Things I learned this week

[Thebaz]

With my baseboards now complete and ready to receive the track plan:

1) Peco finescale turnouts do not come with fishplates! But setrack ones do! Why?
2) The brand new Gaugemaster GM18 rail joiners I had in stock do not fit said turnouts - arrrgggh!
3) Wiring this layout plan of mine is going to be more complicated than I thought due to varying combinations of unifrog and elctrofrog turnouts.
4) So...I'm definitely going to have to learn to solder.
5) Some (ie more than one) cottage-industry manufacturers of bespoke kit-modification pieces do not reply to emails. Which is incredibly frustrating when the rolling stock you want to build does not come in RTR form.

Things I didn't learn this week...
1) What I'm supposed to do with that long bit of wire that comes attached to Peco finescale unifrog turnouts.

[Bealman]

I can help you with the first question, but not the rest.

The Peco points do not have fish plates so you can connect them to their flexible track, and tweak them to your trackplan.

Soldering is a useful skill for a railway modeller. 

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

5) Some (ie more than one) cottage-industry manufacturers of bespoke kit-modification pieces do not reply to emails. Which is incredibly frustrating when the rolling stock you want to build does not come in RTR form.

Whom?

Things I didn't learn this week...
1) What I'm supposed to do with that long bit of wire that comes attached to Peco finescale unifrog turnouts.

From the Peco website
UNIFROG combines the features of both Insulfrog and Electrofrog. As supplied the turnouts operate like an Insulfrog: the tip of the frog is a separate, isolated section, so will be dead when connected to a live layout. However, a wire has been welded to the underside of the frog tip that gives the modeller the option of "powering" the frog, i.e. connecting it to a microswitch, or changeover switch, which allows the frog tip to change polarity according to the direction for which the turnout is set. It's a much more versatile option for modellers, as it does not require any additional insulated breaks as these have been incorporated into the turnout. The opportunity has also been taken to modify the design slightly to include the sleepers at both ends of the unit.

Cheers

Paul

[Capri_sam]

I think that is for powering the frog from the point switch. I don't use unifrog points as they didn't exist when I built my layout.

Cheers

Paul

Correct! The wire is for frog juicing should Thebaz choose to. A good idea long term and very necessary when using short wheelbase locos.

[Newportnobby]

Peco finescale turnouts do not come with fishplates! But setrack ones do! Why?

Like Kato Unitrack, Peco set track is just 'plug 'n' play' whereas streamline and finescale items allow you to create your own track geometry as Bealman says.

[Thebaz]

Whom?

I don't want to say at the moment as they may come through for me. So, basically I'm just moanin'. I now have phone contact numbers for both so I can chase.

From the Peco website
UNIFROG combines the features of both Insulfrog and Electrofrog. As supplied the turnouts operate like an Insulfrog: the tip of the frog is a separate, isolated section, so will be dead when connected to a live layout. However, a wire has been welded to the underside of the frog tip that gives the modeller the option of "powering" the frog, i.e. connecting it to a microswitch, or changeover switch, which allows the frog tip to change polarity according to the direction for which the turnout is set. It's a much more versatile option for modellers, as it does not require any additional insulated breaks as these have been incorporated into the turnout. The opportunity has also been taken to modify the design slightly to include the sleepers at both ends of the unit.

Ah, I see. With c. 15 sets of points I think I am going to have to post a track diagram on here to see if anyone can help me with where I need to send power to and where I need to use insulated joiners.

Like Kato Unitrack, Peco set track is just 'plug 'n' play' whereas streamline and finescale items allow you to create your own track geometry as Bealman says.

Sure, but surely whatever track geometry you use, you still need fishplates to join up to turnouts? Or are some modellers doing continuous welded (soldered) rail?

[jpendle]

Sure, but surely whatever track geometry you use, you still need fishplates to join up to turnouts? Or are some modellers doing continuous welded (soldered) rail?

Yes you need joiners to join up the turnouts, BUT with Electrofrog, and maybe with Unifrog, depending on what you do with that long wire, you will need iinsulated joiners.

Regards,

John P

[chrism]

Like Kato Unitrack, Peco set track is just 'plug 'n' play' whereas streamline and finescale items allow you to create your own track geometry as Bealman says.

Sure, but surely whatever track geometry you use, you still need fishplates to join up to turnouts? Or are some modellers doing continuous welded (soldered) rail?

Of course you need rail joiners but how are Peco to know how many you'll need if you're assembling streamline points and flexitrack? It's easy to work it out if people are solely using Setrack, one per section per end, but how many might be needed per yard of flexitrack? I certainly don't have many uncut yard lengths on my layouts so two per yard would have been inadequate.
The simpler solution is as they've done, supply none and let the user decide how many they need.

[Newportnobby]

If it weren't for having to add fishplates to the track, 'Fishplate Finger' just wouldn't exist
It's a wondrous thought but sadly a necessity

[Thebaz]

If it weren't for having to add fishplates to the track, 'Fishplate Finger' just wouldn't exist
It's a wondrous thought but sadly a necessity

Yes, I've recently discovered this sometimes painful ailment has begun to afflict me!

[chrism]

If it weren't for having to add fishplates to the track, 'Fishplate Finger' just wouldn't exist
It's a wondrous thought but sadly a necessity

Just be thankful that we don't have to do up four tiny nuts and bolts per rail per joint 

[Newportnobby]

If it weren't for having to add fishplates to the track, 'Fishplate Finger' just wouldn't exist
It's a wondrous thought but sadly a necessity

Just be thankful that we don't have to do up four tiny nuts and bolts per rail per joint 

True, but I bet electrical contact would be improved!

[Bealman]

Regarding the above discussion, of course I forgot that live frog points require plastic joiners in places. 

Thanks, folks!