Hi there,
i wonder if any of you could help a newbie (pensioner) with a problem I am failing to understand? After reading this forum and watching "you tube "I have carried out the suggested modifications to the peco code 55 points I.e.bond the rails,cut the frog,rewire frog vee for polarity changing. then come to the bit that has me baffled? Why do I still need to put insulated joiner on the middle two rails when electrically the are isolated from the rest of the point?
thanks for the help!? trying to get back to the hobby after 40years? Boy do I have a lot to learn,!!!!!!
Because if the rails branching away from the frog are both connected to the frog, you're electrically connecting a right-hand rail on one route to the left-hand rail of the other route, creating a short circuit. It doesn't matter what polarity the frog is; those two rails will always be opposite polarity from each other.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Actually, being 40 years older than you wish you were isn't the problem. It's more of a what goes around comes around. Back in the day, they didn't have insulated frog turnouts so they ALL had to gapped beyond the frog. Look at any older layout wiring book and it will admonish you to never power the points from the frog side.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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