ARDUINO STARTER KIT (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UKZV0A/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
ESP-WROOM-32 ESP32 ESP-32S Development Board 2.4GHz (Amazon)
(Dual-Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Dual Cores Microcontroller Processor) (Amazon)
FAST CLOCKS (Iowa Scaled Engineering, LLC)
https://www.iascaled.com/store/ModelRailroad/FastClocks
WIRE: Solid & Stranded
SOLID – 24 AWG to 18 AWG:
https://www.allelectronics.com/category/825490/wire/cable/solid-hook-up-wire-100-roll/1.html
STRANDED – 26 AWG to 16 AWG:
https://www.allelectronics.com/category/825450/wire/cable/stranded-hook-up-wire-100-roll/1.html
DAP DYNAFLEX 230 WINDOW, DOOR & TRIM SEALANT (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001R4CMCW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This product is also available in many hardware stores and big box home improvement centers. I prefer the Dark Bronze color as it covers most of my cork with a color that is similar to cinder ballast. Look for a color that matches your planned ballast color as it may be awhile before the ballast goes down and it is a bit better than staring at cork, etc.
NOTE: If you are pouring "water" use the "Clear" Dynaflex 230 to seal all banks of rivers and lakes. If the "water" abuts the layout edge, place a "dam" along the edge. Most simulated waters such as Woodland Scenics "Realistic Water" will flow through even the tiniest opening and fall to the floor. The "Clear" Dynaflex 230 will appear white out of the tube, then as it dries it will turn clear. Don't purchase the DAP "Alex" even though the tube looks the same and many of the same colors are available. I checked it out online and reviewers were not pleased with it.
CIRCUIT BREAKERS – DCC SPECIALTIES PSX SERIES (prices will vary)
ONE BREAKER ($37.95)
https://tonystrains.com/product/dcc-specialties-psx1-circuit-breaker
TWO BREAKERS ($69.95)
https://tonystrains.com/product/dcc-specialties-psx2-circuit-breaker
THREE BREAKERS ($103.95)
https://tonystrains.com/product/dcc-specialties-psx3-circuit-breaker
FOUR BREAKERS ($134.95)
https://tonystrains.com/product/dcc-specialties-psx4-circuit-breaker
PSX-AR Power Shield Auto Reverser / Circuit Breaker (Basic) ($53.95)
https://tonystrains.com/product/dcc-specialties-psx-ar-power-shield-auto-reverser-circuit-breaker
There are several variations available for the auto reverser/circuit breaker. Before ordering, determine which is appropriate for your DCC system and needs. The link above is for the basic unit. The PSX-AR has provisions to activate the switch machine that moves the points on the turnout leading into and out of a reversing loop.
Link to more detailed information on PSX-AR Auto-Reverser/Circuit Breaker installation:
https://wordpress.com/page/trainops.wordpress.com/908
NOTE: All of the above DCC Specialties products have many capabilities beyond merely protecting your trains. There are provisions for block detection, turnout control (with the auto reversers), DCC control, adjustable amperage thresholds, etc.
INEXPENSIVE CIRCUIT PROTECTION & MORE: (check back occasionally – Ken is always inventing something unique, especially in N-Scale)
“FROG JUICING”
No amphibians are harmed by this practice. If you examine your turnouts (switches to novices) you will find that manufacturers produce two main types, the “Insulfrog” and the “Electrofrog”.
The primary difference is that the “Insulfrog” electrically isolates the frog from the rest of the turnout and the point where the two legs of the frog join is usually held in place by plastic. With the “Insulfrog” both the main and diverging lines can be connected to the turnout with standard metallic joiners and, at least until the dissimilar metals corrode, current will flow from the turnout to each track.
The “Electrofrog” type turnout does not insulate the joint where the two legs of the frog come together. This results in the frog being “polarized” to match the polarity of the track in the direction the train will proceed. This means that the track on the non-chosen route will be short-circuited if metallic joiners are used. Therefore, both of the “inside” rails should attach to each track using insulated joiners or a gap must be cut to prevent the short.
The result in either case is that the frog will only carry current if the turnout points are functioning properly as an electric switch in addition to determining the physical route of travel. Many “Electrofrog” turnouts are strapped underneath to utilize the electrical switch capabilities of the points, but this is not always reliable. The frogs of “Insulfrog” turnouts are, by definition, electrically insulated. In either case, the frog can present a dead spot where locomotives with short wheel-bases or with insufficient electrical pickup may fail to detect current and may hesitate or completely stall.
To alleviate the dead spot, power can be provided by “juicing” the frog to match the polarity of the track on the chosen route. The “juicing” can be accomplished in a number of ways. Some modelers wire the frog through manually operated SPDT switches, or utilizing one of the sets of relay switches built-in to tortoise switch machines. Another common solution is the electronic “Frog Juicer”. These devices detect a short-circuit at the point where the turnout and the track are joined and quickly switches the polarity of the frog before any short-circuit detection device has time to shut off power.
The first “juicers” that I became aware of are produced by Tam Valley Depot ( http://tamvalleydepot.com/products/dccfrogjuicers.html ). They are available as single units, dual units (also can be strapped to be used as a single auto-reverser) and as hex (up to six frogs juiced from one DCC input). These can be purchased from a number of sources including directly from Tam Valley Depot at list price. I recently (February 2022) found that Yankee Dabbler ( https://yankeedabbler.com/search.php?search_query=juicer§ion=product ) had the best prices and selection of several vendors that I checked. They also had the new quad (4 circuits per board) juicers from DCC Specialties ( https://yankeedabbler.com/dcc-specialties-246-frog-ar-quad-output-frog-auto-reverser-scale-all-246-frog-ar/ ) at a similar price point.
Model Train Operations 