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I constructed all my turnouts and crossovers using FastTracks. They look prototypical and work flawlessly.
My question is: why don't I have to wire the frogs?? Yep, the frogs are not wired and I have no problems with my vintage Athearn GPs and SDs crossing them running DC.
The points are currently providing the power to the frog.
To test, slip a piece of paper between a point and the stock rail, when that point is touching the stock rail. Make this paper small enough to insulate the point from the stock rail, but so the loco can still run thru the switch. You may have to fold the edge of the paper over the stock rail.
Apply power and run a loco over the switch. If it stops, that confirms that you're feeding thru the points via the stock rails.
I don't know about that. The frogs are insulated from the point rails. In other words, there's a gap between the frogs and point rails. Could the wheels of the locos be powering the frog since at least one of the other wheels is on a powered rail?
I constructed all my turnouts and crossovers using FastTracks. They look prototypical and work flawlessly.
My question is: why don't I have to wire the frogs?? Yep, the frogs are not wired and I have no problems with my vintage Athearn GPs and SDs crossing them running DC.
#1 - Give thanks to the model railroading Gods! - You've saved yourself a ton a complexity by not having to worry about 'em
Anyway, I've never seen anything other than pictures/videos of Fasttracks T/O's, so the following is just a WAG;
The Loys Toys site tells us that "live frogs are good for nature, but not needed with "modern" locos with multi-axle pickups" - I note you said "vintage" locos, but if they've got pickups on more than one axle you should, and indeed appear to be, good..... [ http://www.loystoys.com/peco/about-insulfrog.html ]
I don't know about that. The frogs are insulated from the point rails. In other words, there's a gap between the frogs and point rails. Could the wheels of the locos be powering the frog since at least one of the other wheels is on a powered rail?
If the powered rail is connected somehow to a wheel supplying power to the wheel on the frog, the loco has power with or without the frog being powered. Think about that a while, and you will see it is true. Who cares if the frog has power when the motor is getting juice anyway??
Frogs only need power when no other wheels are supplying power to the loco, by definition that means the wheel on the frog and all other wheels connected to it are dead (and the motor thus has no juice). My frogs pretty much all float and most of my stuff runs over them just fine. Only a few steam engines or very small locos stumble.
oh , so those two are now working as part time mrr gods as well? i guess the dreaded crisis impacted them as well, lol. oppi fjellet
but seriously, this means only one thing,- your particular locomotive has all the power wheels staggered enough. i would do as per Carey suggestion - if indeed point rails are powered from stock rails this is something to look at. after weathering or over time that contact can deteriorate and not be reliable enough
With FastTrack turnouts, all rails except the frogs are powered. So the point rail does not get power from the stock rail. BTW, my locos are 25-30 year old Athearn SDs and GPs.
