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Turnout dead

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 4:04 PM
No need to gap the rails, but you may want to check a couple of things, as it may be a faulty Switch.

When your loco stops, touch a screwdriver to the place where the the moveable switch rail contacts the fixed rail. does the loco move? If so you have a dirty contact when the switch is thrown. Clean it with a carbon fibre stick or some Emery paper .

Alternatively, the wire connecting the moving switch rail and the fixed exit rail(look underneath the Peco turnout) could have come loose either through a bad solder joint or if the switch has been glued down before. The easiest cure for this is to solder some 7-strand wire between the exit rail and the switch rail, preferably using the link wire that remains fixed at on end under the switch.

Hope this helps

Jon
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 4:04 PM
No need to gap the rails, but you may want to check a couple of things, as it may be a faulty Switch.

When your loco stops, touch a screwdriver to the place where the the moveable switch rail contacts the fixed rail. does the loco move? If so you have a dirty contact when the switch is thrown. Clean it with a carbon fibre stick or some Emery paper .

Alternatively, the wire connecting the moving switch rail and the fixed exit rail(look underneath the Peco turnout) could have come loose either through a bad solder joint or if the switch has been glued down before. The easiest cure for this is to solder some 7-strand wire between the exit rail and the switch rail, preferably using the link wire that remains fixed at on end under the switch.

Hope this helps

Jon
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 3:47 PM
Which way is the engine entering the turnout? Does the turnout lead to a reverse loop? Are you sure there is power reaching the turnout?
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 3:47 PM
Which way is the engine entering the turnout? Does the turnout lead to a reverse loop? Are you sure there is power reaching the turnout?
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 1:39 PM
Add feeders to your turnout, don't rely on the metal insulators.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 1:39 PM
Add feeders to your turnout, don't rely on the metal insulators.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
  • 725 posts
Posted by Puckdropper on Friday, September 19, 2003 10:50 AM
Have you got any kind of continuity checker? (Like a multimeter set to ohms, or a light connected to a battery with one wire cut? (if there's continutity, the light will light.))

Check to see if the turnouts getting power, and also routing power properly.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: US
  • 725 posts
Posted by Puckdropper on Friday, September 19, 2003 10:50 AM
Have you got any kind of continuity checker? (Like a multimeter set to ohms, or a light connected to a battery with one wire cut? (if there's continutity, the light will light.))

Check to see if the turnouts getting power, and also routing power properly.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 10:27 AM
I Just took out the plastic rail joiners and the loco still stops when it enters the turnout,
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 19, 2003 10:27 AM
I Just took out the plastic rail joiners and the loco still stops when it enters the turnout,
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Thursday, September 18, 2003 10:13 AM
Peco Insulfrog turnouts don't need to be gapped for DCC except at a turnaround loop where an electrical short could be created. They must get power from the points end in order to have power beyond the frog, and where the points touch the outer rails must be kept clean for good electical contact. In areas where there is a possibility of wanting to run trains in opposite directions on the same track when using DC block control, a Peco needs to have both frog-end rails gapped, and you then need a separate electrical feed on the other side of the frog, such as at a siding where you might want to shuttle a few cars back and forth with a switcher while a road engine is pulling a train along the main line in the opposite direction, or to isolate a DCC programming track.

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Thursday, September 18, 2003 10:13 AM
Peco Insulfrog turnouts don't need to be gapped for DCC except at a turnaround loop where an electrical short could be created. They must get power from the points end in order to have power beyond the frog, and where the points touch the outer rails must be kept clean for good electical contact. In areas where there is a possibility of wanting to run trains in opposite directions on the same track when using DC block control, a Peco needs to have both frog-end rails gapped, and you then need a separate electrical feed on the other side of the frog, such as at a siding where you might want to shuttle a few cars back and forth with a switcher while a road engine is pulling a train along the main line in the opposite direction, or to isolate a DCC programming track.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: US
  • 1,300 posts
Posted by Sperandeo on Thursday, September 18, 2003 8:54 AM
Hello,

No, Peco's Insulfrog turnouts don't need gaps beyond the frog for two-rail or DCC wiring purposes. Both routes are always live and the frog polarity doesn't change.

So long,

Andy

Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: US
  • 1,300 posts
Posted by Sperandeo on Thursday, September 18, 2003 8:54 AM
Hello,

No, Peco's Insulfrog turnouts don't need gaps beyond the frog for two-rail or DCC wiring purposes. Both routes are always live and the frog polarity doesn't change.

So long,

Andy

Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Turnout dead
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 18, 2003 7:52 AM
I am using Peco Insul frog turnouts, I have gaped them at the frog end, when the engine goes into the tuenout it is dead, Do these need to be gaped, I am wiring for DCC, But don't have the units yet so i'm using my old powere supply, Thanks in advance
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Turnout dead
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 18, 2003 7:52 AM
I am using Peco Insul frog turnouts, I have gaped them at the frog end, when the engine goes into the tuenout it is dead, Do these need to be gaped, I am wiring for DCC, But don't have the units yet so i'm using my old powere supply, Thanks in advance

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