Bill: I would concur with Larry. In the DCC world, where intermittent shorts will shut down operations, it is most important to wire turnouts to minimize these potential shorts.
By hard-wiring the points/closure rails to the adjacent stock rail, you eliminate the potential for metal wheelsets to bridge the gap between point and stock rail, causing a short. By leaving the frog dead, this minimizes the chance that a car/locomotive running the wrong way through a turnout will cause a short. With a powered frog, when equipment rolls into a turnout thrown against it, a short circuit will occur at the frog, long before the equipment actually derails at the points. With a dead frog, no problem occurs until the equipment actually derails at the points. Thus, you can have it both ways -- a simple and reliable turnout for DCC calls for hard-wired points and closure rails, and a dead frog (minimize the length of the dead zone to avoid contact problems. A simple ground throw will operate this turnout, with no extra wiring. Today's locomotives have enough pick up points to make the dead frog a non-issue. On my layout, I mainly use HO sprung Caboose Industries ground throws, but where I need a little extra throw distance, I use the O scale sprung ground throws. Dan Vandermause --- In [email protected], "Tomalco Track \(Larry Morton\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Bill, > I recommend you do not rely on the points contact to power the rail when > using DCC. Ed Kozlowsky's suggestions are good, I built a layout several > years ago using that method and had no problems. My current layout has all > dead frogs. > > Larry > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bill Lane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "S Scale List" <S- [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 6:44 AM > Subject: {S-Scale List} Ground throws > > > > Hi Guys, > > > > I recently bought a bunch of the Caboose Industries O Scale sprung ground > > throws for my new yard module in the making. I wanted to be sure I had the > > needed throw. My other thoughts were possibly having sure a firm point > > engagement that I could power route from the points greatly saving > > additional wiring. Since they are modules, I have visions of blasting a > > ground throw during a move through a doorway. If I could just screw on a > > new > > unit without messing with wiring and a contactor, it would be MUCH better. > > > > I did not try to install any yet because there is NO track down, but on > > the > > 5 second initial look-see, they are not as massively oversized as I > > expected. What do ya'll think about relying on the points to carry the > > power? I have not been a fan of it before, but again, I am hoping to > > GREATLY > > simplify the wiring this time. > > > > Thank You, > > Bill Lane ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
