Hand Laid Turnout Question

[mightypurdue22]

I'm modeling N Scale and using Code 55 ME track...

I just finished my first hand laid turnout using a Fast Tracks jig and have a question regarding the frog.  I have cut gaps on both sides of it per the directions, and plan to wire the stock rails as shown in their diagram.  Question, is it necessary to provide any power to my hand laid, isolated frog?  I've never powered a frog on any commercial turnouts.  I have Caboose ground throws 222S that I'd like to re-use.  I know the 224S would allow me to power the frogs, but would prefer to not have to buy these if not completely necessary.  I'm also not interested in using any other switch machines other than the Caboose throws.

Thanks,
Dave

[davefoxx]

Required?  Not if all of your motive power and lighted cars go through the frog without stalling or flickering.  Try it, and see what happens.

I do power all of my frogs, because, over time, wheels get dirty, and while they may run great now, at some point, they will stall or stutter.

Hope this helps,
DFF

By the way, I may have some extra 224S throws that you can have, if I can find them and you want them.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Necessary?
No, unless the locos you run stall over them.

Recommended?
Heck, yes!
Powering frogs definitely helps running.

Using slide switches is one way to both throw the points and change the polarity of the frog:



Cheaper than other machines and smaller than the oversized Caboose "Catapults" (at least that's what they looked like to me).

If you're dead set on using the Caboose Catapults, then you can use a Tam Valley Depot Frog Juicer: http://www.tamvalleydepot.com/support/frogjuicers.html

And if you decide NOT to power your frogs now, at least solder a feeder wire to them and drop it down a hole to below the benchwork now, as it's a big pain in the behind to drill a hole and solder a wire after you install the turnout.

Then later, when you realize you should have powered your frogs, all you have to do is hook up the frog feeder to a juicer 

[jdcolombo]

I'm modeling N Scale and using Code 55 ME track...

I just finished my first hand laid turnout using a Fast Tracks jig and have a question regarding the frog.  I have cut gaps on both sides of it per the directions, and plan to wire the stock rails as shown in their diagram.  Question, is it necessary to provide any power to my hand laid, isolated frog?  I've never powered a frog on any commercial turnouts.  I have Caboose ground throws 222S that I'd like to re-use.  I know the 224S would allow me to power the frogs, but would prefer to not have to buy these if not completely necessary.  I'm also not interested in using any other switch machines other than the Caboose throws.

Thanks,
Dave

Ditto what M.C. Fujiwara said.  If you are in the process of building a new layout, I think it is a serious mistake NOT to power the frogs or at least plan for powering them in the future.  You might be fine running SD70's across an unpowered frog, but one day you might decide to "backdate" your layout a bit and run a sound-equipped Atlas ALCO S-2 switcher - and then you'll wish you had powered the frogs.  Or someone will give you a brass 4-8-4 steam loco, that will stall at an unpowered frog.  Rather than retrofit, it's just a whole lot easier to build it in now.  At least run a wire from the frog for later use as Mr. Fujiwara recommends.

John C.

PS - Nice looking turnout!  Was this your first effort using the Fast Tracks jig?  If so, you did better than I did!