RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion
Frog Juicers compatible with RailPro?
Dean:
I'm really confused. If the OP is using Electrofrog switches, why does he need any extra device to power the frogs? They are already powered and change polarity when the switch is thrown. The only thing that is necessary is to install them properly. When I install them, neither the main or the diverging route is connected to rails leading from them. Only the throat lead gets powered from the tracks. They work perfectly.
No extra parts needed.
Alan:
I agree there is no need for juicers with Peco Electrofrogs. I think the discussion wandered from there for the benefit of people using switches other than Peco Electrofrogs.
Tom:
Bruce,
Thank you for running the experiment, greatly appreciated. Ring just sold another AR-1. I have several Caboose 220S throws so my options to fix frog problems are essentially unlimited.
Tom
Alan:
--- Quote from: BruceRogers on July 25, 2018, 07:45:10 AM ---Update. I tested the the AR-1 to see how it performed switching current for multiple frogs that cannot be crossed simultaneously, in my case I connected 3. The frogs were all attached to one RT output and then both. The AR-1 worked perfectly switching polarity as needed. While one frog was occupied another locomotive was run into one of the other frogs. This caused the PWR-56 to short out as was expected. Removing one of the locomotives restored the power. By being able to switch polarity of one or more frogs will save me using 8 additional AR-1s.
--- End quote ---
For people considering this application make damned sure your layout passes the quarter test everywhere, especially on the frogs, else you may shorten the life of your AR1s and/or melt feeder wires. The bigger the layout the more concerned you should be. It is one thing to flip polarity of a single frog located close to an AR-1, quite another to flip a power supply circuit breaker because of frogs located at a distance from an AR-1. Make sure your wiring is up to snuff. Bruce's test confirms his is. Make sure yours is too.
faithie999:
apologies for resurrecting an old thread, but it's easier than going through a summary of the context for my question.
for now, my layout will have a single power block, using a laptop-style 15v/5a power supply protected by a 5A Blue Sea marine/RV circuit breaker.
see post #80, page 6. Tom installed one AR-1 to power several frogs, which he said worked as long as only one frog was crossed at a time. has any discovery been made in the following couple of years that reinforces that as a viable solution, or disqualifies it?
I'm doing as much research as possible before starting to build my layout. I have many atlas custom-line turnouts and shinohara (old version, I believe) curved turnouts and 3-way turnouts that I want to re-use. the atlas's have isolated metal frogs with wiring connection points, and my Dremel and years ago I converted the shinohara turnouts to isolated frogs.
I think I would rather practice Alan's mantra of "clean track and powered frogs" rather than installing KA's in all my loco's. I have a couple of LM-1's and LM-3s's on the bench ready to install, and then 20 or so more loco's to convert as the budget permits.
early in this thread (or in another old thread) Bill mentioned his "simple switch solution" but I can't find that on the PDC website so maybe that is lost to history. my research says that the cheapest solution is Caboose 220S ground throws, although I'm intrigued by the ANE SmartFrog product but especially by the AR-1 solution to power multiple frogs.
please comment and advise.
thanks!!
Ken
edit--and if an AR-1 works with multiple frogs I would thing the SmartFrog ought to, as well.
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