Progress - 13 May 2012

This week I got the yard ladder in and I had a visit by my MRR buddy Rich Saturday evening. The week started with locating and drilling the throw wire and frog wire holes for the turnouts. Determining the length and cutting of the small pieces of track between turnouts.

Then prep the nine turnout switches. I isolate the frogs by cutting gaps in the wing rails and soldering jumpers from the outside rail to the wing rails and add a wire to the frog for power. I also remove the Peco point spring. You can see more detail in earlier post.

Here the finish yard ladder installation started Thursday evening thru Sunday morning. More would have been accomplished but I ran out of magnets for my uncouplers and was only able to install the caboose/MOW track. Once the magnets arrive (my local source stop carrying the ones I was using) I will complete the yard area track. I will be moving on to installing the 15 tortoise switch machines next for all the work complete in the last few weeks.

Rich started the prep (during his visit) on my tortoise machines by soldering on a connector I like using. Thanks Rich. Next will be to create the new throw rod for my thick deck.

Thanks for following.

Peco Turnout - Prep

A friend of mine ask for instructions on how I modified/prep my PECO Turnouts, most of what I did came from a on-line clinic reference by Rick Bell (http://dccinstallsandsales.com). I presently do not remember were I downloaded it from most likely from one of the MRR Forums or Yahoo Groups. email me if you would like a copy it's little over 2mb in size.

A backside view of a unmodified PECO Turnout note the existing jumper for the frog

First thing I did was remove the spring that holds the points in-place against the rails as I am going to use tortoise switch machines. I discovered, I had two different ways PECO manufactured their turnouts as shown below. 

Once the spring was removed. I had to drill a hole in the throw bar for the switch machine.

Next is to isolate the frog and wing rails from the points, by cutting two gaps in the wing rails.

I used a Zona Jeweler saw recommend on Fast Track website with No 2 Saw Blades (.028 x .013 x 43TPI) for the gaps.
 

 

Added jumpers from outside rails before the rail gaps to the frog, so to provide addition connectivity for the points.

Add a wire for the frog polarity change from switch machine. There is a couple ways of do this I solder the wire at the junction point of the existing jumpers.

To complete the isolation of the frog. I install the PECO insulated rail joiners on the two frog rails or you can use the metal one's and gap the rail at your preferred location.