I have been evaluating a number of very simple layout plans for my space and find that I may want to consider converting my power routing Kato Switches to non-power routing after all.
I feel that with DCC this probably would be the way I want to go before I get too deep into switches and find that I kill the mainline or the yard trying to get a train to and from.
Has anyone successfully converted Kato switches to non-power routing? If so how?
Any power routing can be easily bypassed by installing insulated rail joiners or cutting gaps in the 2 frog rails just beyond the frog in the 2 frog rails. Then install jumper wires to the 2 rails you just insulated. The closer the gaps or insulated joiners are to the frog, the smaller your power rounted section is.
One advantage of powered frogs, even with DCC, is that your locomotives don’t stall and your passenger car lights don’t flicker going through a turnout. And your sound doesn’t drop out and reset. Finally, with DCC and powered frogs, the short that occurs when a train crosses the gap/insulated rail joiner approaching a turnout that is thrown the wrong way stops before it derails on the turnout (likely causing a short anyway). IMHO, it’s better to have short shutting things down before the derailment occurs. Those with larger layouts and multiple operators sometimes disagree.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
I probably will get a bag of insulated joiners and experiment. The frogs already have factory gaps in them.
I believe you’ll find that actually defeating the power-routing of the Unitrack turnouts is quite tricky. You can achieve the same practical result by using insulated uni-joiners.