DCC Friendly Points

I am confused by this subject so before I lay out too much money on insulated frog points can these be used on dcc. I just see reference to dcc friendly but not whether that refers to electrofrogs or insulated frogs. I assume that there is nothing else that I need to be considering before I start buying and laying track.

Kevin

Reply to
kajr
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wrote

Why would you want Insulfrog points with either DC or DCC? Live frog give infinitely superior running and effectively eliminates any tendency to stall on the frog of the point. They are just as easy to use, providing you follow a few basic rules.

My layout is DCC, I use unmodified Peco finescale Electrofrog points without any problems.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I think that what is meant by DCC friendly are points which have the moving rail at the same polarity as its adjacent non-moving rail (excuse the advanced terminology.) Ie the two moving rails are not electrically bonded together.

The points on my layout have the moving rails electrically bonded and one of my locos always causes a short as it passes through the point as the pickups on the tender wheels are very low and bridge the gap between the rails. This is on a non-DCC layout. Most non-DCC can cope with a little short like that, but I believe DCC equipment is much more sensitive to shorts and they can cause the system to shut down.

So, it isn't really a case of insulfrog or live frog.

Ashley.

Reply to
Ashley Sanders

I think that this is vaguely as I understand it. Anything that I have read refers to points being dcc friendly but exactly what is a dcc friendly set of points.

Kevin

Reply to
kajr

Where do PECO Streamline code 100 points fit into this? I use DCC and my Hornby Battle of Britain always causes a short when run slowly through just one point on the layout. When track cleaning I often notice black deposits that look like they are due to arcing on the fixed rail near where the moving rail touches it and also on the check rails adjacent to the frog. These deposits appear on points where shorts do not occur as well as on the one that causes a problem with that one particular loco.

ROB

Reply to
Robert Flint

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contains information on which points are DCC friendly, what makes them friendly, and just about anything else you could want to know.

Using PECO points, insulfrogs are DCC friendly out of the box, but the newer electrofrogs are convertable in a few minutes, and since they both look and perform better than insulfrog, I cant see any reason to go with insulfrog, unless the easier wiring is a factor.

Reply to
Andrew

Insulfrogs have problems at the crossing vee. Wider wheels can bridge across the two insulated rails forming the vee and cause a short thus shutting down the electronic overload trip on a DCC system. On a DC system this type of short will probably just result in a hesitation of the loco as the overload syatem on normal DC systems is'nt very fast acting.

The best advice is to forget all about Insulfrogs and go for turnouts with the crossing vees electrically isolated and switched using a microswitch operated by the tie bar mechanim. Bond each point blade and its associated closure rail to the adjacent stock rail, ensuring, of course, that they two point blades are not connected together. That way you get reliable running without the possibility of shorts between the pointblades and the backs of wheels.

DC layouts benefit from turnouts wired that way as much as DCC layouts.

Andrew wrote:

Reply to
Dick Ganderton

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