PECO Unifrog
The Unifrog is a new design of all-metal crossing nose, V or frog unit which is completely isolated from the switch and diverging rails. This has been designed to be operated in insulated or live modes, replacing both Insulfrog and Electrofrog types with a single design.
Straight from the package the point is designed to act like an Insulfrog point. A wire is wrapped around the point which is attached to the frog unit to connect it electrically for use as an Electrofrog point. For Insulfrog installation this wire can be cut back, though we suggest leaving sufficient length for a wire to be connected later for simple future conversion to Electrofrog. Underneath the point the diverging switch and closure rails are wired to the stock rails, a long-time 'reliability' modification applied by Peco point users to ensure a positive power feed through the length of the point, while the two diverging tracks are also wired across, leaving just the crossing frog unit isolated.
NOTE - The Unifrog point is NOT a self-isolating point. ie. the point does not isolate the track beyond the point.
By design both tracks diverging from the point are powered all of the time making the point well suited for DCC operation. Cutting the wires between the tracks diverging from the point frog will stop the point supplying power but the point cannot then 'select' one route and a feed should be wired through a switch to isolate the tracks where this is required for analogue DC operation.
Wiring for Electrofrog.
Wiring the Unifrog for live Electrofrog duty is simply a matter of connecting the dropper wire from the underside of the crossing frog unit to the switch contacts of the point motor in the conventional way. Unlike the previous Electrofrog points no further insulated rail joiners are required to complete the installation. See note above with respect to track isolation for analogue DC layouts.
Recommended for DCC
The Unifrog has been designed for DCC users, addressing a number of issues which have arisen with the previous Peco point designs.
The permanent wiring of the stock and switch rails eliminates shorts due to wheel backs touching switch rails and the bridging of the diverging tracks powers all parallel tracks by default, power need only be supplied to the outer stock rails. The only feed switching required is now to supply the isolated crossing frog unit and no additional insulated rail joiners are required.
There remains the necessarily close fit of the two opposite polarity rails diverging from the crossing V, but these are now at least double the distance apart than was the case with the thin insulated tongue of Insulfrog points, so current profile wheels should be well clear.