I am doing a small yard layout and in it I am using four yard point triple turnouts. These are Shinohara not for DCC so I will modify each of the 12 switches for DCC, but I wondering where I should attach the track power leads so as to get the best performance. I will attach track power to each of the 12 spurs, but not sure about the rail between the switch mechanisms on the triple turnouts. Any help would be appreciated. Jim
Given that Shinohara turnouts are live frog, "attaching track power to each of the 12 spurs" if hardwired direct to a power source will result in all kinds of short circuits. Each spur's power must be dependent on the position of the points (and frog), and in the case of a three way turnout, the second set of points (and frog) must be fed from the first. You must feed the track power only from the single-track end and route it to the frogs via contacts attached to each switch machine or via toggle or slide switches if it's a manual turnout. The best way to approach this is to set an unpowered turnout on a table and use an ohmmeter to understand how track currents flow through it as the turnout is worked through its three positions. When I used these long ago, I first made three photocopies of the turnout, then colored in the electrical continuity of each route. With the illustrations in hand, wiring was made much easier. Good luck with working this out. These are beautiful and very reliable turnouts in my experience.
Can't I treat them like individual switches that are being fully converted to dcc? After making the usual cuts and attachments, I would insulate the inside rail of the spur and cut the outside rail which would normally be insulated. Is what I'm saying the hard way? With your description, I'm just not sure where cuts are to be made, attachments made, and the difference between track power and frog power. I hope you can elaborate as I would like to fully understand what you prescribe. Thanks, Jim
If you wish to cut rails and insulate so that the yard track spurs are live all of the time, I'm uncertain how you'd work that without even greater complication. I'm somewhat confused as to why that's important. I'm not a DCC guy, but on yard tracks I don't understand why they must be live at all times unless you have long tracks and multiple operators. In most cases, you'll have to throw a turnout before you can work or depart the track, so I'm thinking that having it power routing wouldn't inhibit any freedoms of DCC.
