I am in the process of building a new layout (after a 30 years break) and many things have changed…
I have several Peco turnouts, that only power in one position.
I believe they are insulated, but how can I get them to work in either direction?
I have tested the track I have in temporary place, and when I “throw the switch”, the power is cut off to the other line.
I have read the instructions… but they dont help much.
This is an indoor model, HO scale FYI…
Thanks,
Brian
Brian,
This sounds like a power routing type of turnout(power only goes to the leg that the points are thrown for). I would suggest you invest in one of the Kalmbach electrical books that are sold at your LHS, or talk to the guy at the LHS who sold you the turnout. Peco has both Electrofrog and Insulfrog turnouts and they handle divirging routes in different ways.
Jim
Hi. It sounds like you have (or had) power routing turnouts. They power the frog depending on which point rail is against its stock rail. I don’t have any like these, but if you look at yours, it will be a problem of either the one side point rail not contacting its adjacent stock rail properly, or there is a pivoting or sliding wiper below the points, under the turnout, that may have become loose and is not making contact with the frog feeder when you flick the points assembly.
Again, I am guessing since I have not seen these, but perhaps that will get you started until someone chimes in who actually know.s
Sorry I couldn’t help more.
Peco Insulfrog turnouts are power routing, meaning that one track is turned off according to the way it is set.
In many cases this is an advantage because it eliminates the chances of a short circuit. When you install this type of turnout, insulate both rails that diverge from the frog and use feeder wires for the rails beyond the frog.
Thanks, I appreciate your quick answer!
Some one told me to solder at the place in the frog where the rail is separated… I got to thinking, why not solder all the joints and skip those tiny little connectors…
Any thoughts?
Brian
Reason: of all items in your trackage, the turnout is the most problematic…it has moving parts. So, for your own sake, learn to fiddle with and refine the operation of your turnouts, and let them “float” in place with good support below them to keep them from wiggling, and use only joiners.
Avoid soldering anything on your turnouts. If you have power issues, find where the fault lies. In some cases, soldering fine wire jumpers between the heel of the point rail and across the gap to the frog may work. I braided three hairthin filaments and then soldered short lengths across gaps in my Shinohara three-way turnout.