need some help .I just picked up some shinohara turnouts .i cant seem to get them to work right i have three set up on my layout .but i have trouble wireing them up .
do i have to isolate them and if so how do i run the wires .
It seems i cannot throw the switch without shutting down the system.they are code 100 shinohara turnouts . thanks for reading this .hope someone knows what i am trying to explain.
thanks fuzzypa@ptd.net
Shinohara turnouts have solid frogs, which means that there has to be a gap between the frog and any feeder in the connecting rail. Also. they were made with little phosphor bronze contacts at the points, supposedly to assure better electrical contact with the stock rails. Sometimes those contacts (which are along the throwbar under the points) act as a ‘make before break’ contact when the switch is thrown, which might pop a breaker in DC and will (99+% certainty) put DCC off-line.
Quick fix - check for gaps and cut/insulate them as necessary. If that doesn’t cure the problem, amputate the contacts under the points.
(Old Shinohara turnouts also had tight gauge issues between the straight point and the curved guard rail. Check with an NMRA standards gauge. The point can be curved, but be VERY gentle about it.)
Chuck
tomikawatt is correct on the frogs and contacts. The shinoharas are quit reliable if you don’t rely on the contacts.
I use the ME insulated joiners on the two rails exiting the frog.Then I solder a feeder to the frog rails and wired it to the switch machine contacts.
Works for me, Tom.