Hi folks, I am wanting some help with wiring and turnout preparation for DCC operation. I have watched multiple 'how to' videos and also some forums, though I'm still after some clarification. I have Peco Electrofrogs and I am using NCE Switch 8s to power Tortoises.
1. With a power-routing turnout, must I use 'jumpers' between the stock rails and the closure rails?
2. Need I cut the closure rails prior to the frog, in order to isolate the frog, as I will be dropping a wire from the frog and back to the tortoise?
3. Which end of the wire under the frog do I cut? Sorry, I couldn't load a photo - every image of these turnouts seem to differ.
Thanks, Darren.
Have you seen this?
https://dccwiki.com/PECO_Electrofrog
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Hey Ulrich,
Thanks for the reference. This instruction is reasonable, though the terminology is frustrating, they're referring to the frog rails as point rails, and then he is using the term point rails when he clearly means closure rails! Plenty of photos which is good, though not a clear instruction on how to wire the frog to the juicer or switch machine. Hey, I'm a little closer to nutting it out, so thanks again. Darren.
When I was still using Peco N scale turnouts in code 55 I do some modification .(Now I use Fastrack N scale turnouts system).
But I had made a step foward to the modification of all my N scale Peco turnouts.
I used the Fastrack method by using a jeweler saw and completlety isolated the frog like a Fastrack turnout.
There was two reasons for that,first it simpliest when you lay front to front turnouts to have completely isolated frog, this is easier for wiring purpose; its also eleminate the need to use plastic joiners or cut gaps between turnout in some of the rails.
All the turnouts are joined together, joiners are soldered if necessary and all the frog are insulated and have good polarity when throwing them using a microswitch or eventualy the switch machine do the job about polarity.
The hard wire arrangement under the turnouts is modified; Peco use severals arrangement for these wire, but it's easy to follow them and cut it were necessary to isolate the frog from the rest of the turnout.
Jumpers are also soldered under the raisl to ensure to have full electrical continuity in the points rails. (Iuse the pieces of Peco Wire cut away from the frog).
In fact, this way my Peco turnouts work like a Fastrack turnout, much easier to wiring in a big forest of turnouts, full DCC compatible
I also modified the same way a double crossover in N scale Peco code 55; all work fine and are full trouble shooting turnouts.
This is how the modified turnout look like for electrical schematic
Gaps cut with a jeweler saw
Jumpers soldered for points continuity in a crossover
Wires soldered to power frogs on a crossover