PECO TT Unifrog Points – are insulated rail joiners needed?

[BillB]

Hi, I am planning a small TT layout on a 6-ft plank, station to fiddle-yard. There will be a passing loop and 2 or 3 sidings in the station, and a fan of 3 sidings in the FY (see early sketches below. BTW Anyrail now has PECO and Hornby TT in its track library). It will be analogue and most likely “one engine in steam” in the station area. I know how to do this with traditional isolating points, i.e. where to put the power feeds, insulated joiners, etc., but I have not used PECO Unifrog points before.

 

The instructions with the TT Unifrog points say:

“It is completely live, with only the metal frog tip and wing rails insulated from the rest. It can be used like this with no further wiring necessary, using conductive metal rail joiners on all rails. Both routes are live at all times, making it ideal for DCC controlled layouts. If using analogue control, isolated track sections with switched power feeds will be required to park trains.”

 

Am I correct in thinking this means that if I use metal rail joiners throughout, a single power feed can be put anywhere on the layout and it will make the whole layout live, including all the dead-ends, headshunts, etc., with no short-circuits (i.e. left-rail meeting right-rail), and providing I have only one engine operating it will go anywhere the points are set to with no need for any electrical switching, providing I don’t wire any of the frogs to be live?

 

Also that the point blades perform no role in switching the current, so poor contact between point blade and stock rail ceases to be an issue?

 

If so I will put the feed where the station meets the FY to minimise distance for the little volts to travel!

 

And do the same principles apply to PECO HO Unifrog points?

 

Thanks,
Bill.

Edited March 25 by BillB
para spacing, and clarification

[Harlequin]

15 hours ago, BillB said:

Am I correct in thinking this means that if I use metal rail joiners throughout, a single power feed can be put anywhere on the layout and it will make the whole layout live, including all the dead-ends, headshunts, etc., with no short-circuits (i.e. left-rail meeting right-rail), and providing I have only one engine operating it will go anywhere the points are set to with no need for any electrical switching, providing I don’t wire any of the frogs to be live?

Yes, BUT...

• If you rely on the track joiners to transmit power around the entire layout it might be unreliable because they might be loose, they might tarnish. It's recommended to have a few power feeds in strategic locations.
• Because the layout will be DC if you ever want to run a second loco you will need a way to isolate one while you run the other.

 

15 hours ago, BillB said:

 

Also that the point blades perform no role in switching the current, so poor contact between point blade and stock rail ceases to be an issue?

Yes.

 

15 hours ago, BillB said:

 

If so I will put the feed where the station meets the FY to minimise distance for the little volts to travel!

 

And do the same principles apply to PECO HO Unifrog points?

Yes.

 

15 hours ago, BillB said:

 

[BillB]

Hi Phil, thanks very much for your reply. I will fit the track together on a temporary basis to see if it all works. I just didn't want to fry anything, as I think even DC locos have chips in them now, and the Piko kl 55 costs circa £250.

Happy Easter!

Bill.