Point wiring using Tortoise

Clarification sought please.

I am new to this so please excuse me if terminology is incorrect.

I am wiring a large layout, 4 circuts each with passing loops, mulitiple other turnouts. On the passing loops using tortoise point motors. Power to rails via multiple drops to .75mm cable under board.

DC Control Live frog points. I wired one pole of the change over switch on the Tortoise to the left stock rail, the other pole to the right stock, centre pole to the frog (also connected to the rail which changes over called the .............? rail)

Point set straight through track powered OK. On passing loop left and right rails at same potential as stock rail. Before I checked with continuity meter and thought about it, I had expected stock rail to be at its voltage (say + 12), other rail to be open circuit. Train in loop does not run, that is as desired. Change over, reverse happens, train in loop runs other train on main line is stopped which is also as desired but is it good practice?

N.B. have not tried running stock on track yet as layout disassembled.

Do I need to isolate the frog?

I would like to wire so that system works for DC but can be converted to DCC without too much effort I presume for DCC working rails are always powered and that that needs to be taken into account. Can someone point me in the direction of some literature, preferrably on the web which would allow me to understand some basic wiring principles for model railways.

Thank you

David

You are using the turnout controller to switch the tracks beyond the turnout on and off. In effect the turnout is a the switch for the control blocks (track sections.) It also ensures good electrical supply throughout the turnout with no dead spots. This is good practice. The only tricky bit is the placement of isolating railjoiners or rail gaps to ensure the control sections are truly isolated. The frogs are isolated by this means - they do not need to be isolated separately.

The alternative is to use block control switches wired into the track feeders.

For DCC, the turnouts are fine just as you have wired them. You don't need control blocks in DCC, but you do need isolating gaps here and there to prevent short circuits where turnouts face each other, at reversing tracks, etc. Any such gaps that you put in for a DC controlled layout will also work for DCC.

I think you would do well to buy a good beginner's book on wiring a layout. I gather from your questions that you are not confident enough of your electrical knowledge to be sure you've done it right even when you've followed the directions. So a short course in the basics will do you a world of good. Go for it! :-)

Unsolicited advice: since you are building a new layout, it may be worth your while to go DCC from the get go. You will need a lot of extra wiring for DC, as well as switches, controllers, etc, which will become redundant when you change to DCC. This DC control gear can add up to a surprisingly large sum, which will be lost when you change. The only advantage to wiring for DC as well as DCC is that if your non-DCC friends bring their locos over for a run, you could switch back to DC for that occasion.

HTH