had no further contact problems.
WVWoodman,
Your switch points were just probably dirty and not making good contact to the stock rail. Just clean with 91% Alcohol every so often. There is a better fix explained on this site, if you want to go that route:
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm
Take Care!
Frank
Peco switches, Insulfrog and electrofrog depend on the points making good contact with the stock rails. This contact is how the track power is sent through to the proper route on insulfrogs and the frog on electrofrogs. The pivot point of the point rails is also a part that can get dirty and cause contact troubles. That's why jumper wires were suggested earlier.
If you are not using the power routing feature you can power your rails from both sides of the insul frog turnouts without insulating the rails. This cannot be done with the electro frog turnouts.
Hope this helps,
Mark
Apparently, the OP has left the room.
Rich
Alton Junction
I wish I had read your post a while ago! I am installing the Insulfrog turnouts on my new N scale layout and they are simplyfing my wiring a DC layout with multi train block control (I can't help it I like flipping switches!) for passing sidings, setout tracks, and spurs, but I am scratching my head about crossovers. (The layout is a folded dogbone with double and single main line).
I might be making this harder than it is but, as I have already installed many crossovers my proposed solution is to put power feeds (same block) on both sides of the turnout to eliminate the power routing issue. Your fix seems simpler.
I installed the turnouts with the ability to take them out (with a little work) but I would prefer not to risk it. Will my solution accomplish the same thing as yours?
I didn't notice if you are using N or HO turnouts and if there is a design difference between the two?
Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated!
Tim
Putting power feeds on all three ends of a Peco Insulfrog is the surest way to keep trains running smoothly.