Kato turnout and power routing ?


xxtwobuck

New Member
On my switching layout I have six turnouts and power supplied at three points. On one route from spur to spur, the loco quits. It runs everywhere else and would run on this route earlier. I think I need to move the screws on each turnout from power routing to non power routing. I believe that will make all track live. I think that's what I want. Any advice? Any corrections to my understanding?

Hi, guys. I've been gone for a while.

xxtwobuck (Ken)
 
Not exactly sure what you're describing. But I'll say this: Power routing switches were great back in the old analog DC days because they fed power to spurs or other situations. After a loco passed the points, the points could then be reversed leaving said loco without power so it wouldn't move. This too saved the need for an on/off toggle for that particular piece of track.. Today, there is little need for power routing switches due to the independence of DCC locos..each moving or stopping anywhere. I don't know anything about Kato switches. But if their switches have this turnable screw to change them from 'power-routing' to 'all-live' and assuming you are in DCC, by all means make them all-live...Only thing remaining is to make sure there are no hidden polarity-reversing loops. Wyes, turntables, balloon tracks are reverse loops.. Those still need DPDT toggles or gadgets such as HexFrogJuicers..
Others may differ with my comments. One good thing I will say about power-routing switches: When wired/gapped correctly they have less stallout potential than all-live due to not having an insulated frog which all-live must have, in turn making the frog a potential stall out place, especially for locos with short wheel bases. Hope this helps. M
 
On my switching layout I have six turnouts and power supplied at three points. On one route from spur to spur, the loco quits. It runs everywhere else and would run on this route earlier.
Since it ran on this route earlier, what changed? Has one of the three power feeds come loose?

But regardless, yes, I believe non-power routing option would solve your problem.
 
I have changed all TO's to non power routing and it seems that all is well. Your replies were all helpful and showed that I had not furnished all background. Power leads are secure. Since the loco had run on this route earlier, some of the turnouts were switched. I did not and will not study the changes. The combination of points where power is connected and the necessity of a power feed through more than one turnout apparently caused that particular stretch of track to be isolated. My layout is n scale on a 12 inch by 48 inch base. It's not completed but tests are still possible. I'm in an assisted living domicile, have little space and am still having a ball. I lost my rather big layout to the Blanco River flood in 2015 but couldn't stay out of the best hobby alive. Will be 86 in October and this fills some really boring days!

xxtwobuck
 
Hi, I'm new at this but I'm so new I still have the instructions that came with my kato turnout. Any chance it's kato? Well here's some of it, Nonpower routing feature supplies power to both lines of track without interruption, frog power on prevents stalling of small locos while passing over turnout. All of this is imprinted in the plastic on the back of the turnout. Not sure why I would set it up to have my train stall but the option is there.
 



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