# Shinahora Turnout



## SP Shawn (Mar 13, 2017)

i am having issues with this Shinahora curved turnout 
#669-126 #6.
when i throw the switch to the siding it shorts the system.
does anyone have a fix for this ?
i am using a MRC Prodigy Advance

Shawn


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm not familiar with Shinohara turnout electrical
circuitry but the below video might help you
resolve your problem.

If your turnout has a powered metal frog, you must
use an insulated joiner in the frog rails.

If your turnout is 'power routing' it may be that
the track feed to the diverting rails is reversed
thus a short when points are set to curve.






If this doesn't solve your problem get back to us.
There are tests.

Don


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I don’t have any experience with Shinohara turnouts but it sounds like you the frog is causing the problem. This would isolate the frog and give you trouble free running:


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Don beat me too it! I also saw that video but I thought it was a bit of overkill. Take your pick.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

The most likely cause is that you have the polarity to your rails reversed somewhere. Do you have a separate feed to the siding?

Another possible cause -- and I have done this, and it's a real face palm moment -- is installing a metal bumper at the end of your siding, which shorts across the rails whenever that route is selected.

Also, check under the turnout and make sure none of the little jumpers that route power are damaged.


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## SP Shawn (Mar 13, 2017)

i actually think this is the issue.
there is continuity between the two rail via the metal connector (I have attached a picture, not sure how to just get it into the reply)
done some tests with a meter and this seems to be the issue

Shawn


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## SP Shawn (Mar 13, 2017)

OH !!!!
I see the picture upload worked.....
new to this forum stuff


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I don't have any Shinohara, but I have lots of Walthers (which are made for them by Shinohara); I don't recall seeing that piece of metal on the throwbar on any of them. Basically, this means that both point rails have the same polarity as the stock rail on the outside rail (either on the diverging or straight leg). They are designed to pick up current from the stock rails. When centered, as in your photo, they should be dead. 

One of two things is happening -- there is a short under the turnout so that one of your point rails (the one on the straight side, probably) is picking up current from somewhere other than the stock rail. So, when the points touch the outside rail on the straight side, nothing happens, but when the points touch the stock rail on the diverging side, they try to have opposite polarity at the same time, so you get a short. This could even be a slight misalignment in the metal frog, so that it is touching something it shouldn't. Isolating the frog as in the two videos will fix this.

The other possibility is that your equipment is causing the short -- either an uninsulated wheelset hitting the unused point rail, or possibly bridging the gap between the frog and adjacent track. Isolating the frog will cure this latter issue as well; insulated wheelsets will fix the former.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Is this a new turnout?
I have two Shinohara turnouts in code 83 and they don't have
that continuous metal strip between the point rails.
Something is not right there, it's a connection between rails of opposite polarity.
Mine has two independent metal tabs, not one.

Magic


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Magic said:


> Is this a new turnout?
> I have two Shinohara turnouts in code 83 and they don't have
> that continuous metal strip between the point rails.
> Something is not right there, it's a connection between rails of opposite polarity.
> ...


That's what I'm thinking -- it's a pretty old model. None of my Walthers turnouts have it.


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

This turnout requires accurate clearances so that the flange of the wheel passing between the open point and its stock rail don't make contact. Any wide wheels or gauged axles will have the flange momentarily contacting the inside of that point rail which is obviously metallically joined to the one getting power that is closed, opposite. 

If you want to keep that turnout because it is otherwise a good product for modern railroading in scale, remove the middle third of that metal strip linking the points. Then, take a piece of PCB tie, copper clad, and use a needle file to sever the copper cladding midway. File a groove just deep enough to sever the cladding. This isolates each half of the cladding. Now, solder the two tabs left attached to the points on either side of the groove, being careful to retain the clearances for open points on each side, and you now have a 'DCC friendly' switch.


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