Kato Unitrack crossover problem

[Bfagan]

I have a Kato 20-230 single crossover and have power fed from both directions on each track.  Train runs straight thru but when I switch to the other track the engine stops halfway thru the turnout.   It is factory set for power routing.  Help!

[Steveruger45]

I did a quick google search and came up with this.

Like the #4 there are screws on the back, allowing the track to be set to “Power Routing” or “Non-Power Routing”, however the only difference is that in power routing the two inside straight rails are isolated from the rest of the turnout when the switch is thrown to the diverging route. The frogs are black-tinted metal similar to other recent Kato switches, and can be isolated by moving a second screw on the back (there’s one screw for each frog, should you want to isolate only one).

One of the two crossover rails is gapped, the other is not. I think this is to ensure that both wheels on an axle move from the A/B power to the C/D power at the same time, but since usually more than one axle is used for pickup, and often different axles are used for left and right pickups, this seems pretty pointless. With nearly any train, there will be a period where you short-circuit the two power supplies together, and it’s often several seconds in duration. I used to do this all the time using two Kato DC packs and a double-crossover. Power packs have to be designed to take that kind of abuse, so Kato seems to have done some unnecessary work here.

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Also, there is only one set of electrical contacts to throw the switches, so both switches are either straight or diverging. There are manual levers at each switch, but these are interconnected: throwing one throws the other.

Finally, the switches use lightweight springs, and the point rails are always at the same voltage as the adjacent side rail. This means that if you isolate the frogs, the switches can be used as spring switches, allowing a train to run wrong-way through the switch without causing a short. That’s not prototypical for heavy-rail track, spring switches being something found on light-rail systems. But it will probably keep a number of modelers from tearing their hair out and is a nice touch. You do have to de-power the frogs though, but as long as the locomotive has multiple-axle pickup, that shouldn’t be a problem.

[nkalanaga]

Spring switches were used on steam-road mainlines, especially at the ends of some passing tracks. 

[bman]

The PRR used spring switches on the end of several passing sidings on the Columbus-Pittsburgh mainline. These carried over into PC and possibly into Conrail.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The Strasburg uses spring switches at the ends of its mid route passing siding.

It lets them do meets much more efficiently than if a trainman had to throw them when they depart.

[Chris333]

About a mile from me the EL derailed an ore train and wiped out 1 side of Erie's double track bridge. EL just removed half of the bridge and installed spring switches at each end.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/dwg/24A-16000.gif

[jpec]

At a spot called Chesapeake Junction in Washington  D.C. on the B & O there was a spring switch that allowed them to divert from the junction of the Alexandria and Shepherd branches onto the PRR line heading south at Anacostia Tower and operated for a century with no problems. It's probably still there, although the line became redundant after the Conrail break-up since Benning Yard became CSX property.  The Shepherd Branch was abandoned by post 9/11 hysteria since its only use was a once weekly train to the D. C. Water & Sewer plant at Blue Plains was forced to convert their recieved chlorine to truck service, which still left it wide open to any terrorist act, probably even more so since the roadways are wide open. The last few miles of the rail line were within a heavily guarded joint USN/USAF base. Guess it looked good on TV.

Jeff

[Ntrainz1]

Any expected electrical issues using crossover after return loop (T Trak, DC, one power pack).
Does the crossover need to be isolated from the rest of the layout?
Thanks.

Bob.