Wiring and gaps for power routing turnouts and DCC

[mwalther]

I'm sure this has been asked and answered before, but now I need to know. I have Walthers code 83 turnouts (mostly the before DCC friendly? ones. What's the difference?). I installed the track in my yard area (I started there before any mainline runs) and had my feeders every 3 feet or so and fired up my DCC power and put my first BLI steamer on and was immediately disapointed when the sound went off and a short was indicated when the turnout was thrown the "other" way. I disconnected the feeders on the frog ends and this got rid of the short problem, but the sound and engine don't run on track when the turnout is thrown the "other" way.

I believe I have proper gaps between all turnout pairs with "facing " frogs.

I am wondering whether I should cut gaps on the frog ends of the turnout-to-track connection and re-connect the power feeders on the frog ends to provide power and prevent shorts when the turnout is thrown the "other" way. Will this work or will it create an new problem? I thought I'd ask before I cut.

I am sooooo close to having train run.... Thanks

[jwr_1986]

I think this web page will help you. The turnouts you described are about half-way down the page. http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm

Good luck

Jesse

[Anonymous]

The answer here depends on the type of turnout. The older Walthers/Shinohara are power routing turnouts all need to be gapped behind the frog in either DC or DCC mode (referenced from the points looking towards the frog).

Walthers DCC ready turnouts have hardwired the points and stock rails rails together and gapped the throwbar between the points. They have gapped the frog in front and behind and have wired the rails after the frog together. This arrangement appears to mean that they can be installed without the use of any gaps, but the frog is dead. I just bought three of them and have not installed them yet. On the pecos I have, I have made essentially these same mods and left the frog dead. None of my locos (all recent steam and diesels) have any problem creeping through them. Older locos or ones with extremely short wheel bases may have trouble. I have not found any place to conveniently solder a feeder to the frog on the new DCC friendly turnouts yet, should one want to power the frog...

You could just gap behind the frogs and your turnouts will work when you hook back up the feeders. The problem with these turnouts (poer routing) is that the points feed power to the switch and the electrical contact breaks down over time necessitating constant cleaning or modification. The problem in DCC is that the back of metal wheels may touch the points when rolling through causing a short between the points and the stock rail. In DC this does not present a huge problem, in DCC it is enough to trip the breaker, hence the DCC friendly turnout. A lot of this depends on the turnout, installation, particular rolling stock etc...Some guys hook up the DCC units to existing DC layouts and have no problems (so they say) with their switches, others have to resort to modifications. I believe Joe Fugate and others have developed other fixes involving light bulbs to absorb the voltage and not trip the breaker. .