KMRC Skrifa - PECO Unifrog Turnouts Explained

PECO Turnouts have traditionally been either Electrofrog or Insulfrog that has given modelers a choice of how to wire their layouts, but this decision has to be made at the point of purchase, ie. which one to buy.

With the PECO Unifrog design you are free to choose how to wire it. The revolutionary aspect is that you can even change your mind. You might choose to run them out of the pack initially to simplify wiring and then maybe decide to change to live crossings in the future. With Unifrog this can be done without having to buy new track. In fact you don’t even have to lift the track to rewire the turnout.

The frog of a turnout is as highlighted in the image above. With an Insulfrog turnout this has an electrically isolated selection that simplifies wiring as the point blades do all the required switching. With an Electrofrog the frog is live, which generally improves running through the turnout (especially with short wheelbase locos). With Electrofrog points their frog is either switched by, and relying on their contact with the stock rail, the point blades (similar to Insulfrog points,  but requiring power to be fed from the toe end only and insulated rail joiners at the non toe end) or if decided prior to installation the underside two links between the switch blades and the frog can be cut, that then requires the frog to be separately electrically switched, usually via an accessory switch attached to, or integral with, a point motor.


The PECO Uniforg design has two options to either act like an Insulfrog or using the pre-fitted wire and via a switch to act just like an Electrofrog turnout. If using as option 1 the pre fitted wire should be kept accessible through a hole in the baseboard (or to the side of the turnout) so it can connected to a switch in the future if required.

The Unifrog design is being applied to PECO's new product lines and existing items will be converted as they become due for re-tooling.

To view the Peco 00 Gauge Streamline Code 75 Bullhead Rail range with Unifrog Turnouts click here>>>

To view the Peco H0 Gauge Code 83 USA range with Unifrog Turnouts click here>>>

To view the Peco N Gauge Code 55 range with Unifrog Turnouts click here>>>

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