----- Original Message -----
From: Brer Loizeaux
. . . . . . . . .the erroneous belief that isolated frogs are "needed" or
"mandatory" . . . . . . . . . .
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
I hope I can keep this brief. Half this group's membership already is
probably hitting the delete button as soon as they see the subject line.
Dave Heine got it right when he said.
quote
Gapping the point side of the frog allows for two advantages
[1] . . . . you can move the point rail closer to the stock rail, which
improves the appearance of the turnout.
[2] The second is that you can wire the point rail to its stock rail
electrically.
endquote
His first point is most important, because it says that of the two ways of
making turnouts, one results in a more real-looking turnout. Your track
should be an accurate model also. I've seen pictures of model RRs where it
was difficult to determine if it was model or real, but when switch points
are in the picture, the distance between stock rail and point rail is
usually the give-away. I want the least distance between stock rail and
point rail, just like on the real railroads. (If you never look at real RR
turnouts, this may be lost on you.)
If there are two ways of making a turnout and one produces a turnout more
realistic-looking than the other, the realistic one for me is "mandatory."
When your point rail is of the same electrical potential as the stock rail,
there is no problem if the back of the wheel touches the point rail. We had
this discussion not long ago, and some helpful soul stated that if that
happens, some great disaster would occur. Not so. There is no more problem
than if the back of a wheel touches a guard-rail (at a frog, not on a
bridge).
Tom Hawley -- Lansing MI
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