Allen, (No dumb question until now) I am getting back into model railroading after many years absence. I bought a new Lenz system. I have HOn3 Shinohara track both new and old. Even after reading you article I am a little confused on how to make the turnouts user friendly, The circuit board throw bars you refer to I am having problems visualizing to install ( will write to purchase ). Correct me please if I am wrong it is a flat piece of what (construction ) .......... that you actually solder to the point rails (under side ) . Is the purpose of this to "increase" the conductivity between the two point rails? I thought the installed metal piece that is installed acomplishes that . Thank you for your help.

-- Robert Lee Sykes (bighattie@aol.com), December 01, 2002

Answers

Note All: I have finals soon. I will be dropping off the "radar screen" until 12/16.

For my last answer until after finals:

Circuit boards are made of an insulating material (quality ones are glass-epoxy) with copper on them.

My instructions should indicate that the circuit board gets a gap cut in the copper. That insulates the two point rails.

You are soldering the copper to the point rails.

The purpose is to INSULATE the two point rails from each other. The current construction shorts the point rails together. This causes a point rail that is open, but adjacent to a stock rail to be at the opposite polarity. An out of guage wheel or a derailed wheel will short them together and shut down your booster.

-- Allan Gartner (bigboy@WiringForDCC.com), December 01, 2002.