I’m not going DCC yet but… would there be any special issues about the combination of DCC / live frog / 3 Way switches ?
Also… don’t know if this would matter… any issues arising from putting two toe to toe?
TIA [bow]
Although I don’t have any 3-way switches (or any back to back), the same rules for DC wiring generally applies to DCC when dealing with switches. Remember a short is a short, it doesn’t matter what control system you are using.
Jeff
I’ve been running two 3-way turnouts on a module I built in 1980, raw rail construction (the whole module, not just the 3-ways) and I don’t see an iota of difference between wiring them for DC and wiring them for DCC. All I have to do to convert to DCC (I currently run DC, and don’t expect to switch) is wire all of my North (toward the wall) rails to one bus lead, and all of my South (toward the aisle) rails to the other bus lead. I could do it simply by running two jumper wires along the terminal board to connect the appropriate terminals. Wiring to the hot frogs, and thus to the spurs beyond them, would remain unchanged.
Chuck
No, the deal with a turnout is getting the polarity on the frog to be the opposite from the rail on the direction of travel without causing a short circuit. This is the same issue reguardless if the track is powered by straight DC, sine wave AC, or DCC AC. The only time this is not an issue is when the train gets its power from something other than the rails or from a third “center” rail.
No different than any other track base power systems.
YES.
Considering all turnouts/switches are receiving track power from their ‘toes’ :
LIVE FROG or ‘Power routing’ turnouts the two ‘inner’ rails change polarity. DCC or DCC ‘friendly’ turnouts do not. They have insulated / dead frogs.
ANY two ‘Power routing’ turnouts - back to back or otherwise - need gaps on rails 2 & 3 or insulated joiners to prevent short circuits - exception single ended ‘stub’ tracks.
DCC type turnouts route track power around the frog so polarity IN matches polarity OUT.
Regarding 3 way turnouts: Since they have ‘dead frogs’ I would connect DCC types forward or backward; LIVE FROG types with insulated gaps and a wiring diagram; but NOT mix the two together. A No no.