Original Web Bulletin Board System - Tony's Train Exchange
Original Web Bulletin Board System - Tony's Train Exchange
Original Web Bulletin Board System - Tony's Train Exchange
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44<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insulfrog Turnouts<br />
Posted by Gale Saxton on July 31, 2002, 04:49pm<br />
John and Jacques,<br />
I agree that the problem is worse with the larger radii turnouts. I<br />
had a layout 20 years ago with small radius insulfrogs that<br />
worked fairly wel. I now use 100% large if possible and only<br />
electrofrog.<br />
I have seen some people do a temp fix by painting over the frog<br />
points or by gluing small pieces of thin mylar over them. This of<br />
course creates dead spots which is not too good but will solve<br />
the shorting problem.<br />
I power my frogs using either switch machine contacts or under<br />
table cherry micro switch for the hand thrown.<br />
Good Luck,<br />
Gale<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insulfrog Turnouts<br />
Posted by Bob P. on August 01, 2002, 01:11pm<br />
Gale,<br />
I've had similar issues to those described in this e-mail thread.<br />
What kind of linkage do you use between the microswitch that is<br />
mounted below the table and the groundthrow?<br />
Thanks,<br />
Bob<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insulfrog Turnout<br />
Posted by Gale s. on August 03, 2002, 01:34pm<br />
Bob,<br />
Kind of hard to describe since it is all hand made.<br />
I use a Cherry 33 microswitch version which has a flat lever on<br />
the side. A .030" music wire pin is attatched at 90 degrees to the<br />
lever so that it sticks up thru the hole in the turnout throw bar<br />
center. The microswitch is epoxied to a thin plywood mounting<br />
plate which has slots and then lays flat under the plywood and<br />
allows for side-to-side adjustment. The total thickness below the<br />
plywood is then less than .75" so it can install over any tracks<br />
below.<br />
I picked up about 50 of these switches years ago at a clearance<br />
house and don't know if they are still available.<br />
Good luck,<br />
Gale<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insulfrog Tur<br />
Posted by Bob Miller on August 05, 2002, 09:06am<br />
Well guys, I have a fairly large 3 deck layout which has a lot of<br />
insulfrog Pecos, some as much as 10 years old, all wide radius<br />
and I do not have stall problems at the frogs. I do, once in a<br />
while, take a swab with a little cleaner on it and rub the contacts<br />
on the points to insure good contact, but mosts of the pecos I use<br />
are hand throws, without any motors, and without any leads.<br />
Go figure.<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insulfrog<br />
Posted by Jacques W. on August 05, 2002, 10:14am<br />
Hi Bob,<br />
I would like to know if you are using DC or DCC and if you<br />
gap both diverging branches of the frog.<br />
Thanks<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco Insul<br />
Posted by Bob Miller on August 05, 2002, 02:52pm<br />
Yes, I use NCE, and no, I don't gap all of the switches. Just<br />
those requiring it.<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Peco I<br />
Posted by Bob Miller on August 05, 2002, 02:54pm<br />
A PS to my last reply. My railroad was originally set up for<br />
Dynatrol Command control. Jim Scorse told me when I<br />
switched over that if the railroad ran okay with Dynatrol, it<br />
would do the same with NCE and he has been correct. I do use<br />
some Shinohara switches, but have pretty much switched all<br />
new work to Peco.<br />
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Pe<br />
Posted by Dennis Lippert on August 12, 2002, 02:32pm<br />
The reason DCC shows up this problem, is the extremely qwick<br />
trip-times on the short-circuit protection used for modern DCC.<br />
(Dynatrol, or dc, would not exhibit this phenomenon). I have<br />
one staging yard that has a mixture of old and new Peco<br />
Insulfrogs (all LONG radius), and certain locos will DEFI-<br />
NITELY short on the frog almost at low speeds all the time.<br />
(Atlas's new stuff, for one). There are even a few metal-wheeled<br />
freightcars that will short out.<br />
While live-frog turnouts are undeniably a better approach, they<br />
have their own problems with shorting in the point area with<br />
certain turnouts and equipment. They also require MUCH more<br />
wiring complexity. I have settled on using cheap Atlas Code 83<br />
track as a good simple approach. It doesn't look quite as nice as<br />
ME or Shinohara, but it's been 100% problem-free thus far.<br />
Den<br />
Athearn 2-8-2 problem<br />
Posted by Matt Given on July 28, 2002, 07:20pm<br />
I just purchased an Athearn 2-8-2. When i placed on a straigt test<br />
track it runs but once every revolution of the wheels there is a<br />
popping sound and the whole engine jumps momentarily. After<br />
reading great reviews on how well this engine runs I am very<br />
dissapointed. Before I send it back thought I would see if you have<br />
any suggestions.<br />
Re: Athearn 2-8-2 problem<br />
Posted by russ on July 28, 2002, 09:17pm<br />
Matt; it sounds like a driver set is out of quarter. If you are not<br />
comfortable with dealing with all of the valve train , or do not<br />
have a NWSL Quarterer ,I would take it back to the dealer that<br />
you bought it from.<br />
Re: Athearn 2-8-2 problem<br />
Posted by John on July 30, 2002, 09:06pm<br />
Matt,<br />
You may also want to ensure that the little screws that hold the<br />
drivers into the wheels aren't loose, they'll catch on each<br />
revolution. I had the same problem on a Rivarossi Challenger<br />
and tightening the screws solved the problem.<br />
Good luck.<br />
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