Dave,
It is difficult to describe how to hook up the 3-way turnout in
words. I'm going to make a drawing and add it to my website, but I
may not have time to do so until my Christmas break. Here it is in
a few words. I hope you can follow it.
Use two of your favorite switchmachine to operate the two sets of
points. Any switchmachine will do. Just be sure they each have at
least 1 set of contacts for power routing frogs. Tortoises and the
NJ International twin-coil type both have at least 2 sets of such
contacts.
Starting at the heel of the turnout, call the first set of
points "A" and the second set "B". Then call the first frog you
encounter "1", then "2" and then finally "3."
Electrically tie frogs 1 and 2 together. Why they didn't do this
has me wondering if I have made a mistake in telling you to tie them
together. So I checked my work and it seems right.
Frogs 1 and 2 are controlled by the power routing contacts of the
switchmachine you use to control the A points. Frog 3 is controlled
by the power routing contacts you use to control the B points.
See one of the turnouts on my website for how to hook up power
routing switches to your buses.
Note that I have not specifically told you which bus the power
routing contacts are to be hooked to. That's because unless you are
extremely careful, you will hook them up wrong. So why fight
Murphy? Just hook them up one way and try running a loco across the
turnout. If it shorts, swap the wires going to the power routing
contacts and try again.
I'll post on this forum when I get time to make a drawing and add it
to my website.
Allan
