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PECO N Scale Electrofrog turnouts...

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New England's Rolling Hills & Rocky Coast
  • 19 posts
PECO N Scale Electrofrog turnouts...
Posted by Daddy F on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 5:27 PM
I have finished laying the track on my small "Timesaver" N-scale module. I'm using PECO code 55 track, which only offers Electrofrog turnouts, and here's my problem:

When I have one of the turnouts thrown it causes the DCC system to read a short on the layout. Throwing the turnout the other way corrects this problem, but I can't seem to "understand" what I have done wrong here. I have the power fed to the point end of the turnout & I've added feeders to each separate section of rail to ensure good power dispersion.

On several of the additional turnouts, which have insulated rail joiners separating them from the adjoining track, the loco crossing the insulated joiner causes a short as well.

I'm sure there are several people out there with comments on this subject but I can't seem to figure this one out. Hmmm....
  • Member since
    October 2002
  • From: City of Québec,Canada
  • 1,258 posts
Posted by Jacktal on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 6:16 PM

Your description of your problem tells me that you probably did not insulate ALL your frogs.I'd check them all one by one to make sure that there is an insulated joiner at both ends of every frog.You may have forgotten to insulate one or more along the way...it has happened to me and I grew a few gray hairs because of it.This type of problem does occur when you don't check your installation every step at a time...I've done this too.

This failing,I'd check if you haven't accidently crossed one or more of your feeders going to the track.This is also possible (and likely).With DCC,a loco will not change direction when the polarity isn't right but will definitely create a short when it hits the track joint where the polarity change is present.

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