The tortoise and the wabbit.

[OBJack]

Is anyone here familiar with the workings of a tortoise switch machine coupled to a Wabbit stationary decoder?

I am batting out of my league here and need some serious help please.

I have wired ( as per wabbit instruction booklet) some electro frog turnouts to enable auto throw to work.
The frog is isolated and is powered by the tortoise using connections 4 & 5.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan until I acquired a new loco whose pickup wheels all fitted neatly in the isolated frog area as it went thru the turnout.
As it did so, it stalled.
After much I found that the voltage across the frog went from 15v - 16v to about 2v as the all wheels made contact, hence the stall.
The other locos etc obviously had pick up wheels longer than the isolated frog and so did not stall, however the frog's voltage still dropped to 2 v as each set of pickup wheels of the trains passed over.

What have I done to cause this problemo.

If it is any help ( and not adding more confusion ).... When the train is stalled on the turnout if I give the isolated trigger rail a shot of DCC current by "un-isolating".... it then away we go.

Confused ?

I would certainly improve my sanity if someone could take the time to think this thru and come up with an answer for me please.


Jack

[Will_Annand]

Jack, I am having the same problem in N Scale.

I am running a DCC layout and have come across an interesting anomaly.

I have both Atlas Standard Turnouts and Atlas Custom Turnouts.

It seems that I have no problems with the Atlas Custom Turnouts, BUT every locomotive stalls on every Atlas Standard Turnout.

Is there a difference between the two types or is it coincidence?

19 of the 25 are powered by Tortoises. But the same procedure is happening on the ground throw equipped turnouts as well.

[OBJack]

YAY ! Problem solved.
Will, it was the internal wiping points/switch inside the tortoise. They were .....dirty?
The current was getting there, but inside, the contacts were not transferring the current onto the PC board and across the switch, hence no current was being delivered to the frog.
A quick clean.
And back to running da trains.


Jack

[MasonJar]

Jack,

Glad you solved it! And thanks for posting the resolution - you never know who might encounter this problem next...!

Andrew

[Will_Annand]

YAY ! Problem solved.
Will, it was the internal wiping points/switch inside the tortoise. They were .....dirty?
The current was getting there, but inside, the contacts were not transferring the current onto the PC board and across the switch, hence no current was being delivered to the frog.
A quick clean.
And back to running da trains.


Jack

Great news Jack.
Glad to hear it.

[OBJack]

Will., looking at your post in the N scale section and this reply here where your locos stall on the turnouts, and because I don't know any thing about your atlas turnouts I had not commented, but if they are insulfrogs they may be stalling like mine on the frog because of no power if the pickup wheels don't traverse the frog, and if you have 19? of them connected to tortoises .... have you powered the frog with the tortoise?
I'm sure you know, but it is only a wire from the # 4 terminal on the tortoise to the frog and it would be simpler and easier than putting in a switch.

Just a thought.

Jack

[MasonJar]

Jack, I am having the same problem in N Scale.

I am running a DCC layout and have come across an interesting anomaly.

I have both Atlas Standard Turnouts and Atlas Custom Turnouts.

It seems that I have no problems with the Atlas Custom Turnouts, BUT every locomotive stalls on every Atlas Standard Turnout.

Is there a difference between the two types or is it coincidence?

Will,

While Atlas doesn't explicitly state it for Nscale, in HO standard ("snap") switches have plastic frogs that cannot be powered, while the Custom-line turnouts have all metal (but insulated) frogs that can be powered.

Andrew

[Will_Annand]

Glad to hear you got the problem solved Jack.

Andrew, you hit the nail right on the head with that one.

I found a box of Peco turnouts that I was given from Robin and had forgotten I tucked away. By the time I had recieved Robin's track/turnouts, the trackwork on my first CVR layout had been completed and was working.

I found 1/2 of what I needed and with the help of a friend who is sending me some second hand Pecos to check out, I will pick the ones I need, and give him the rest back. Plus his price is fair.