Although there are many different types of buffer stops, they can be primarily separated into two types, fixed or...
Cart 0 Product Products (empty)
No products
Free shipping! Shipping
£ 0.00 Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products (tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax excl.) Free shipping!
Total (tax incl.)
Search Tips
Tips categories
Latest Tips
-
What are fixed buffer stops?Read more -
What is live steam?Read moreLive steam refers to miniature, working models of steam-powered vehicles, such as locomotives, boats, and stationary...
-
What was the Hush Hush locomotive?Read moreThe Hush Hush locomotive, formally known as the W1 No. 10000, was a groundbreaking experimental steam engine...
-
Can I use a non-digital power clip if my layout is DCC?Read moreWe are used to expecting more from our DCC models, more electrics, more capability and usually more zeros added to...
-
Why do my trains keep coming off the track?Read moreThere are many reasons for derailments most of which can be remedied at the track laying stage of building your...
What are electrofrog points?
Electrofrog points are model railway turnouts with no isolated sections.
Regular turnouts require a small plastic isolated section to avoid a short circuit where the outer rail passes over the inner rail as the route diverges. The isolated section consists of a small black triangular plastic insert at the tip of the frog.
Electrofrog turnouts do not have such a feature, meaning the right-hand rail (when approaching the turnout from the heel end) joins directly to the left-hand rail of the converging route. Although that all-metal effect undoubtedly appears more prototypical, it would create a short circuit on a model railway.
That may leave the uninitiated wondering why electrofrog turnouts are used, or even why they exist in the first place. But it's that all-metal, and therefore, all-live quality of the turnout that is attractive. With no isolated section, locomotives perform more reliably when traversing the turnout. That can be especially beneficial when using DCC as even small gaps in power has the potential to upset decoders. But what about short circuits?
When using electrofrog turnouts, a short circuit is avoided by using special isolating rail joiners at the heel end of the turnout. These provide the isolation required without compromising the surface area of rail available to deliver power to locomotives.
If you are thinking of trying electrofrog turnouts for yourself, don't forget to reintroduce power to sections of track placed after any isolating joiners by installing a couple of feeder wires from the main track circuit.
Posted in: Tracks
Click here to receive the tips weekly in your mailbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related products
O Gauge Curved Turnout Left Hand Electrofrog
Price: £ 112.20O Gauge Curved Turnout Left Hand Electrofrog
Related posts
-
How to clean model railways track?There is of course the old tried and tested method, the track rubber which does the job, no railway modeller should... - Is Peco track and Hornby track compatible?Peco Setrack and Peco Streamline are compatible with Hornby track as they all share the same gauge width of 16.5mm....
- How often should I clean my track?This a hard question to answer. There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should clean the track. Bear in...
- How do I cut flexible track?Once upon a time I would have said a newly bladed junior hacksaw and some warding files, but these days I would have...
- How many pieces of curved track do I need to make a circle?As we all know it takes 360 degrees to create a circle, a standard curve is 22.5 degrees and a double curve is 45...