Exactly how important are powered frogs?

[tstage]

Done there, been that. [:o)]

[richhotrain]

Let’s take my issues back to my thread

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/744/t/258413.aspx

If anyone in the future has my confusion about the LL Proto 2K pickup issues, they won’t be looking for answers in a Frog thread.

Except that you raised your issue in this thread.

Rich

[richhotrain]

BigDaddy

The PO said he had a LL GP20 It certainly could be different than my LL GP9. In cardiology, they call it concealed conduction, electrical pathways in the heart you can only imagine. Maybe that’s the case here but I don’t see a second wire from my trucks.

EDIT If the frame is the second (concealed) pathway, well I’m glad I brought that up before installing a DCC board, otherwise the kimchee would be deep.

Yes its a hot frame. When I plugged the decoder into mine I did not pay attention to that. Should be black wire running from both trucks. Red wire is screwed into the top of the weight. Engineers side if you are short hood forward. On the Left hand side (short hood forward) is a red wire going to the lower motor connection. This is how they get away with hot frame. Both trucks provide power.

Same here. I have two of the Life Like GP9s. I installed P2K-SR decoders in each and never had a problem.

Rich

[trainnut1250]

Power the frogs. Simple answer. There will be situations where perhaps an engine has a dirty wheelset, or you’re running a short yard switcher on a main line, or an engine has traction tires that prevent pickup. If you’re running illuminated passenger equipment or a caboose with active lanterns, you’ll have similar problems.

Yep…I run small locos and I am pretty extreme when it comes to ballast and dirt/paint and scenery materials. Easier to do when you install the switches.

Guy

[mlehman]

In HOn3 and most narrowgauge in the smaller scales, hot frogs are the standard. It’s not so much an absolute need for it as it is the reliability they offer.

[7j43k]

Exactly how important?

Exactly REALLY important. Do it.

Ed

[Bayfield_Transfer_Ra]

In my experience I found that it was far, far more crucial to make sure switch points were powered. It was a LOT of pain to drop a feeder from each switch point, but I had NO stalls on turnouts.

The little metal tabs and other methods used by manufacturers to power points are unreliable after time. A feeder soldered to the switch point is not.

[mlehman]

Closing in on 200 turnouts, I have found the need to add a wire to the points only a few times. Like other methods, it does improve reliabiliy.

[BigDaddy]

f anyone in the future has my confusion about the LL Proto 2K pickup issues, they won’t be looking for answers in a Frog thread.

**********Except that you raised your issue in this thread.

and I’m asking for forgiveness. [angel] My post mislead the OP

[zstripe]

richhotrain
f anyone in the future has my confusion about the LL Proto 2K pickup issues, they won’t be looking for answers in a Frog thread.

**********Except that you raised your issue in this thread.

and I’m asking for forgiveness. My post mislead the OP

Maybe You should have left OP to PO…cause’ the OP may be PO now…confusing?

‘‘Thread high-jacker’’…NAW! Just kidding! [}:)] [:-^]

Take Care! [swg]

Frankie…

[richhotrain]

Power the frogs. Simple answer.

If nothing else, drop a wire from the frog so that the job will be easier later on.

If you are driving the turnouts with Tortoises, it’s a no-brainer. All it takes is wire.

I have to agree. If you need to power frogs and the turnouts are Tortoise powered, the solution is simple.

Rich

[BRAKIE]

I’m doing some work on my layout, and it occurred to me that I should probably care about at least knowing why I should power the frog. Atlas turnouts are isolated, so I don’t really have to deal with it per se, but under what situations does it become critical?

I dunno…60 years in the hobby and dozens of ISLs under my belt I never found a reason to power a switch frog even with the old timey brass track and brass wheels…

Even at slow switching speeds I never had a stall issue even with a two axle Mantua Plymouth center cab switcher over those terrible Atlas switches with the rubber looking frog.