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HO Turnout
Osmond operates HO and has a quick question for others in the hobby:
“Does anyone know why I am experiencing a short circuit when the loco engine runs over a turn out? Can anyone help me?”
To answer Osmond’s question click on the green Comments and Feedback link.
2 Responses to HO Turnout
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Osmond,have delt with this with Peco switches, even with insufrog, I have Atlas switches also but no such problems with them…The way i fixed the problem was to either insulate with plastic joiners both rails that run from the point of the frog,both are inside rails that are shaped like a V from the frog out, short end of the switch. You could also cut those two rails with a dremil tool cutting disk…This is more apt to happen in a yard situation where several switches are hooked togather..When you do this make sure you have good power on the other side of the insulation area, Peco switches are good performers, but for me have had to do a lot of work to get them to do right , the short problem mainly, and when they do this they kick a sound engines butt.A little trial and error goes a long way in this hobby. My system is DCC, I cannot answer for regular DC.
On some turnouts with plastic frogs (the Atlas are known for this) the metal rails at the frog are close enough together that the metal wheels of the loco passing over them will touch both and create a short. Clear fingernail polish over the spots where the loco wheels touch will fix this for a little while, but it might be a good idea to invest in turnouts with all metal frogs and use a switch to polarize them.
An added bonus to the all metal frogs is that short wheelbase locomotives won’t stall on them.