I am brand new to model railroading. I am currently building a “N” scale layout. I am using foam on plywood. I am about ready to make my first attempts of laying roadbed and track. But I am still working on alot of the layout. I am going to buy some turnouts/switches etc… I want to know what kind I will need most. I have started doing research on the wiring and well… I just need some beginers advice. I will be using DCC. I want to use either PECO or ATLAS code 80 turnouts and need to know what kind to get. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.
I don’t do N, but in HO, I prefer Peco, and second, ME or Shinohara(Walthers), to Atlas. The N Pecos are similar, but not identical.
Whether powered frogs or insulated frogs is a matter of what kind of locos you have. If older or shorter locos without many pickup wheels, they are less likely to stall on powered frogs, but of course these are more complicated to install. This type frog is best hooked to a switch between the rail sources; usually one can use contacts included in the switch machine. Peco “Electrofrog” switches and others with metal frogs are wired out of the box to power the frog from the points, but this requires keeping the sides of the point and stock rails clean where they touch, so provision is made to use external switching if desired.
Both the Peco Insulfrog and electrofrog switches have some minor problems with DCC. I had light flickering when a loco would pass over frogs on the insulfrog switches on my layout on DC. But upon converting to DCC that flicker became a short circuit. The two rails on the frog are so close together that loco wheels and some metal car wheels would bridge the two rails causing a short and stopping the locos. A little dab of nail polish to extend the insulationsolved that but it must be reapplied occasionally.
Electro frog switches have a differant situation causing short circuits. Both points have the same polarity of whichever point is touching the stockrail. Some six axle diesels and long steam locos have the backs of the wheels touching the open point causing a short circuit. There is a minor procedure you can do before installation to prevent it. I have both types on my N scale layout and they are OK.
I have a number of Peco Code 83 Insulfrog turnouts, and I experience no shorts or stalls.
However, on one of my Peco Code 83 crossings, I did experience intermittent shorts, so I used bit of clear nail polish where the rails converge, and the problem went away.
Electrofrogs are easy to modify to avoid the point/stock rail issue before they are installed and with a fully powered pathway will be more reliable long term. Insulfrogs kind of get away with it because compared to other turnouts with plstic frogs, the plastic part of the Insulfrog is very tiny, so tiny that if you have any wheels wider than exact standard size, the tread can touch both rails where they join at the plastic part, causing a short. There’s no real permanent fix for that - adding some nail polish works but eventually will wear off and need to be renewed.
I use only Electrofrogs on my NTrak modules. They need a little more attention to get reliable power to the frog. I have found they work better than insulfrogs with DCC.
Electrofrogs are easy to install. When you install them, don’t connect them to the diverging track. Use insulated joiners. Then supply a separate electric feed to the diverging route. Done.