Steven,
?
There are many different ways to isolate the rails of an electrical
block.
?
The method I use is rather simple. I apply super glue to the rails at three
ties on either side of where I want to cut the rails. I use the super glue not
super glue gel.
?
After I am sure that the glue has dried I generally use a razor saw to cut
the rails. I have also been know to use a Dremel jewelers cutting wheel. After I
have cut the rails I apply another drop of super glue between the cut rails.
When that has dried I use a 1200 grain sand paper to clean the top of the rails.
The super glue between the cut rails insures no future short.
?
The above has been working great for me for over 20 years.
?
While it is not always necessary I always cut both sides of the rail at
each rail at each end of an electrical block.
?
BTW I used the PM42 as a circuit breaker from the introduction of the PM4
until the introduction of the BXPA1 and BXP88.
?
|
Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg
If your solder joint doesn't start to make immediately, you probably need more cleaning. You can wipe the soldering iron tip on a sponge or damp paper towel, folded several times. For the rail, a fiberglass scratch brush works great as well as a wire wheel for a dremel (be careful of the ties). Other methods of cleaning the webbing on the rail work, these are just what I use. (I really like the scratch brush, it's fast but doesn't seem to bother the ties.)
Puckdropper
|
Yes, you need to separate the districts electrically. I have my version of the Red Oak Line and have a PM42. The front track is Zone 1. The hidden staging tracks is Zone 2, The hidden Staging tracks for the Interchange is Zone 3. The Interchange is Zone 4. The nice thing about using a PM42, is if you accidentally short a track, it does not shutdown the other Zones. I have plastic insulators on my layout. If you have already laid all your track, then you need to decided which tracks belong to which Zone and then use a dremnal tool to cut very small breaks in both rails. Cutting both rails is important.
On Friday, January 14, 2022, 09:26:32 AM CST, whmvd <vandoornw@...> wrote:
Cutting both rails or just the one ("common rail") is a choice rather than a necessity. It is worth researching, so that that choice is an informed one. Common rail works well for me. For a garden layout (such as I plan) every wire saved is important.
Wouter
On Fri, 14 Jan 2022 at 13:27, Blair < smithbr@...> wrote:
A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also do in a
pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw snags, as it
will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic ties.? If you don't
own a Dremel, it's an expensive solution compared to a small saw.
Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You can't get
away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And for reversing
sections, the same thing applies.
Blair
Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power
sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic
insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this
required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Wouter
Strictly not necessary, I would agree,
but three factors warrant it in most cases, to me.
1) there may come a day when another
booster is added; it's not advisable to connect either rail in
this case.
2) there may come a day when it becomes
necessary to make a section autoreversing, and the gaps will be
needed.
3) when diagnosing a short circuit,
having isolated sections makes the number of possible problems
fewer.
Agreed, there will always be use cases
that speak to other alternatives, but exceptions-to-the-rule need
context.? In your case, you know what your doing, and can make a
value judgement.
On 2022-01-14 10:07, whmvd wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Cutting both rails or just the one ("common rail") is a
choice rather than a necessity. It is worth researching, so
that that choice is an informed one. Common rail works well
for me. For a garden layout (such as I plan) every wire saved
is important.
Wouter
On Fri, 14 Jan 2022 at 13:27,
Blair < smithbr@...>
wrote:
A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also
do in a pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw
snags, as it will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic
ties.? If you don't own a Dremel, it's an expensive
solution compared to a small saw.
Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You
can't get away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And
for reversing sections, the same thing applies.
Blair
Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power
sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use
plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the
districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up
track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Re: Looking for lighted push buttons
The ones that Kevin referred to are the same as the ones I used in my staging yard panel.
Tim Rumph
Lancaster, SC
|
Re: Looking for lighted push buttons
Yes those are it, thank you. I was trying to find them through a search and wasn’t coming up with anything similar.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 14, 2022, at 1:44 PM, Kevin <kwhite6@...> wrote:
? Just looked again at the video. He answered your question in the comments:
"I assume you are referring to the pushbuttons with the internal LED’s in the yard ladder I showed in the first control panel video. Those came from and are an LP1-OA-1-A-G with the last letter indicating the LED color, in this case green. They are $2.12 for 10 or more but the price does continue to decrease with increasing volume. I just checked and they still have them."
|
Re: Looking for lighted push buttons
Just looked again at the video. He answered your question in the comments:
"I assume you are referring to the pushbuttons with the internal LED’s in the yard ladder I showed in the first control panel video. Those came from and are an LP1-OA-1-A-G with the last letter indicating the LED color, in this case green. They are $2.12 for 10 or more but the price does continue to decrease with increasing volume. I just checked and they still have them."
|
Re: Looking for lighted push buttons
What about All Electronics or James Electronics?
On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 1:21 PM Kevin < kwhite6@...> wrote: You can try:
The ones on adafruit may be too large for what you want. But digikey and mouser should have a large selection.
-- Steven C. Low, Executive Director
Flint Jewish Federation,
810 767-5922
810 406-9634 (cell)
|
Re: Looking for lighted push buttons
You can try:
mouser.com
digikey.com
adafruit.com
The ones on adafruit may be too large for what you want. But digikey and mouser should have a large selection.
|
Looking for lighted push buttons
Larry Puckett (the DCC Guy) has some videos on YouTube where he explains how to build control panels. On one of his yard panels, he uses a lighted push button that lights when pushed and indicates the route going into that track is lined. He does not mention where he purchased or who makes the push buttons. Has anyone used something similar or know a source for these?
They are shown at about the 7:30 mark.
Brent Johnson
|
Cutting both rails or just the one ("common rail") is a choice rather than a necessity. It is worth researching, so that that choice is an informed one. Common rail works well for me. For a garden layout (such as I plan) every wire saved is important.
Wouter
On Fri, 14 Jan 2022 at 13:27, Blair < smithbr@...> wrote:
A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also do in a
pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw snags, as it
will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic ties.? If you don't
own a Dremel, it's an expensive solution compared to a small saw.
Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You can't get
away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And for reversing
sections, the same thing applies.
Blair
Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power
sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic
insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this
required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Generic name for Super Glue
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 14, 2022, at 8:10 AM, Steven Tobias < srtobias29@...> wrote: Very helpful. Thank you. What is CA? On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 11:24 PM Kurt Konrath via <kurt.konrath= [email protected]> wrote: You need to separate each district.?
Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?
This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?
It’s but one way to gap rails.?
You don’t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?
Kurt? Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Very helpful. Thank you. What is CA?
On Thu, Jan 13, 2022 at 11:24 PM Kurt Konrath via <kurt.konrath= [email protected]> wrote: You need to separate each district.?
Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?
This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?
It’s but one way to gap rails.?
You don’t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?
Kurt? Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
A jewelers saw, commonly used for cutting rail, will also do in a
pinch, just be sure to go gently, or when the saw snags, as it
will, you'll rip the rail out of the plastic ties.? If you don't
own a Dremel, it's an expensive solution compared to a small saw.
Be sure to cut both rails to isolate districts.? You can't get
away with just one cut, you need both cut.? And for reversing
sections, the same thing applies.
Blair
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power
sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic
insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this
required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
You need to separate each district.?
Plastic joiners work but if rail is down you can use thin fiber disk in Dremel tool to cut a thin gap.?
This gap can be filled with styrene glued in place with CA and filed to profile of rail. ?
It’s but one way to gap rails.?
You don’t have to pull track up to isolate rail districts.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Jan 13, 2022, at 8:28 PM, Steven Tobias < srtobias29@...> wrote: Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Hello
I am using the Digitrax PM 42 to segment 4 power sub-districts.?
My track is already down and soldered. I did not use plastic insulating rail joiners to separate the districts. Is this required? Do I have to pull up track?
Thanks,
Steven Tobias
|
Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg
The key for soldering is speed.
If it takes longer that a second to make the joint, back off and try another technique.
I don't use resistance soldering, so have no idea how that works in real life.
Using a soldering iron, the correct solder is crucial.
Wrong solder:
can take too long to melt.
have acid flux (eats up wires and copper on boards).
not be best conductor.
hard to handle.
Also, more solder is not always better.?
Thomas
DeSoto, TX
|
Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg
Allan,
? I have a -few- Peco turnouts that have those wires.? They are all double slips.
If Peco has adopted an attitude/practice of "we'll do this for all turnouts" then
that helps anyone who is buying new.? I purchased my turnouts only about 2+
years ago and most of them do not have those wires.?
? I wish Peco would live up to their promise of "rolling out" (converting) to the
Unifrog method - they know how to do it but are dragging their feet on that
promise.? I might even replace all of my yet to be installed turnouts with the
Unifrogs ... but if they aren't available "across the line for all turnouts" I'm
probably not going to do that.? Probably.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim
|
Re: Peco Electrofrog - dead leg
Hi Jim,
Peco Electrofrogs, at least in recent history, has a wire attached to the frog that you can solder to, so that you don't have to solder to the frog.? Of course, the Electrofrog is being phased out for the Unifrog.? The tiny portion of the Unifrog that can be powered also has a wire for it.
For all you could wonder about Peco turnouts, visit my website at:??
Allan Gartner
Wiring for DCC
|
Peco Electrofrog - dead leg
Hi all,
? I was soldering feeders to an HO Peco Electrofrog turnout using resistance
soldering.? I kept the heat on it too long and heard a "sizzle".? Sure enough
when I checked with my meter one of the short legs off the frog is dead.? The
dead part of the turnout was the segment between the frog and the points
but I am certain that the solder joint that 'sizzled' was the one on the short
(non-points) end of that wire since right above it was where I was working.
? I was soldering the feeder(s) into the web of the rail on the outside of the
rail?where the wheel flanges run.
? There are two fairly small wires that bridge the frog and provide?the
power continuity - each is a little over an inch long (1.5?).? They are
spot soldered at the factory to the underside of the rails on both ends
and embedded in?the plastic that forms the frog.
? What happened is - I'm deducing - the heat broke (unsoldered) one of
those factory spot solder joints.
? So - be extra careful when soldering to the short rails on the 'inside' of
the?turnout (the side of the turnout that is away from the points).? If you
do break the contact you can fix it ... but you are not going to "like" it (it's
not going to be "pretty" and will require some 'contortion of your hands to
get to where you want to solder).
? I would also recommend that you try to solder feeders to your Electrofrog
(and?Insulfrog as well?) turnouts before you install them on the layout.? If
you are clever you can probably even figure out how to do that on the
underside of the turnout where the feeders won't show at all.
? On my layout all turnouts are gapped on all 6 legs - and insulating
joiners are used on all 6.? The reason why I'm doing this is because I
will be detecting occupancy of the turnouts and using that status to
prevent (minimize?) throwing the turnout under any equipment.? "If
it's occupied - don't throw."? This is being done using LCC - for both
the detection and the decision whether to actually throw or not.? Yes,
the push button for the "throw turnout" request is momentary.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?- Jim in the PNW (who learns something every day)
|
Tim
Jim Betz