Peco Code 75 3 way turnout electrical continuity

[Ben Alder]

A bit of thinking out loud here - I have three of these asymetrical points on my layout, which are great space savers, but two of them have problems with keeping the current flowing through them. I have cleaned all the contacts and made sure the point motors are centered but they still misbehave on a spasmodic basis. Is it practical to bond them electrically  from underneath as can be done with "normal" points to ensure a good current passage. I can't seem to find any info on this and would welcome any advice about it.

[sb67]

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/13473-peco-asymmetric-3-way-turnout-sl-e199/

 

Not sure if this helps but I'm sure you can bond the rails as you say but you then have to  switch the polarity to the frogs.

Steve.

[eastglosmog]

I have one and it is bonded and has the frog polarity switched as shown in the first reply to the post linked to by sb67.  Works fine.

Edited September 18, 2017 by eastglosmog

[RFS]

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/13473-peco-asymmetric-3-way-turnout-sl-e199/

 

Not sure if this helps but I'm sure you can bond the rails as you say but you then have to  switch the polarity to the frogs.

Steve.

 

The points are electrofrog with fully isolated frogs and therefore polarity switches are mandatory unlike with simple points. Bonding underneath is the solution to the problem - if you look under the point you will see Peco have already cut the webbing for you at about sleeper 14. You therefore just need to bond a wire across the 3 rails at that position on each side and ideally make the wires a track feed too. 

Edited September 18, 2017 by RFS

[melmerby]

I've got several of them on my layout and are all bonded/track fed, as above post suggests and never had a problem.

 

Keith

[kevinlms]

The points are electrofrog with fully isolated frogs and therefore polarity switches are mandatory unlike with simple points. Bonding underneath is the solution to the problem - if you look under the point you will see Peco have already cut the webbing for you at about sleeper 14. You therefore just need to bond a wire across the 3 rails at that position on each side and ideally make the wires a track feed too. 

Hi Ben Alder

 

If the track is laid and ballasted, you can still do the modifications without having to remove the points. As has been advised, you need a pair of auxiliary switches (assuming using Peco point motors) and solder wires as required, as per the diagrams provided elsewhere. Well worth the effort.

[RFS]

Hi Ben Alder

 

If the track is laid and ballasted, you can still do the modifications without having to remove the points. As has been advised, you need a pair of auxiliary switches (assuming using Peco point motors) and solder wires as required, as per the diagrams provided elsewhere. Well worth the effort.

 

Not correct advice - this 3-way turnout needs auxiliary switches regardless to switch the polarity of the frogs, as without them the frogs are electrically dead. I'm assuming the OP has therefore already fitted these. The problem is that the turnouts rely on blade contact to feed the fixed rails within the unit, and it's here where issues arise.  Hence the advice to solder a dropper/feed wire across the three rails on each side as I said.

 

If the turnout is already laid and ballasted, then you can still do the modification: you just need to add two additional feed wires on each side to the fixed rails within the unit. 

Edited September 18, 2017 by RFS

[Ben Alder]

Thanks all - a bit of soldering is called for, I see. They are wired up as per need and it is the blade contact that has been causing problems. I should havd bonded them before installation, but up to now it is not something I ever bothered with as I have had very few problems over the years with Peco points misbehaving this way. Now though, there are two three ways and another three medium radii  not doing what they should. The way I lay track means they are removeable, so I'll weigh up the balance between lifting and an easy solder but a good bit of reinstatement grief against a more fiddly in situ job but no real disruption to the PW...

[DCB]

You can use Peco accessory switches or little Chinese ones off Ebay like I do at 99p for 5 including postage.

[sb67]

You can use Peco accessory switches or little Chinese ones off Ebay like I do at 99p for 5 including postage.

What switches are they David? At that price might be handy to get some for the toolbox.

Steve.

[DCB]

Duplicate

Edited September 19, 2017 by DavidCBroad

[DCB]

What switches are they David? At that price might be handy to get some for the toolbox.

Steve.

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I changed all the points in the "Rabbit Hutch" our outside branch terminus to have these to change frog polarity earlier in the year and have had no problems 

Edited by DavidCBroad, Today, 15:33 .

 

[Ben Alder]

Just to close this thread off, I have now done the necessary and bonded the  3 way turnout. I had to lift it to do the job, which in itself took a couple of minutes, but getting everything back and aligned was another thing. I also had to cut some feed wires to sections on the shed roads that did not have enough slack to rise with the point itself. Eventually I managed to get everything in their order and it is now working perfectly. The errant two way points were also done, but after the nuisance of lifting the 3 way one I soldered connecting wires to the outside of the rails with them in place. It wasn't a difficult task as I use Peco foam underlay with ballast stuck to it as a base so it was an easy matter to slice a gap to slide the connecting wire under the point base. I tinned this to make it rigid and twisted a bend in it once it was through to lie against the rail. Here is a shot of it just done, before trimming off and grinding down of excess solder.

 

 

The improvement in reliability is such that I am going to carry on (and do what I should have done at the start) and bond the rest of the pointwork on the layout to futureproof any further signs of insolence from the untreated ones.

[melmerby]

It is possible with a bit of fiddling to solder a bonding wire to the underside of the rails rather than the side and take the feed wire straight down through the baseboard.

 

It can be done if you use something like phosphor bronze wire which is fairly rigid, tinned before hand and using a small soldering bit.

The wire is held to the underside of the rails with long nose pliers from above and the solder fed to the underside. (You really need three hands )

The iron needs to be hot and not held against the rail too long else the sleepers will soften to much.

 

Not recommended but can be done as a last resort.

 

Keith