I have been reading everything I can find on the internet about Insulfrog and Electrofrog turnouts to determine which I want to use on my new layout. It appears that the Insulfrog would simplify the wiring. Are there any drawbacks to using Insulfrog that I am missing?
I have nothing but Peco Insulfrog (NScale) and do not have any problem with them. They are power routing so you my want to supply a feeder to each section to track after each leg of the turn out. I personally do not solder any thing to my turnouts any more, Flex track and sectional track are much cheaper too replace when something goes wrong. I speak from experience. Gary
Insulfrog are power routing? If so I do not see the benefit of using them. Why are they less wiring? Lynn, if you have small engines, especially steamers, they can be in very good working order and still stall on insulated frogs. The solution for good power pick-up in N scale is redundancy, i.e. having as many wheels picking up as possible, and dead spots never help.
Generally not, but it doesn't take much in the way of dirt on track and wheels plus a less than perfect loco to cause the odd hiccup, especially if you have a sound decoder involved.
If not Power Routing then what is the term???? Ok I may not have used the correct term. The Peco Insulfrog turnouts that I have on stub ended sidings result in the siding being dead when the turnout is not aligned to the siding. The more I think about it the same thing happened on my passing sidings when both turnouts were aligned to the main, furthermore the main between the turnouts for the passing siding went dead when both turnouts were aligned to the siding. If that is not Power Routing then what is the correct term? Gary
Good thread, this clears up question that poped in my head when I was researching Tortoise machines (in trying to decide track choic for upcoming layout). Everythign I was reading was stating that YOU HAD TO solder a lead the frog and to the frog terminal on the tortoise. This did not make allot of sense to me as I like many of you have used turnouts with insulated frogs when I was in N-scale with Digitrax systems. I also used Kato Unitrak turnouts with the same systems with no issues. So, if I am understanding this correctly now, wheter or not to power the frog is simply a matter of choice and not required. Is this correct?
For a live frog (eg. Peco Electrofrog) basically, Yes. You obviously can't power a dead (insulated) frog However, an unpowered 'live' frog will usually give you a longer dead section than a proper dead frog. Bear in mind too that some (Peco at least) live frogs are actually powered by the power routing nature that is built in at the factory. It is only when the turnout is made 'DCC friendly' that the choice arises of powering the frog by an external switch or leaving it dead.
There is no special wiring required with Peco Electrofrog turnouts. All you have to do is use insulted rail joiners on the frog rails. So simple. I now have all Electrofrogs on my layout. Even the smallest switcher running at a snails pace never stalls going through the turnouts. Also my layout is DCC.
Yes, power routing is the correct term. I have some Electrofrog turnouts so I am certain how they work, but I do not have any Insulfrog so I can not be 100% certain about them. I have heard that Insulfrog are not power routing but after doing some more reading on them I believe that they are. There are two types of power routing turnouts: Some that cause both rails of the leg the turnout is not aligned for to be the same polarity or phase, and some that simply cut power to one rail of the leg it is not aligned for. The Electrofrog is the first type, which means that if power is fed to the legs of the tunrout, then the rails have to be gapped to prevent a short. Apparently, the Insulfrog are of the second type of power routing turnout(Kato N-scale Unitack #6 switches are like this as well), and they will not cause a short so they do not have to have gaps added.
There is nothing wrong with insulated frogs; that is if your want to do all your switching at 60mph or full throttle in and out of your yard !!!!! A hard lesson learned----Wire once or forever hand push your engines twice!
I have mostly Peco insulfrog switches ( not turnouts )on my layout. Thte problem I have is at the point end of the frog where the two rails of different polarity are too close and wheels bridge them causing a short. Some nail polish solves that problem.
I have had the same problem- Got watch when you clean your track so you do not remove the nail polish. I use a small drop of ACC spread with a tooth pick. All the new ones I get now are the Electrofrog. I like the NO DEAD spots. I think that I might try putting a metal point on the insulfrog turnouts, and make them Electrofrog.
As long as you don't mind doing ALL you switching in your yard at 60mph to get over all the dead spots on your UN-POWERED frogs, with your short wheel base engines. If you have a 0-4-0 switcher FORGET IT
Because of terminology, believe the original post was from a Peco user, so maybe my experience could help. I use insulfrog and electrofrog switches on my n-scale layout and follow the Peco instruction sheet for electrofrog for all wiring. (Insulfrog has different instructions.) That means that all tracks following the frogs are gapped and following tracks are powered by their own drops. Didn't know at first that Peco N-scale switches were power routing, and long thought I'd have to insert electric switches into the wiring to kill power to storage tracks. (Silly me, I was treating all situations the same.) Before wasting time and money I tumbled to the meaning of "power routing" and now use the feature to "kill" power to a stub. Nice. With the current era engines I use (P42s, GEVOs, etc.) I don't see an operational issue with my insulfrogs. Long wheelbase & 6 wheel trucks surely help. But electrofrog is costly.
