# Should I defeat my Peco "block" function



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

So as most of you know the Peco turnouts use the points to convey some signal.. the result of this is that if the turnout is facing one way, that way gets power and the other way does not.. and vise versa when the turn out is switched to the other direction. I am getting ready to paint my rails and finalize all my wiring and was wondering the pros can cons of defeating this feature... basically I would simply run a power lead to the other side of the turnout to defeat it. 

On one hand it is kinda nice because I can shut up all my parked engines by simply pointing my turnouts another way.. but on the other hand it is kinda annoying.


----------



## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I can see that if one were to have sound enable engines that were being turned on and off by the turnout it would be annoying. Sometimes its nice to have the spur isolated and have it own on/off switch so you can control when to shut down the noise. You only need to isolate one of the rails and use a SPST switch. I actually isolate both rails and use a relay to control the power to the spur. On the panel I use a DPDT bat handle toggle switch (not a center off type) with one pole used to activate the relay and the other pole to run a RGB LED that indicates the on/off condition of the spur.


----------



## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Peco Insulfrog turnouts are power routing.
If set straight, divert is off and vs vs.

I can see no reason to defeat it mechanically.
Likely your locos would pause or stop because
they are not getting power from the points.

You can easily electrically defeat the power
routing using drops from both tracks from the
point rails to your main buss.

Using them for spur tracks that you want to
depower when not in use the Insulfrogs do the
work.

Don

Don


----------



## pat_smith1969 (Aug 21, 2016)

By defeat.. I meant just running power to the other side of the turnout from my main bus.. I wasn't going to start cutting and messing with the insulfrog. 
I am thinking of leaving them as they are and allowing them to kill or power portions of my yard.


----------



## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

Because of their power-routing feature, I only connect my yard lead to one of two Pecos providing access to the lead if it's double-ended. That way, you can leave the supplying turnout lined to route power to the lead and still leave the far turnout lined for the through route, say. Just gap the rails at the end of the frog rails on the far turnout. 

However, turnouts fail, so I never solder mine. I set them in place secured by joiners and hard-wire the lead rails anyway...even if it is joined mechanically to a power-routing Peco. Once you attempt to cross that far gap, you must have that distant turnout lined to take the lead or you'll get a short as soon as a metal tire bridges one of the gaps.


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

pat_smith1969 said:


> By defeat.. I meant just running power to the other side of the turnout from my main bus.. I wasn't going to start cutting and messing with the insulfrog.
> I am thinking of leaving them as they are and allowing them to kill or power portions of my yard.


That's what I do. IMHO its the simplest and most elegant solution.


----------

