hello everyone, after purchaseing all new Peco Insulfrog turnouts, and then useing option #1 for wireing them, i installed them. i attached a feeder wire to all the corresponding tracks and i DID NOT gap any of the turnouts. when i finished laying out all of my yard, i tried a test run, but every time my Proto 2000 SW12 crosses a frog, i can hear a sound like something shorting out. in fact, if the loco stalls when crossing the frog, my NCE DCC unit shuts down until i remove the loco. im not really sure what can be the problem, but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know, its driveing me nuts. also, i tried several other locos and they all do the same thing. thanks!

-- steve manchester (trainzman@verizon.net), December 12, 2004

Answers

Steve,

You only mention having tried one locomotive. Have you tried others?

Allan

-- Allan Gartner (wire4dcc_admin@comcast.net), December 12, 2004.

I have had problems with the Peco insulfrog turnouts with metal wheels (not just locos) shorting at the point of the frog. The point of the frog is plastic with the two frog rails being separated by a thin piece fo the plastic frog point. Due to manufacturing tolerances sometimes the separation is very small and a wheel can bridge the 2 rails which causes a short. You can test for this by covering the frog point with a piece of scotch tape. As a permanent fix I have used a needle file to taper the top of rail heads toward the insulator which relieves the problem.

Dale.

-- Dale Gloer (dale.gloer@telus.net), December 13, 2004.

hi, im new to n guage and dcc, however 3 days ago i decided to 'have a go', i wanted dcc so purchased bachman and all the track i kept the same. i bought peco track, i read-up on what i needed for dcc and bought peco electrofrog turnouts where i could but i needed 9" turnouts and 2 diamonds so i bought peco insulfrogs as this was all the shop had left. on examining the wiring of both and working out different ways to go about it it seams with electrofrogs you must insulate the track connecting to the v shape inner near frog or the circuit will obviously short out. i looked at the design of the electrofrog and worked out if the frog had a plastic triangle there wouldnt be any need to use track insulators!, behold the insulfrog! WRONG the insulfrog is insulated and wont short UNTILL you run an engine across the point! what happends is the engines wheels short across the plastic insulated triangle! if the engine stops there it will shut youre dcc down. you still need to insulate with plastic joiners so only one part of the v shape is live at once! i hope this has helped you, im at a loss regarding the insulated diamond i have in my hand waiting to fix down as it seems that unless i use 2 relays then it is inevitable that its going to short out! regards barclay

-- barclay ravenscroft (b-j.r@tiscali.co.uk), December 13, 2004.

hey guys, thanks very much for the information. im gonna try the scotch tape idea, and then i may go and insulate both trailing ends of each turnout. thanks again! steve

-- steve manchester (trainzman@verizon.net), December 13, 2004.