I think what you exposed on the very bottom is where the rails cross over beneath the frog so the closure rail and frog rail are connected past the frog. The a layer of plastic, then the other closure rail to other frog rail, then there is probably yet another layer fo plastic and THEN the frog. I'd try as above, rather than attaching to what you just exposed - you can verify by using a meter on continuity and seeing if the bottom exposed metal is the same as the frog, ot one of the closure rails. My money is on it being the closure rail.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi, Gary —
I did the same thing as Dante using maybe 20 or 24 gauge wire. I used small aluminum heat sink clamps and soldered in a place where there wouldn't be any interference with wheels passing through frog. Preferably on the "back" side away from view.
https://www.robotshop.com/en/soldering-heat-sink.html
Once painted and ballasted the wire is nearly invisible. Soldering before installing the switch, of course, is preferred.
Good Luck, Ed
The guard rails on my Walthers DCC friendly turnouts are electrically connected with the frog. I successfully connected the frog feeders to a guardrail just as I did the other track feeders to the track rails.
Dante
I am getting ready to lay several Walthers code 83 HO turnouts on my layout. They have insulated frogs and will be controlled by Tortoise switch machines. I want to power the frog on these turnouts. I flipped one over and there is plastic tie material over the center of the frog. I prefer to wire my switches from underneath. I scraped away that little bit of plastic and exposed the center of the frog which has a small piece of insulating plastic between the metal diverging rails. 1. Can I solder my power bus here to power the frog and should my feeder bridge the small insulator and connect to both frog rails or just connect to either side of the metal to power the frog?
Thanks for any help.