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if you make these modifications prior to installing the crossing – you can miss this stage out completely!
4: Connecting the HEX Frog Juicer
This was so easy. The product comes complete with cushions on the underside of the PCB which makes mounting a doddle: simply screw four screws through the holes provided and connect a wire from each of the four frogs to four of the outputs on the juicer. Simples! Everything worked first time and without issue. I cannot recommend this
product enough.
NB: I would strongly suggest that the Juicer is wired from a power bus independent of the main DCC power districts. On my layout I have three power districts – all completely isolated from each other by circuit breakers. This means that a short circuit can occur on one district without cutting power to the other two districts. This is particularly important on an exhibition layout where I try and keep something running at all times. The inner and outer track circuits each form an independent power district and the third power district simply powers accessories (turnout and signal decoders and the like). The Hex Frog Juicer is powered from my accessory power district. This means that if a short circuit occurs on one of the track circuits, a train can still run through the crossing on the other track circuit.
Conclusion
These modifications make the crossing more DCC­ friendly, with less potential for short circuits, and provide for more reliable electrical contacts for switching the polarity of the turnout frogs. Furthermore, the overall number of frogs re­ quiring their polarities being switched is halved. The use of the Hex Frog Juicer eliminated the need to provide for two separate electrical diagonal routes through the crossing and hence simplified route setting and operation. This means that I
now only have to set the scissors crossover for either ‘diagonal’ or ‘straight ahead’ (using one DCC accessory address for all four Tortoise point motors), which in turn makes it easier to operate the layout using JMRI, my iPhone, my DCC throttles and from my CTC panel, particularly at exhibitions. I do not have to worry about using additional switches on a control panel just to switch polarities.
Perhaps the greatest surprise to me in carrying out this project was just how simple it was – once I had made a start. Website: www. scarthbridge.pwp. blueyonder.co.uk (or Google BNSF Horsethief )
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