EZ Track Turnout question....

[John Murphy]

Does anybody know if EZ Track Turnouts (nos. 14561 and 14562 in particular, as well as the #5 and #6 turnouts) are power routing (do frogs turn sidings off electrically automatically) or should I try to isolate the sidings to create blocks?

My display railroad will look something like this:

         _____________
        /  /            _____\
       |  |          _/_____ |
        \_\____/_______/

There will be 2 passing sidings and 2 railroad car sidings, and minimum radius of 18" as well as a single track for a Holiday Trolley car (not shown).

Thanks in advance.  - John Murphy

[BIG BEAR]

  Hey John,
  The EZ Track switches stay powered both ways, no matter which way your switched to.

[msowsun]

My EZ Track #6 crossover has powered frogs.

The instrctions didn't say anything but there were two loose wires taped to the bottom of the turnout. There was also two electrical connections on the bottom and if you connected the wires, the frogs became powered.

[John Murphy]

(sigh)  I opened one "standard" (#4?) turnout and spotted the bus wires ...
Looks like I have 2 options:
1) cut the bus wires;
  or 2) cut a slit in the plastic ballast to fit a plastic insulated rail joiner to insulate similar rails.
   I had hoped this would be simple -- I want a passenger train and freight train to operate on the same oval, but in opposite directions -- one train at a time -- and using one turnout switch to control power and track routing for the passing sidings and oval, and using simple non-dcc control with Atlas #200 Snap-Relays for a Christmas Display Layout...  I have a wiring diagram in my head and have been in model railroading on-and-off since the early 1960's, so I know this idea is possible.
  Keep everybody posted....
  Again, thanks.  And any input is welcome about how to keep things simple, esp. re: EZ Track rail isolation.
   John Murphy

[msowsun]

It is possible to modify the bottom of the turnout and make it route selective. I had a very old brass Atlas snap switch that somehow became route selective because the contacts in the frog area were damaged.  The power was transmitted by the switch points, but wasn't very reliable.

One other solution is to use a Peco "route selective" turnout and somehow adapt it to fit onto the EZ Track ballast. It will be almost impossible to power the switch machine, but it could be used manually.