You'll need

to put a power drop on the inside loop if both switches are thrown for the outside track.  Unitrack switches are power routing, so that means they send power the same way the switch points are facing.  It's better for overall operation if you add a power drop in the middle section anyway.

Dave, thank you, that seems

Dave, thank you, that seems to have been the problem.

I had read the directions a couple of time and got all balled up with "Live Frog" vs. "Insulated frog"  and what not.. Can you explain what that means if you have a sec?

-Stephen

Live VS Dead frogs, power feed positioning...

Dear Stephen,

The Frog is the section where the rails cross-over each other, and form an "V" shape.

A Live frog has both rails electrically connected together, sometimes formed by one common piece of metal.
(note how the 2 rails form a" V", with both rails obviously touching each other)

A Dead frog brings both rails very close together, but the physical "join" and tip is a plastic piece.
(Notice the black plastic area, right at the tip of the frog "V". That's plastic.
The rails do not actually touch each other)

Live frogs require some form of switching, so that the common frog area has the appropriate polarity for the way the turnout is thrown. They also require insulating gaps or joiners to be deployed on the heel end, as shown in the pics above. (If you had your current diagram with "Live" frog turnouts, you would be experiencing a lot more issues than you are right now... :-( )

The benefit of Live Frog turnouts is that for short locos and suchlike, the "all-metal rails, all the way thru the turnout" give a more-consistent power supply/pickup and reliable operation.

Dead frogs don't need any additional switching (the plastic can't conduct electricity anyway),
and thus have the byproduct of being "power routing" (IE the route not selected is actually isolated or electrically dead). The benefit is simpler wiring with no frog-switching required, and the ability to positively park a loco on the "not selected" route/track.

NOTE! the reason your existing plan is de-powering is because you are feeding power from the HEEL (wider, closest to the Frog) end of the turnout.

If you can move one or both of the power feeds to the TOE (narrow, closest to the switchrails/blades/points) end of the turnout,
(on the LH side of the oval in your diagram),

it will not matter which way the turnouts are thrown,
the power will be "routed" along whichever route is selected...

I hope this helps...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS Note that "Electro-frog" is PECO/UK terminology for a "Live Frog".
"Insul-frog" is PECO/UK terminology for a "Dead Frog"

Different terms in different locations, same basic concept...

Power feeders and power-routing turnouts

Hi,

somewhere, sometime, I read that power feeders always go on the point side of the switches. So you might want to move yours to the left (on my screen beyond the switches.

(That same advice went on to cut gaps on the inside rails of the switches beyond the frog side - or on both rails - and add extra feeders there. You'll find out when to do that.)

The basic idea is to find a place that has only facing switches (facing the points) and add the feeders there. Example:

---------------------


---/    F    \-------


                 \---

(F = feeders)

There might be a setup which does not provide the luxury of having one place to feed, e.g. like this:

---------------x---------------


---/   F   \---x---/   F   \---

In that case you need to use isolating rail joiners (or cut gaps) in the places marked with "x".

(Been using that advice ever since and was successful

As for the number of feeders, there should be one every few rail joints, but you'll have to find out whether "few" means three or fifteen for you. If the train slows to a stop at one point far away from the feeders, you'll know.

Have fun...

With that track plan

You will only need one more feeder on the inside loop.  Unitrack is very good at maintaining continuity, and in that small of a space, you won't need anymore.  I've run about twice that much track with two feeders spaced about 9 feet or more apart with no issues.