# #4 Kato turnouts a royal PITA



## crackymule (Nov 1, 2018)

I can not get the #4 turnouts to work reliably. I am still playing around with different layouts, but it seems like a very bad idea to use these turnouts on inclines or coming in from turns.

I tried the modification on one of them but that didn't help any at all.

I have a couple of #6's which work very reliably but they are not DCC friendly.

Anyway, how do you get by with using these?

:dunno:


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2019)

The number 6 turnouts work fine with DCC. My N scale layout was DCC and had about 20 Unitrack #6 turnouts. I never had a problem with them. I had a couple of the #4s and they were very unreliable. I filed the points and stock rails as the fix showed and they were better but still unreliable.


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## crackymule (Nov 1, 2018)

#6's are power routing though, right? I guess that just means I need to supply power on both sides of the turnout. But also my track shorts out if I don't control the direction of the #6 turnout when entering from the other direction.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Turnout brands and control methods*



crackymule said:


> #6's are power routing though, right? I guess that just means I need to supply power on both sides of the turnout. But also my track shorts out if I don't control the direction of the #6 turnout when entering from the other direction.


 crackymule; 

I'll admit up front that Kato turnouts are one brand I have never used. I have used Atlas, Peco, and Micro Engineering turnouts, and I have also scratch-built dozens of turnouts. The current routing situation you describe is common on many turnouts, not just Kato. To verify that your Kato #6 turnouts are, in fact, current routing, try this test. Plug together some Unitrack pieces with a "Main Line" and a one-ended "Siding", each coming off one route of a Kato #6 turnout. Apply power only from the " points" end of the turnout. Run a loco onto one route, and then set the turnout for the other route. If you can still run the loco with the turnout set for the route the loco is not on, then the turnout is not current routing. If the loco will only run when you set the turnout for the route occupied by the loco, then the turnout is current routing. If you don't need/want to use the current routing feature on your layout, then put insulated rail joiners on both the short rails coming off the frog. You can then power from either, or both, ends of the turnout. 

DCC friendly/compatible turnouts are not essential for running DCC. If all the wheels on your railroad are correctly gauged, you should be able to use any turnout you want with DCC. Still, it's nice to have DCC friendly turnouts. They are getting more common, and various manufactures are starting to sell turnouts configured this way. 

A DCC friendly turnout should have an "isolated frog" that is electrically isolated from all the other rails in the turnout. The two moving point rails should be electrically insulated from each other. Finally, each point rail should be electrically connected to the non-moving stock rail closest to that point rail. Atlas, Peco, and Micro Engineering all offer DCC friendly turnouts as options in their product lines. I also build my turnouts with all the DCC friendly electrical characteristics just mentioned.Since I don't use Kato turnouts, I'll leave any specific advice on them to others.

The file below contains more information on various types of turnouts. 

good luck;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:

View attachment All AboutTurnouts revised.pdf


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2019)

crackymule said:


> #6's are power routing though, right? I guess that just means I need to supply power on both sides of the turnout. But also my track shorts out if I don't control the direction of the #6 turnout when entering from the other direction.


Yes, the #6s are power routing and need power feeds on both legs. They will short if thrown in the wrong direction but dcc systems detect the short and kill power very quickly. Power routing is a good thing since the frog is powered and even short locos can run through the switch without stalling. I always controlled my turnouts manually and switched them back to the normal route and rarely had any problems but on the occasion when I forgot to align the turnout correctly my DCC system quickly shut down preventing any serious problems.


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## Viperjim1 (Mar 19, 2015)

*Kato turnouts*

I believe you can undo the power routing by placing the screws in another hole in the bottom of the turnout. I could be wrong as I Haverhill looked at the bottom of one lately. And never have a turnout on an incline or after a curve I've heard as it causes problems. And also if your using 4 axle locos they usually don't have a problem with number 4's but 6 axle locos do. Check out fifer hobbies videos on you tube he goes over tuning turnouts and Dcc and such. Good luck.


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## crackymule (Nov 1, 2018)

Thanks for the comments.

You can configure the #4s for power/non-power routing, but not the #6.

I replaced my #4s with #6s and it is a massive improvement, getting no derailments. I know my layout is not perfectly balanced or level yet but the #6s just are not sensitive to small imperfections. They just require more management.

:appl:


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