[upnick]

Hi All,
In the intermodal part of the layout i would like to incorporate two long peco code 55 electrofrog crossings, and have a digitrax Ar1 reversing module which i understand needs to be used, in this diagram the vees have insulating joiners ... after points i always fit insulating joiners to all four lines coming away then pick up with feeds the other side of the point would it be accurate to do this on the crossing, eight insulating joiners in total.

Also would the reversing module be able to control both crossings if so how do i wire it .... two sets of wiring but identical or is there a better way.

 

[Doug]

You only really need to have 8 insulating joiners if you have a block section after the crossing that you wish to monitor with some sort of feedback system. You will then need to feed power to the outer rails of the crossing too. Otherwise use insulated joiners only on the frogs as the outer rails never change polarity.

You could use the same reversing unit if you can guarantee that you will not have a loco on one crossing and another loco on the other crossing. If there is a chance of the two crossing being used at the same time, use two reversing units.

BTW, I have found in the past that Peco insulfrog crossings work well on DCC, obviously without the need for any reversing unit. They don't foul up little 0-4-0 locos as much as insulfrog points do as with a crossing you tend to be going faster than at a set of insulfrog points.

 

[dwb]

You can use changeover switches instead and if the crossing is part of a crossing with access controlled by a pair of points as shown in the diagram below, you can use the same switches as for the point frogs. If you stare at the diagram for long enough you will see that you wire the frogs in a pair along one rail. So in the diagram you have the green pair and the magenta pair which you see in the bottom left most image. The black lines indicate the selected route through the crossing.

You might wonder if you would have a point on both ends, but I believe Board of Trade (?) regulations would require you to protect both ends from a run away, so the end you were considering leaving "point less" should have a trap point at the least and that will accept a motor which could drive the second switch.

David

 

[poliss]

There are some diagrams on the bottom of Brian Lamberts DCC page. http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/DCC.htm

 

[upnick]

Hi Doug, DWB, Poliss,

Many thanks for the information,

I cannot guarentee two locos wont be together so two reverse modules will be needed, as to the wiring can i wire them up in duplicate following the diagram i know its more wiring but i dont mind.

 

[upnick]

Last night after looking at the long crossings they are insulafrog not electrofrog ...... so i will not need the reversing modules, and as Doug mentioned the 0-4-0 will have a better time running.

Do i need to use insulating joiners on the vees or does the insulafrog crossing not require them, also each end of the crossing can i add feeds to all 8 points on the outgoing tracks.

 

[upnick]

This afternoon went to the modelshop near me and exchanged the insulafrog long crossings for the electrofrog type ..
1. for appearence and
2. so i could use the reverse modules sat here

in this diagram it shows the module connected to a booster unit do i need one or can i connect to the bus running round the layout going to the power pro control without any detrimental effect in performance from the control.

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/uploa...300_83_2492.gif

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (upnick @ 20 Oct 2008, 21:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...
in this diagram it shows the module connected to a booster unit do i need one or can i connect to the bus running round the layout going to the power pro control without any detrimental effect in performance from the control.
...

The track bus will be fine. The school of thought that that diagram comes from uses boosters for different blocks on the layout. So the crossings in a particular block will be connected to the booster powering that block.

 

[upnick]

QUOTE (Doug @ 21 Oct 2008, 07:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The track bus will be fine. The school of thought that that diagram comes from uses boosters for different blocks on the layout. So the crossings in a particular block will be connected to the booster powering that block.

Hi Doug,

Thanks for the information