A while back I purchased 27 Walthers (Shinohara) Code 83 turnouts. They are the DCC-ready turnouts (Insulfrog). Over the last while I've been laying roadbed, track, and installing the turnouts. So far so good. Last week I started to install my feeders and buss for the main line. I've been using an ohm meter to check polarity on the rails so I don't create a short by cross-connecting the feeders.... PROBLEMS!!! As soon as I started to ohm-out the feeders & main buss I found that the main line was shorted! I also found that my local line AND the switchyard were shorted! Everything was shorted, even where it was insulated from one section to another! After scratching my head for a few minuted I finally found the problem: Some of the Walthers turnouts were NOT insulated!!!!! They had failed to cut the rails and install the insulation filler. I found this on both straight and curved turnouts, on different sizes. Pictures: Anyone else see this? For now I've cut the frog free, but I need to fill the gap with an insulation filler. Any suggestions from the guys that build their own turnouts?? Mark in Utah
I use all hot frogs on my layout. I filled the gap with a small pc. of plastic. Since I painted my rails I did not worry about the color. But I use mostly grey or brown. I have one queston for you. Are you going to power the frogs from the swith machine? Since you have to change polarity on the frogs. Mike
Mark, I left you a note in the inspection pit on this but I had the same problem, lucky I only bought two of them. Supposed to be insulated but both were not. I sent them back to Walthers and they sent me two more, supposedly insulated again, again they weren't. After the third try I gave up and just cut them open and stopped using them, went back to Atlas. Since I am using DCC I don't need the powered frogs
I wasn't planning on powering the frogs. Down the road I might if I run into any problems. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll probably end up getting some acetate and gluing it in place with some AC gel then trimming it with a knife. I'll eventually be painting the rails. Mark in Utah
I'm thinking the cuts you made might be a bit far from the point of the frog to leave it unpowered. How do you power the frog from the switch machine guys? I have similar problems with a lot of my turnouts being non insulated (bought cheap or hand-me-downs).
The cuts I made were very close to the same locations as the other factory turnouts. In retrospect I could have both cut the frog closer to the point, and cut between the rails to seperate them. If I run into problems I can always power them. If you're using a tortoise switch machine you can use the internal DPDT switch to power the frog. Mark in Utah
