I read on an old post somewhere that Bachmann HO EZ Track switches can be converted to be Power Routed. But I have yet to find any solid info or tutorial on how to do such a thing.

Is this all a rumor? Mind you, I have a 4x8 DC Layout comprised of Nickel Silver Track.

I'm curious as to why you want power routing switches on such a small layout. 

I'm also curious if you're asking about the 18"R plastic frog switches or the ones with an insulated metal frog that can be either powered or nonpowered, depending on whether or not you connect a jumper wire concealed under the road bed.

There's a high chance my thinking is flawed, but I always thought that power routing switches had rails electrically continuous with the frogs, dependent on track gaps for polarity separation, a concept from the Jurassic before more advanced switches were made available, way back in the Code 100 brass rail days.

What exactly do you mean by power routing? Did you want to only power a track when the switch is lined for it, and kill the power when the switch is lined for the other track? Or did you just want to power the frog to eliminate the dead spot? How you approach this problem depends on what exactly you are trying to do.

Hi. I'm trying to link 2 loops using DCC #5 Turnouts 44132 & 44133 but try as I might I cannot find a way to make them fit.I've tried a computer app to help me but I can never seem to get it right no matter what little bits of track I try to fit in.All the Bachmann layouts I have don't show these turnouts so I'm a little bit stuck at the moment. I'm in the UK & have limited experience so I hope someone out there can help me.

This is the best I could come up with to make crossovers using #5 switches. It takes a bunch of short pieces to pull it off without cutting down 9" straights. Which actually works out, because the connection doesn't line up exactly in the crossover on one side or the other. All those short pieces add enough "fudge factor" to make the connection without derailing anything. I did this using a 4' x 8' base, but it can be adjusted to fit your space if you have more room.



Len

Len, I'd move the crossovers to the left a bit to get away from the S curve where they abut that 18" radius curve. It looks like you have enough room there to put a 9" straight between the crossovers and that curve.

Jeff,

Good suggestion. That was just something quick and dirty I threw together to figure out the crossover geometry. I wasn't really thinking about all the operational issues.

Len

Okay, on the serious side, why are we not suggesting using the EZ crossover #6 (model 44575 and 44576, left and right respectively) on this layout track plan?  My curiosity as to why this was not suggested has got me wondering!

Ralph - I believe he already has the #5 turnouts. Maybe not, but that's what I get from reading Hugo's post.

Correction,

Quote...link 2 loops using DCC #5 Turnouts 44132 & 44133 but try as I might find a way to make them fit.

Mr. Sanchez indicated that he was using #5 left and right turnouts, not the #6 crossover's which are models 44575 and 44576.    Even Len indicated using no 5 switches not #6 crossover.
Did I read this correctly?

Since Hugo gave the part numbers of the switches he wanted to use, I figured he already had them on hand. So that's what I went with in the diagram instead of #6 crossovers.

Len

Quote from: TB7Studios on June 05, 2025, 01:19:03 PMI read on an old post somewhere that Bachmann HO EZ Track switches can be converted to be Power Routed. But I have yet to find any solid info or tutorial on how to do such a thing.

Is this all a rumor? Mind you, I have a 4x8 DC Layout comprised of Nickel Silver Track.

To the original question raised by OP TB7Sudios in creating this thread:
The instruction sheet that Bachmann provides with the nickel/silver 18" radius remote turnout has instructions for routing power to the frog on a DC analog layout. The instructions are labelled "Powering the Frog". Is that what you're enquiring about?

I guess we may never know. Seems the OP disappeared soon after trainman203's initial response, without even the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Does that happen often on this forum?

Quote from: M.Richards on June 30, 2025, 06:58:31 AMI guess we may never know. Seems the OP disappeared soon after trainman203's initial response, without even the courtesy of an acknowledgement. Does that happen often on this forum?

It happens alot more than you would think. That, and in ten years somebody will dig this post back up and reply to a poster who hasn't been back since the initial post.