Hi Guys

Had a good look at the site but cant find an answer to this question.

Can I use Peco type switch machines on modified dcc compatible electro frogs to do power routing with DCC control?

I understand this can be achived with tortoise machines but wonder if a DCC stationary decoder might provide the switch required for power routing the frog? Maybe in conjunction with a relay?

Kind Regards All Alex

-- Alex Voigt (alex@adv-tech.com.au), February 05, 2005

Answers

Once you have electrically isolated the frog from all other track rails you can use practically anything or any means to repower it with the proper polarity. A microswitch mechanically tied to the throwbar works well for manual and motor operated turnouts. If you use a solenoid type switch machine you can use a latching relay wired in parallel with the coils to flip and remember frog polarity. Using a separate channel of a stationary decoder to operate a conventional relay can be done but doubles-up on the expenses. If you go that route, set the stationery decoder for the frog relay and the one for the throwbar machine to the same address and so they will work in unison from the same DCC command.

-- Don Vollrath (dvollrath@magnetek.com), February 07, 2005.