MisterBeasley richhotrain Right now, I use tabs #1 and #8 on the Tortoise for power drawn from a DC power pack and tabs #5,6,7 to power signals for the DCO. Can you suggest the wiring to power the frog? The frog wire goes to pin 4. The track bus wires go to pins 2 & 3. Since you have a 50/50 chance of getting the right track bus wires to the right pins, you will be wrong 80% of the time by Murphy's Law, so don't solder anything until you've tested it.
richhotrain Right now, I use tabs #1 and #8 on the Tortoise for power drawn from a DC power pack and tabs #5,6,7 to power signals for the DCO. Can you suggest the wiring to power the frog?
The frog wire goes to pin 4. The track bus wires go to pins 2 & 3. Since you have a 50/50 chance of getting the right track bus wires to the right pins, you will be wrong 80% of the time by Murphy's Law, so don't solder anything until you've tested it.
And I did it on the 20% side of Murphy's law. Thank you, Mr. B. And DG. And everyone else who replied.
Rich
Alton Junction
RR_Mel Hi Rich I designed my layout around a Walthers code 83 double crossover. The two things I wanted the most on my layout was a double crossover and a working turntable. The Walthers Shinohara Double Crossover was the first track laid on my current layout. I tried everything to get it to work and after many frustrating hours of tedious fixing there wasn’t anything left of the double crossover but pieces. I had so much trouble with derailments and electrical problems I ended up using two Atlas turnouts for a single crossover for many years. Still wanting a working double crossover I built my own from Atlas code 83 Custom Line turnouts and a Atlas 19° crossover and I have never looked back. I’ve never had a derailment or an electrical problem with my homebrew. No Juicer needed. This is my “Mel homebrew” double crossover before installation.
You could paint on conductive paint onto frogs 2 and 5 and power the frog.. But then you are back to the complex wiring diagram that I setup for two tortoises + realy + 2 DPDT (or 1 rotary switch)
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Woulodn'tt be easier to install a 'no stall' set of capacitors to the DCC controller in the switcher??
SouthPenn Woulodn'tt be easier to install a 'no stall' set of capacitors to the DCC controller in the switcher??
Just out of curiosity, what is the cost and time involved to do that? Over the years we tend to collect multiple small loco's, highrailers, critters and such. I think installing a frog juicer at a few problem areas would be easier than installing capacitors in a lot of different vehicles. But like I said before the technical side of the hobby is the area where I require the most help.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
FAR easier and cheaper to power the frogs, even if you ended up resporting to a frog juicer. Unless you only have 2-3 locos.
$5 relay controlled by the switch machine contacts for a reverse loop never even has time to short out, vs a $40 autoreverser that waits for the short then fixes it - why wouldn't you?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I took it that the poster only had one engine that was giving him problems.
SouthPenn I took it that the poster only had one engine that was giving him problems.