You can easily wire to the W-S C83 double crossover frogs. I use a 15W wedgetip soldering gun with small diameter solder (0.020") and small diameter wire (30 gauge).
The C83 double-xovers run well enough for most engines ...those that have RP25 wheels. The C100s are "different". You need to set both crossroutes simultaneously or you'll risk shorting. The really old C100s will need some "gunking" at the "X-crossings" (the left and right hand crossings). See the attached for details.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/DoubleCrossover_Galyon.pdf
I pulled the double crossover from the layout.
There are no jumpers. There are no access points that I could find. The frog is surrounded with plastic making soldering any wire to it impossible, for me anyway. The point rails are feed by jumpers from the main rails. This makes each point rail permanently powered and each is a different polarity. Running a wire from the points to the frog would result in a short.
When I bought these there was a voice in the back of my mind saying 'buy the code 100, buy the code 100'. I should have listened.
SouthPennI'm going to pull one of the crossovers out and see what's there. My feeble memory seems to think I cut the hanging wires off the frog when I installed the crossover.
Sounds like more work than it worth, especially if you cut off the wires.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to pull one of the crossovers out and see what's there. My feeble memory seems to think I cut the hanging wires off the frog when I installed the crossover.
Or maybe convert these engines from 'F' units to 'E' units.
I have a Walthers #6 double crossover and only had a problem when I bought a BS 4-4-0. Out of the four frogs, it only stalled on two of them at one end, go figure. I used two Tam Valley Frog Juicers and soldered feeders without removing the crossover.
A splash of black paint and some ballast and they are invisible.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
SouthPennChecking online I found this statement: "Isolated Frog with Built-in Connection (an access point allows you to convert to a live frog if desired)"
It sounds like there ought to be a wire hanging down from each frog, like a Peco, but I've not seen that mentioned anywhere.
This thread discusses powering options:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/254346.aspx
I think the guard rail is in continuity with frog so you could solder to that. Check with your meter before you take my word as gospel.
My layout has two Walthers #6, code 83, DCC friendly, double crossovers installed. They have been installed and working just fine for years.
I dusted off a couple of engines and started running them on the layout. They would stutter going through the double crossovers. At really slow speeds they would stall. Turns out these engines fit between the frogs on the straight threw track of the double crossover. If the wheelbase of the engines was 0.010" longer there wouldn't be a problem.
Checking online I found this statement: "Isolated Frog with Built-in Connection (an access point allows you to convert to a live frog if desired)" Great! Just what I need. But where is it and what does it take to make the frog live. These double crossovers are installed on the layout and I would like to know how to make the conversion before I remove them.
But I cannot find any instructions or even a picture anywhere. Anybody know where I can find some instructions or has done the conversion?
Thanks