I am building a new (third) layout in N and want to go DCC. I have printed/read the Wiring for DCC web info. The easiest thing to do is use Peco insulfrog turnouts but their code 80 rail is a bit high. Their code 55 turnouts only come with "electrofrogs." I could care less about power routing. I am running 6-axle diesels in pairs and don't have any worry about stalling out in a non-powered frog. Is it feasible to use a dremel to cut/isolate the metal frog? I was thinking of inserting styrene in the cuts (filed to the rail profile) to keep the gaps intact in case of track expansion.

-- Bill McBride (mcb718@aol.com), June 11, 1999

Answers

Bill,

Issolating the frog as you describe would be fine. If you find the dead spot is a bit too much because you choose latter to use shorter wheel base motive power, you can always go back and power the frog. Do be sure and fix the small strips of styrene with preferably epoxy or at least ACC and allow to dry throughly before triming and filing. I use the hand razor saw instead of a dremel with cutoff disk. This will allow for a smaller and smother cut, with the extra work of course.

-- Ed McCamey (emccamey@cheerful.com), June 11, 1999.

Hi, am new to this hobby so bare with me please, If you don't care about the power routing why not just use them as they are, I saw in model railroading that if you run the power routing ones (without switching it) you will just cause a shutdown of that block, with the insulfrog one you will have a derailment, which can cause more damage. Am doing N scale with Peco track and turnouts, mine are both power and insul, because I got them used, but when I buy new ones I get the power ones because of what I saw in the Model Railroading mag,

-- Joe Belanger (6cats@telus.net), February 28, 2004.