I just purchased a few SL-95’s and SL-96’s and a medium 3-way.
I really like the way they snap at the points…if you havent guessed, this is my first Peco use.
anyhow, I got my Turnouts all set up, I hooked up the power to the track in 1 place. everything was fine, I backed the train acrros the turnout so now the train was on the other end of the points from where the power was connected. i then wanted to come forward and divert the train on the turnout, so the points were thrown. but the train didnt move. nothing. i threw the points so the train would go straight to the power connection on the other end of the line and the train started moving right off. So, it appears that the power doesnt flow all the way through the track if the points are thrown. this is not what i am used to with my atlas turnouts. what is the easiest way to make these peco’s let power flow all the way regardless as to where the points are thrown? jumper wires i suppose, but where should i solder them? and thats all fine and dandy, it looks like there is a spot to solder wires under the track, but the spots are sure small. and what about my 3-way? i dont understand why this extra work needs to be done on these turnouts.
I suppose for all purposes, I should give some imagry, the pic shows the whole layout, all 1’x4’
the power is over to the left there.
I back the train from the area just left of the power, down to the station. I then throw the points so the train will travel forward and then divert to the lower line. thats what will not work, once the point is thrown, no power makes it to the engine. http://www.vermontel.net/~kevin_ondre/HO%20Train/middletown.jpg/
Sounds like you got Peco’s “Insulfrog” turnouts, which are in fact power-routing turnouts. The only way to fix this is to run more power leads to the other end of the turnout. I use Insulfrog turnouts because I use them to route power to various tracks–I don’t use cab control or DCC.
Kevin, I am a PECO 100 user and really like them. They are reliable and bacause of the throwbar spring do not need a turnout control to work. I switch my layout by hand, so this works for me.
These turnouts are indeed power routing. With the power connected to the entrance of the turnout, the power is only routed to the diverging route that is thrown. This can be very helpful, even in a DCC setting if you want to be able to run a loco into a siding and then park it and leave the track dead. The only way to make the diverging routes powered is to run jumpers. I actually power each diverging route with power feeders from my main DCC power bus below.
From what I understood, the insulfrog versions were the ones to use if you wanted to go to DCC latter. I do have DCC, I just havent put any decoders in my engines yet, I dont use the DCC to control yet either, its just sitting there waiting.
Ok, So i suppose I will supply feeders to all my lines in order to supply power
I just thought that it was odd, I wasnt really sure why they went that route, like i mentioned, the Atlas turnouts i have let the power flow all over, that said, no shorts ever occured.
Regardless, I still do like these turnouts much better than the atlas ones.
