I did a search on this subject but didn’t find the answer I was looking for. I need to know can you power the frog from the common rail without using a Snap Relay? I have an Atlas wiring book and it says you have to use one. Reading that book is confusing enough! My layout is an Atlas design called The Great Eastern Trunk. I really don’t need it to rout power through the points as I already have blocks set up that I can turn off and on with my selectors. I run regular DC power. The trains that cause me problems are my Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Switcher and my daugters Bachman Thomas The Tank Engine. Both of these will stall on the frogs and I have 13 of them!
Lets see, doesn’t Atlas sell snap relays?? Hmm? First of all, you need to be able to send power to the frog from which ever rail crosses the frog depending on the direction the switch is thrown. Therefore you need to use some type of power routing to the frog.
If you are using manual throws, there are many ways to power the frogs. I used to scratch build a switch that worked under the layout and did a good job of sending power to the frog with two finishing nails, a length of piano wire and a block of wood. Some have been on the layout over 20 years and still work. I am now switching over to DCC and am replacing them with these from Alan Gartners DCC page (they will work great with dc also and you would be ready should you go to DCC): http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm#how2wire They are fairly easy to make and work great.
There are many switch machines that also provide power routing built into the machine itself, the Tortoise for instance.
Sorry, I was commenting that Atlas would imply that you have to use a product that they make. It was not meant to be a comment refering to you. My appologies!
As Ray said you can’t do this without some kind of power routing. One method that is usable for manual switch throws and has been described in several place consists of using a single pole double throw slide switch. (Available from Radio Shack and not expensive) Center contactgoes to the frog and each out side one to the respective rail. Drill a hole in the slide switch control button and use it to drive a link to turn the track switch. Mount the slide switch in th roadbed or subroadbed near the track switch. Use a geometry for this link that is compatible with your set up. I’ve seen some articles about this method and thought it sounded like it would require a lot of work and adjustment to set it up. I tried some and they went together fairly easily. Somewhere in 2004 there was an MR article about this. R. Vollmar.