Someone else on another forum said you must insulate the diverging tracks N scale Bachmann EZ Track Turnouts just like Shinohara’s or Peco Electrofrogs.
I can’t believe this is true because EZ Track is aimed at the beginner market.
Can someone please confirm that N scale Bachmann EZ Track Turnouts are like the HO counterpart in that they don’t require any special wiring and insulating considerations?
Thanks
Somebody is talking through their hat. In my experience, the oinly time that you have to insulate/isolate rails unless the spur/siding is going to be powered from another point.
I found this link for Bachmann N Scale EZ Track Turnouts:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/bac/bac44862.htm
It says :
This switch is power routing, which means a locomotive will only operate on the track set by the switch blades. Therefore, the terminal track must be positioned at the heel (switch blade) end only.
UNBELIEVANLE BUT TRUE!!!
Bachmann is nuts to make these turnout so hard to wire. Don’t they know that beginners use these turnouts?
Bachman turnouts are indeed power routing. They only route power to the direction the train goes. But that is different than your first statement where you said “you must insulate etc”. There is no need to install insulating rail joiners or cut track unless you have a reverse loop.
Power routing switches are more versatile. They allow you to park your engine on a siding and run a different engine around the track. If you have a section connecting two ovals, then if the switches are thrown so the trains can go around the ovals, the connecting section will be dead track. That’s just the way it is. Kato does the same thing, as do Peco Insulfrogs.
There is nothing wrong with Bachman turnouts. But if you have a complicated track plan, you will probably need several power connections. You can use rail joiners that have wires or you can use the Bachman curved power connecting track. It’s not trivial, but it’s not that hard either.
With regular “Power Routed” or “Route Selective” turnouts, you can only feed power from the points end of the turnout. If you have a passing siding where 2 turnouts face each other then you must install insulators or gaps.
Peco “Insulfrog” and “Electrofrog” turnouts are both “route selective” but the Electrofrog’s require additional insulators or gaps because they will short out at the frog if not. INSULFROG’s do not. I always thought that PECO was the only manufactures of route selective turnouts that didn’t need special insulators or gaps.
Pilot, are you saying that with Bachmann N scale EZ Track turnouts you don’t have to insulate a siding where 2 turnouts face each other just like Peco Insulfrog?
I’m sorry to say this but EZ Track turnouts are CRAP.
I have 4 on my layout. One is bad ordered and removed, 2 have a perminent red board requiring stop-align-procede restricting and 1 works ok.
Needless to say, engineers will be removing all the switches and replacing them with Atlas insufrog switches which are all-power.
I will never, ever buy anouther EZ track switch.