# DCC friendly points, how to change frog polarity?



## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

I am new to Garden railways (not model trains, quite handy in HO) and I plan (and have started) to hand lay the track work. Yes it will take longer, but I just like the look of wood! 

One area I am not 100% sure on how I will tackle a ‘DCC friendly’ points. In HO I use a micro switch or contact on the point motor to change the frog polity. I have made a G scale point with a micro switch thrown by ground through which works great, but its not weather proof! 

I plan to run small narrow gauge steam (including 0-4-0s) my gut feeling is a really should power the frogs to eliminate locos stalling on them. 

How do you guys deal with this problem? 

Does a weather proof micro switch exist that I could use, or is their another way? 

I don’t plan to use point motors, just ground throws. 

Thanks 

Alan


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Alan, many of the large scale switches do not have a live frog, so you may not have any problems. 

The Aristo and USAT #6 switches have an integral switch for the live frog so will work fine with manual throws. 

Weatherproof microswitches do exist, but are not standard, and would be tough to retrofit... but simple for connection to a ground throw... 

Regards, Greg


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks Greg, I like doing things the hard way, and often learn the hard way 

I plan to hand lay all my points, so knowing a weatherproof micro switch exists is a start. I have searched my local shops with no joy, could anyone suggest a micro switch? 

Here is what my feasibility study point looks like; the ground throw and micro switch is not shown. 

I have used brass rail spiked onto jarrah sleepers I cut from and actual old railway sleepers. I constructed the frog on a brass plate, for extra strength. The next will have a neater frog plate and I won’t use fish plates as a pivot. 





 


I don’t see it being a huge issue for the Annie or moguls… but I just want my points to be bullet proof! 

Should I just forget powering my frogs and leave that to my HO? Will my LGB 0-4-0 still be happy? 

Alan


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice looking switches Alan! Sunset Valley sells plastic frogs if you are interested: 
frogs 
But of course these are made specifically for their switches. 
I heard that LGB and Boheler make good micro switch motors. Check out this MLS thread: 
 Automate Switches


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## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

Alan, 

With DCC you can use a Auto-Reverser to keep the frog polarity correct.. Hook the reverser to the main track & 1 wire to the frog.. This will make it automatic.. 

BulletBob


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Page 2015 of the DigiKey catalog has waterproof microswitches, you need to look around. You can find expensive ones easily for NOS systems for cars, but I assume you want ones like 5 bucks. 

Regards, Greg


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Greg your right, don’t won’t to pay a mint. I will try and track some units down; I may need to order from the states if I have no luck here in Australia. 

The auto reverser is a great idea! But I really won’t to keep all the controls local on the point with no special electronics. 

The method I used to construct my frog is great for a live frog, as for a dead one it’s not ideal, if I decided to go to a dead frog I will try the Sunset Valley frogs.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The guys that sell the EZ Air pneumatic switch motors have put waterproof microswitches in their new switch machines. 

Try contacting Stretch at the California and Oregon Coast Railway company, maybe he will give you a deal on them since he must be buying them in bulk. 

Regards, Greg


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

I will look into that one Greg, thanks for the tip. 

A couple of days back I had some correspondence with Sunset Valley. They use a normal micro switch which is covered and has good drainage underneath.


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