Points - Essential Information (Incl. Wiring Electrofrog Points)

Here's everything I wish I knew about points when I first got started in the hobby.

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00:00 Introduction
00:52 Hornby Standard Insulfrog Point
04:20 Other Point Options
05:04 Peco Electrofrog Point
09:00 Wiring and Electrofrog Point
10:38 Powering the Frog
12:11 Summary

[nigelduckworth]

Great video, clearly explained. For those like me who are electrical dunces, I have only 3 Peco electrofrogs on my layout and they are simply wired for those who might think that they don't need to modify the points as you have, even though your method is the best. Insulated joiners on the inside straight ahead and diverging rail and a wire soldered to the rails immediately following the insulated joiner. Obviously this is required where the point leads to a dead end siding, otherwise there would be no power supply to one of the siding rails. So far-touch wood- I have had no issues with electrical continuity forward of the points.

[marcdempsey]

Hi Rob, an excellent video, love the graphics which help with seeing what’s happening re the current flow in the point and the frogs. Hope all is going well re your layout; any sneak peaks yet!!! All best Marc

[fircombehallrailwayoogauge]

Presentation was sharp and snappy! Thank you!

[jonharbour]

Thanks for this video Rob. I a few moments you explained something I'd been struggling to get my head around for ages - wiring electrofrog points.

[EsotericArctos]

I use servo motors to move my points and to swap the frog polarity, I 3D printed a couple of little brackets and put microswitches on so when the servo changes direction, it switches the microswitch over to change the point polarity. Works quite well for me :)

[RonWheeler-nobd]

Great video, exactly what I was looking for 😊

[RogerDiscombe]

Another really useful video. Thanks, Rob. When I watched there was piano music in the background that I found intrusive.

[YorkshireRailways]

Very informative video Rob, well done keep up the great work! 👍

[RobA]

Nice explanation, I'm using both inulfrog and electrofrog points on my layout. I had quite a few insulated points so have used them on my DC section but all the DCC section is electrofrog bar one of the two crossings. One I adapted myself but the other I left as its not an easy task and Peco unfortunately don't make electrofrog crossings in code 100. For frog polarity I used small relays that switch the polarity along side the point motor operating, I made a video on this myself a year or so ago.

[JensRohde]

Very well explained. Now I actually think I got me head around frog juicing! :)

[chrishouse]

Excellent video, I’m just at the point of layout point work so this has come in handy

[little_britain]

Peco now make Unifrog points - which can be used "as-is" and will be insulfrog by default, but can also be use as electrofrog by cutting and wiring correctly. I am buying their bullhead track, which has prototypical sleeper spacing and is absolutely lovely to look at, although the points are frightfully expensive (I pick up used finescale flatbottom rail points for hard to see locations to save money).

[WirenwoodModelRailway]

If you're using Arduinos and servos you could always use relays to handle polarity, that's the route I've gone down and it's just an extra couple of lines in the sketch. Bit of a click when they switch but it's lost amongst servo and train movement.

[b.k.s.sthcoast]

A very good video. I am planning to use Peco electrofrog points on a small dcc layout, but I am not going to wire the points to any point motor. Therefore am I correct to say fitting the plastic joiners at the frog is all I have to do and the points should work just fine?

[TATICMOOR]

Thanks for sharing the info in this video. The MERG kit circuits look to be the bee's knees and I would enjoy building them too. So I must get one to test out myself, but if you need a hand to build any give me a shout.

[kbriffa]

I also use servo motors with the MERG mount and microswitches but although initially I would remove the spring I stopped doing that as the blade would start moving away from the hinge and wouldn't close properly on rails. Charlie suggests a remedy for this but I just kept the springs. The servo motors have no problem in switching the point and the sound of the blade switching over is feedback for me to know that the point has switched properly.

[pyke]

Excellent vid. I have to wait to get insulating fish plates but instead of that and everything else what if I wired up the siding track to the connecting box that has the loop track wires attached? I am terrible at electronics

Well this is an informative video 📹. Enjoyed it.

[michaelwhitham]

Great video mate, what do I do about the frog polarity if I am throwing the points manually and not using a juicer or point motor etc

[markusrogerson]

Great video, thank you! I do have a question though! I have a double loop that has 2, two-point crossovers. I'm using the hornby standard insulfrog point. They join the loops on either side of the board - so a train can run around part of the inside loop, out to part of the outer loop and back in to the inside loop again, continuously. the smaller locos seem to handle the points fine but larger locos don't like them at all, and stall or stutter over the points. i've tested the conductivity of the points and they seem fine, so i'm left a bit confused. i have used insulated rail joiners where the points join each other (on both rails). Any ideas welcome!