Turnout type frustration

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am working on my first real, but small layout. It is N Guage 8’x32". I thought I studied quite a bit before I started. I bought and read books and magazines and read web pages about the electronics. I practiced basic wiring and reverse loops by pinning track to foamboard. I am planning for DCC but starting as DC. I went for peco insulfrogs on my turnouts and planned my wiring around the fact that everything written about the insulated frog turnouts says that all paths have power all of the time.

Well it just aint so on my Peco Insulfrogs [:(]

The diverging path does not have power until the points are swung over to connect it. When I do that the through path beyond the points loses power. They are acting just like the the non insulated turnouts described as power routing turnouts.

Am I way off base in my understanding of the turnouts or did something change?

BTW: Anyone want to by a great book on basic model railroad wiring?

2

Mine did the same thing until I ran a buss system under the layout and feeders to all sides of the turnout.
ennout

3

I just did a little looking, it looks like Peco Insulfrog turnouts are power routing, as you described. The frog itself, however, is insulated, and dead, hence the name.

4

I always insulate both rails that diverge from the frog and put separate feeder wires to the tracks beyond, regardless of the brand of turnout. This avoids the problems you are experiencing.

The newer “DCC Friendly” Walthers/Shinohara turnouts are now made exaclty like the Peco Insulfrogs.

5

What happens is that it sends power to which ever way you have the tunout switch to. Problem is that it ends up breaking the power connection the rest of the track not being use by that particular switch. Run a buss line (I do, even for the part of my layout that is DC) to both if not all rail connectors coming out of the turnout.
ennout

6

Your Pecos are working correctly, this is how mine operate. I also use a power bus with feeders to each diverging route.

7

Turnouts aren’t meant to power the tracks beyhond,so every adjoining track should have its own power feeder(s).Install your Insulfrog TO’s with metal rail joiners throughout,power all the tracks both ends respecting correct polarity…that’s all there is to it.This way,all your routes will have power all the time,as you stated.

8

the problem is that some websites say peco insulfrog turnouts have power to all rails all the time , and they don’t , they’re power routing which means only the rails that the turnout is set to will have power