Peco Insulfram vs. Elctrofrog & DCC

[brucemac11]

I'm committed to using Peco track/turnouts for my soon-to-be-built layout. I've added the decoder boards to my locomotives and ordered my DCC system (NCE radio). I attended the January show at the Big E in Springfield, MA. and asked some questions about DCC. I would like to double check with members and their experience.

I was told that DCC in N-scale will not work with Peco Electrofrog turnouts. Something gets fried. So the dealer told me to stick with Peco Insulfrog. True? If so, what gets fried? Thanks for the info. Bruce

 

[60103]

Bruce, as far as I'm concerned, your dealer gets fried. There's no reason not to use electrofrogs with DCC.
You will have to make the usual provisions for insulated gaps beyond the frogs. I also suggest you try your trains on the layout for a while before tacking the turnouts in place permanently; you may want to modify them to have a switchable frog.
Some wheels have problems with this type of turnout -- the wheel shorts between the stock rail and the open point. This is usually because the wheel is under gauge or over thick. Reworking the point to the switchable frog gets around this, but the wheelset should be checked and regauged or possibly replaced.