Kato 20-230 Double Track Single Crossover

[inobu]

This track is an oddity. It came to light on another thread where I used it instead of the #4. My assumption was that it was a #4 incorporated face to face with 33mm spacing. Well I was half right.

 

Based on the documentation it was a power routing switch with the same features as the #4. what the direction states verses what the switch can do is two different things. This switch must have a story behind it. There is another thread discussing its release and its cancellation. I have a feeling that the two are linked.

 

Here is the anomaly.

 

This is the image from Kato site. Look at the rail near the guard adjacent to the lower frog. Now look at the

image of my 20-230 below in the same area. The rail is cut on my rail and solid on Kato's image. I have a feeling that switch can power route mine cannot.

 

 

 

The rail is isolated. As you can see the Kato image does not have the rail isolated.

 

I'm curious to know why?

 

For DCC layouts this is not and issue but may be for DC users that want to power route. This switch keeps the 33mm center

which helps in the plug and play layout planning but it looks like the 44 (2 #4) option is still the proven option. 

 

 

 

The #4 have an extra setting for powering the "curve" where as the 20-230 (and 231) does not. In any case I

hope this gives a little insight to this switch.

 

Inobu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ken Ford]

I have the pair of these (one of each hand) that I picked up to make a little Hakone Tozan switchback layout, but I haven't done anything with them yet. I wasn't planning on power routing, but that's a great observation.

[kvp]

As i said it quite a few times, it is meant to represent two #4-s with isolating joiners added between them.

 

The original plan was to put the isolators at both frogs, one side at each. This would actually create a short section where one rail is powered by one controller and another by the second. This could lead to ground loop faults as the border between districts is not bridged at the same time on both rails.

 

The cheapest solution was to isolate at one frog and cut the rail opposite of that.

 

The correct solution would have been to isolate exactly in the middle and add jumper screws there to allow bypassing the isolators. Kato didn't do this, like they cheaped out in case of the double crossover before by isolating one through rail only and not providing a bypass.

[katoftw]

it is meant to represent two #4-s with isolating joiners added between them.

^This^

[inobu]

Yep, its perplexing

 

Inobu

[kvp]

Inobu, if you actually own one, just check the underside. The screws allow you to disable power routing in the straight through directions only and not to disable the double isolation between the two tracks. The crossover section is not power routed in the usual sense, just like the double crossover. If you check the linked info at the sumida crossing site, you'll see a complete diagram of the turnouts with description for all settings. The other 2 screws are meant to remove power from the frogs, making them dead, so trains could cut them. This of course has the added sideeffect of having dead sections that could stop shorter locomotives and spring loaded blades that could derail lighter cars. (about the 6th time i wrote this down, so maybe it will stick)

[inobu]

Inobu, if you actually own one, just check the underside. The screws allow you to disable power routing in the straight through directions only and not to disable the double isolation between the two tracks. The crossover section is not power routed in the usual sense, just like the double crossover. If you check the linked info at the sumida crossing site, you'll see a complete diagram of the turnouts with description for all settings. The other 2 screws are meant to remove power from the frogs, making them dead, so trains could cut them. This of course has the added sideeffect of having dead sections that could stop shorter locomotives and spring loaded blades that could derail lighter cars. (about the 6th time i wrote this down, so maybe it will stick)

Really?

 

The screws allow you to disable power routing in the straight through directions only and not to disable the double isolation between the two tracks.

 

Power routing on the straight through direction?

 

Like I told you before, your motives isn't to help but take a condescending position. 

 

If I actually had one. Here is what the underside looks like, oh and the in sides, Oh I'll have a working power routing 20-231 and 230 is a few days.

 

 

Cut power to the straight really??................Power routing is the means to transfer power through the switch onto the adjacent rails. 

 

Bottom line for this post. This product cannot power route as stated on the package and under the principles as the #4's. The turnouts are isolated on the top side via the rail and frog and isolated below via the isolated circuit boards below. The issue with this product is further questioned by the image on Kato's site showing a 20-230 with the turnout rail solid and the rail on the release product has its rail cut. This proves that there are two types. The product/image on Kato's site has the possibility of power routing where as the 20-230/1 in its current state cannot.

   

 

Inobu

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Edited September 4, 2016 by inobu

[kvp]

It can power route in the straight direction (inside rail only). It's isolated in the crossover direction. You could disable the routing in the straight through and set it to power always. You can also disable the power to the frogs to make it cuttable. There are no screws to connect the two boards and power route in the crossover direction. This is described on the Sumida crossing site i linked several days ago with excellent detail, including the difference between the early photos and the actual released product. (i considerd this info well known and just mentioned that your proposed use for this turnout won't work and referenced the link) My intention was to correct a bad suggestion, not to explain in detail why and how, just remind you that in the off the shelf form it works like this. Nobody else had any problems with it, i guess they already knew the info.

 

ps: you could mod it, but imho it's not worth it... (btw, on the photo some scews are parked in the wrong slot, but that doesn't alter the behaviour, just looks slightly funny)

[inobu]

:)

 

Inobu