[:(!] I know there is someone out there who could explain to me about the wiring of the above turnout crossovers. I really wanted to install two of these on my most recent layout the WTRR (West Tennessee Railroad), the Hub City Division which picks up where Allen Keller’s Bluff City ends in Jackson, Tennessee.
When I installed the crossovers they looked beautiful, but when the trains would try to run through them, the engines would stall. I guess you have to power both sides of the switch, right?
If anyone could answer this, even with a drawing attachment, I will be most greatful.
Sincerely,
The WTRR
I’m not the expert on this, but I’m guessing that you’re stalling on the frogs. If you have the latest version of the crossover, you will probably have to wire the frogs according to the direction the points are thrown. See http://www.wiringfordcc.com for additional information. There are also some books on the subject, and some other threads through the discussion forums. See also http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31350 (To DC or not DC, That is the Question!).
I also have some turnout issues, but I’m not ready to deal with them at the moment. Good luck!
Robert,
Wiring the double crossover takes a little more effort than just hooking up the rail joiners to the track entering it. How many track feeders did you install? How many insulated rail joiners did you install and where are they located? Are you running DC or DCC? A little more information would help get you the answer you need.
By the way, I have installed one of the #6 double crossovers before on a DC layout. The interesting part is that some genius had taken the thing and bent it in half right through the very center across both tracks! It was literally in two pieces. It took a little effort to re-assemble it, and straighten the damaged rails, but it has been in service for years with no problems.
If you don’t get an answer that helps you fix the problem, send me an e-mail and I’ll try to coach you in getting the wiring right.
Good luck,
Mark C.
Mark C.
Thank you for your interest. The double crossover has, of course four tracks that approach it. I have installed no feeder to the crossover, only the four tracks that attach to it are powered. There have been no insulators installed, nor any cuts made to the rail as you can do with Shinorhora/Walthers turnouts. By the way, just making those cuts after the frog, then power both sides of the turnouts, without powering the frog, they work fine. In fact I have a number 8 curve without any of the above, just set it right in therewith no isolation or cuts, and the Kato’s work beautifully.
This layout is DC, and it’s just myself, maybe someday I will consider DCC. In order to get an engine to cross over do I cut the track past the frog like on the curves to isolate each inside track then power each separately? By the way the engines won’t cross over or go straight without stalling.
The tracks at the crossover are already insulated, I believe, or at least I see brown plastic embedded in the track causing a separation, therefore I thought I could just power each of the two tracks on the other side.
Once you place the Double Crossovers and the track is powered only on one side, the Crossover won’t allow power to the other side, in fact all track past the Crossover is dead.
My Crossovers are 15 years old, yet never been used, someone suggested powering the frog, there is no place to attach power unless one soldiers it.
Thanks again,
great challenge.
Robert
Robert,
Let’s take this a step at a time. I don’t have a double crossover on hand, so I will have to ask you specific questions to get a correct diagram of the rails and insulation. If you could e-mail me, it might go faster.
Let’s start with the obvious locations of the brown plastic insulators. If I remember correctly:
- There are no breaks in the two outer-most stock rails. If there is a break, it is in the exact center of the turnout across from the diamond of the crossing.
- There should be breaks in the rails after each frog before where the rails cross
- There should be breaks in each inside stock rail approximately parallel to the break in the rail mentioned in 2) above.
How many did I get right? Electrically, there is no reason to have a break in the outermost stock rails. There are electrical reasons to have breaks in the other rails. The rails that cross may have tiny sections cut out of the bottom or top of the rail to maintain continuity or there may be a small jumper wire underneath the turnout. Although the points of the turnout are all “power routing”, this is not dependable long-term and should be supplemented with feeders. Since you are running DC, you will probably have to drop a few feeders from the rails that cross and feed them through a SPDT switch connected to whatever throws the points of the crossover. Are you throwing them manually or with something like a Tortoise? You will want to operate the turnouts at opposite ends of the chosen route together, so only one throw needs to activate the power selection.
Enough questions for now. Get back with the answers and I’ll chew on it some more.
Mark C.
Robert,
Can you pull the crossover out easily. It would make electrical testing and inspection quicker and easier?
Mark C.
Mark C
Thus far your description of the crossover is correct. I will take a good look at it this weekend and reply. I will try and make a drawing, don’t have digital capabilities yet. I will also try and do some fiddling.
Thanks
Robert
Robert,
I’ll keep watching for your reply.
Mark C.