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Hex Frog Juicer

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  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
  • 6,847 posts
Hex Frog Juicer
Posted by jrbernier on Monday, December 28, 2015 7:51 PM

  Our club is changing one of the ladders in our staging area.  The trackage is Atlas code 100.  We are wiring the frogs to make them 'hot'.  Since these tracks are controlled by Caboose Industries ground throws, I am investigation the use of Tam Valley 'Frog Juicers'.

  Has anyone got positive or negative feedback on this product?

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Monday, December 28, 2015 8:30 PM

I have two of them powering twelve frogs. One in a staging yard and one on the main line at a busy junction. Six are on Atlas #6s and six on Walthers Shinohara code 83, #10s — long frogs there!

I installed them when they first came out, maybe five years ago? (!) and haven't touched them since. They work behind the scenes, flawlessly.

Ed

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • 1,358 posts
Posted by SouthPenn on Monday, December 28, 2015 8:55 PM

Is the frog already powered by the points? ( I'm not familiar with Atlas switches )

South Penn
  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
  • 6,847 posts
Posted by jrbernier on Monday, December 28, 2015 9:42 PM

  Atlas Customline Mark 4 turnouts have a metal frog that is insulated(DCC Friendly).  The points do not feed the frog.

Jim

 

 

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    April 2002
  • 921 posts
Posted by dante on Monday, December 28, 2015 10:00 PM

I have 13 Frog (2 hex +1) Juicers that work perfectly.

Dante

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:09 AM

 Just watch the video of Tim Warris's CNJ Bronx Terminal layout in action, the trackwork is so complex, it is what inspired the creation of the frog juicer in the first place. creep speeds are the order of the day, and there is no hesitation as the loco crosses those complex junctions. In one of his videos he shoots the underside of the layout where you can see the lights on the frog juicers blinking away like crazy. Handles it just fine, although in a more typical yard ladder there wouldn;t be nearly that much change. Truly a torture test of the device.

                          --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 136 posts
Posted by Mark B on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:11 AM

I have over a dozen of the Hex Juicers. I have had only 1 problem and that was with one terminal on one of the Juicers not working and may have been my fault (bad wiring to the frog). I e-mailed Duncan (the owner) and he sent a replacement the same day. Top notch product, service, and reliability. They all are working and certainly make wiring a heck of a lot easier.

Mark B.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Pa.
  • 3,361 posts
Posted by DigitalGriffin on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 12:30 PM

jrbernier

  Our club is changing one of the ladders in our staging area.  The trackage is Atlas code 100.  We are wiring the frogs to make them 'hot'.  Since these tracks are controlled by Caboose Industries ground throws, I am investigation the use of Tam Valley 'Frog Juicers'.

  Has anyone got positive or negative feedback on this product?

Jim

 

 

It must be a nice club to be able to afford those.  I have no personal experience.  But since you are using caboose ground throws you could consider these are as alternative...

http://www.cabooseind.com/#!product/prd1/3534712761/119r-rigid-w-contacts%2C-.165%22-travel-for-ho-and-n

I used these on our club layout's frogs with zero issues once they were installed.

Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions

Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!

  • Member since
    March 2011
  • 156 posts
Posted by owen w in california on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 1:53 PM

Jim: Frog juicers are fantastic! I have over 56 hand thrown N scale Peco turnouts and all but a handful use of them have juicers. They work flawlessly and are easy to install. Can't go wrong with them. Joel 

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