Wiring for Peco Insulfrog switches

Wiring for Peco Insulfrog switches

[@paulreinhardt6052]

Thanks! Sanity check for what I already expected. Now to drop a bunch of leads…

[@elizabethwilcox8006]

Great video, and very helpful as there are'nt many to explain the wiring for insulfrog points

[@christopherbrown5338]

Glad it helped

[@kennethljungberg642]

Thanks very much, It`s working. Now the fun starts. Thank You.

[@josefbuckland]

Super vid. building something similar DCC with peco Insul but was going to also solder some feeders under the point where they leave that exposed gap so you can strip the the feeder back a bit more and solder it across both sections. I mean as you have explained it seems redundant but I guess it’s just redundancy without relying on the throw arm touching the side. Otherwise we just continue exactly with what you did that’s why I went insulfrog I don’t need complexity with frog polarity my layout is dead set simple. I hope lol

[@christopherbrown5338]

Replying on just the throw arm isn't enough. I would press the point against the rail to get a connection but I didn't want to do that eveytime

[@geoffwalker315]

Chris, for future reference wire the switch rails to the stock rails as you would for electrofrog switches.

[@christopherbrown5338]

When I had a real layout I did solder to the outside of the actual rails. In this case, I wanted to be able remove the switches & track easily if I were to sell them or build another layout. Thank you for the info though.

[@genejordan9983]

Good info,thanks

[@doublediamondrailroad5949]

I’m having problems with New Peco Insulfrogs. I replaced all the Atlas Switches in 2 Yards. The Pecos are Power Routing off the points direction. This threw me a curve for DCC manually controlled Blocks. I cut gaps on one side consistent with same rail all around Layout. Those are fed off Atlas Selector Switches. I dropped White Feeders to those to the Selectors. I’ve got all Blocks working separately off those Selectors. 8 Switches total to 8 Blocks. Problem is the Peco’s Still override what I’m trying to do. I dropped Red Commons on the opposite rail of Gaps. Not hooked up to Red Bus yet. I jumpered from Mainline Red wire over and past the First Yard Lead Switch to its other End to bypass power routing. That’s ok until I throw that Switch Points back to straight through. Then I get a Short! I wonder if i pull s Switch out and cut the X Jumpers on the. Bottom Side if it will Stop Power Routing and let me use my Dual Feeders Before and After each Peco? Really Baffles me as to what’s going on. Ever had this issue with Atlas Snap or Standard Customs. I’m using a Digi Continuity Meter with Tone and Clip on Leads. Also tested Live. Works using Peco Routing but that leaves me Dead Tracks depending on throw direction. Put a Common Jumper on after First Switch and It Shorts out the Controller. Trying Exactly what you did to avoid intermittent Point contact. Got that on 2 already. Lost, Confused and Baffled after 3 days of this cutting off the rest of the Layout Electrically to Isolate this to just this Yard Rebuild. I’ve put in all new wiring. Stripped old. Now can’t hook up Red Common so it seems without causing it all to Short. First Main Yard worked fine with same Pecos. All in same block. One slide switch assigned to it.

[@christopherbrown5338]

It is hard to understand without seeing it. I would not modify the bottom of the switches. If possible, remove or disconnect each switch and take it one step at a time reconnecting & wiring each switch until you encounter a short situation. Remember, never depend on the points to carry your power through the switch. That is why I drop three pairs of feeders for a single switch. The insulfrog switches to me make the most sense to me and have worked great. On my older layout, I had 32 blocks using two Digitrax block detection units with no issue. Also, can you temporarily isolate the area of concern by starting with one switch to a new temporary red & white bus connected to nothing else except a command station, again this isolates everything except the switches you are adding. It may sound like a pain in the butt to do, but just may flush out why your short is occurring. You can send send photo's if you wish so I can better see what you are explaining. [e-mail]

[@doublediamondrailroad5949]

@@christopherbrown5338 My problem is Solved! Just posted a new Update 4 vid about it. Found Diagram and several Posts about the same issue at 2:15 AM! 🙄 I do have feeders on all ends Common and Switched from Atlas Selectors. That was the problem. Feeds can only come from Points ends. Feederz Downstream caused Shorts. Solution was cut Gaps just past Frog rails Before next Feeder. That fixed it. No Short. Good Continuity. Overrides Points Power Routing. All tracks Live depending on my Manual Block Switches. Only had to cut in 4 more Gaps on common side of Frog Rail.

[@user-gw4bf5vc9w]

So you use all metal rail joiners on each rail on all three 'ends' of the Insulfrog turnouts? I see and hear of so many different ways to wire these things that my head is spinning...I just don't want to 'blow up' my DCC system. Even Peco has sent me a wiring diagram saying/showing the use of insulating rail joiners is required; however, others say they do not use insulating rail joiners. I need a wiring diagram from someone who has these in use so I can/do get these wired up correctly. My head hurts so bad and is spinning so fast...AARRGGHH!!!

[@IgottaHu-GO]

google randomized words and i searched it i got this on my first sight

[@Tnapvrvideo]

I need to purchase a simple DC power supply for my HO scale railroad to power LED lights and other accessories. Can you help me to choose between these two selections: a 12V 10A 120W DC Power Supply Adapter 100V~240V AC to DC Converter 12 Volt *10 Amp* Transformer or a 12V 5A 60W Power Supply Adapter AC DC Converter 100V~240V to 12 Volt *5 Amp* Transformer. I don't understand the 5Amp versus 10Amp pros and cons and how each choice would play out / impact my use on the layout. MANY THANKS!

[@christopherbrown5338]

The more amps the better. Each LED is going to use a fraction of your amperage, so the more the better. Also, if the output is 12 volts you'll need to use resistors on your LED's. A typical 3-5mm LED may use about 3 volts but if you series 4 of them then you won't need a resistor. If you can avoid resistors by series LEDs that's better because resistors turn voltage into heat and that is a waste. So know your LED voltage & amperage. Your typical 3-5 LED uses 20mA or 0.02 Amp.

[@Tnapvrvideo]

Wonderful. Thank you! I am also exploring the idea of building some small, home-made electromagnets to trigger some fun accessories on the model railroad layout. The 10A will certainly add to the magnets strength (pulling power). I'm talking about the simple type where you wrap copper wire around a threaded bolt and attach the wire ends to the + and - of a power source. I figured that the 10A would be a nice power source while being fine for LED's as well. Your THOUGHTS on electromagnets and LED's sharing a 10A power source via bus wires under the layout?

[@thedona.r.kbnoah7334]

CSX 👍