N Peco Code 55 Turnouts - Are they DCC compatible?

[Benjamin_Maggi]

Getting ready to lay track, and was wondering if these turnouts are okay with DCC. If not, do I have to seperate the point’s and change the frog insulation? Anyone ever experience DCC problems with their Peco 55 turnouts?

Thanks for any input! [:)]

[pcarrell]

No, unfortunately they’re not DCC friendly. To modify them you need to rmove the throwbar and the spring and then replace the throwbar with PC board. You loose the spring action altogether. You also need to isolate the frog if it’s live, just like any other live frog turnout.

This same modification is needed for Micro Engineering turnouts.

Atlas turnouts (all of them) need no modifications (other then if the frog is powered).

I don’t know about Shiohara and Walthers.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pcarrell

No, unfortunately threy’re not DCC friendly. To modify them you need to rmove the throwbar and the spring and then replace the throwbar with PC board. You loose the spring action altogether. You also need to isolate the frog if it’s live, just like any other live frog turnout.

I do NOT agree with the above.

See:
Electrofrog http://www.loystoys.com/peco/about-electrofrog.html
or
Insulfrog http://www.loystoys.com/peco/about-insulfrog.html

[pcarrell]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso

QUOTE: Originally posted by pcarrell

No, unfortunately threy’re not DCC friendly. To modify them you need to rmove the throwbar and the spring and then replace the throwbar with PC board. You loose the spring action altogether. You also need to isolate the frog if it’s live, just like any other live frog turnout.

I do NOT agree with the above.

See:
Electrofrog http://www.loystoys.com/peco/about-electrofrog.html
or
Insulfrog http://www.loystoys.com/peco/about-insulfrog.html

Interesting…

I stand corrected,…maybe,…partially,…

Let me explain.

I couldn’t get the website I normally use to answer such questions to come up earlier. I thought that the Peco’s and the ME’s were similar in respect to the spring. I though I remembered (last time I make that mistake) that you had to do similar modifications to both to make them work with DCC.

You gave some interesting links. I don’t know how accurate they are in their assesment but it does pose an interesting situation.

I finally got my link to come up, and I wasn’t exactly correct in my statements earlier. My bad![B)] It does say however that modifications are “necessary” for DCC. The web site is “Wiring for DCC” and heres the page;

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm

So,…which is it I wonder?

[Benjamin_Maggi]

Thanks to both of you for your input. I will use them now.

[Jacktal]

From my own experience with the club’s layout,Peco Electrofrog TO’s (code 80) do real fine with DCC and unless code 55 TO’s are designed different,I can’t see why they should cause any problem.