I have 3 Peco On30 electrofrog turnouts: a right, left and wye turnout.  all are wired per Peco instructions with the switch powered by the adjacent track.  Inside track is isolated with insulated joiner and all other track is connected via Atlas 100 joiners.  Track is nailed using track nails through the outside of the ties.  Base is painted plywood.  All electrically connected via a common bus. No turntable and no reversing section.

I did a test configuration first and all was well. Ran 4 Bachmann On30 steam locomotives through the setup.  Then nailed it down and tested again. All ok.

I returned to other work and revisited the track by applying Woodland Scenics ballast and gluing with dilute white glue through an eyedropper. I may have secured the track with a few more track nails. Turnout was controlled manually through a caboose industries manual throw via the central hole in the turnout tab (no electrical connection).  Time passes and I finally get to running and the left turnout and wye turnout and half of each turnout is electrically dead. The right turnout is fine. The other two short when the locomotive touches the entrance to the switch (thank heaven for PSX-1) and is dead all the way through to the other side. 

I disconnected all connections and disconnected from the DCC system. I tested using a 6 volt lantern battery and alligator clips to each side of the switch and confirmed that half is electrically dead. The wye appeared to have a small short as one side showed 6 volts through while the other side showed 0.2 volts. I forgot and left the lantern battery connected overnight and it had completely drained.

I did a mock setup with three identical switches and did the same voltage test.  All was well.

I reluctantly dug out the two apparently bad switches.  When by themselves they test perfectly.

What am I doing wrong. I'm afraid that if I just nail things back I haven't changed anything.

Please help.

thanks,

John