A Guide to Insulfrog, Electrofrog and Unifrog Points

There are different kinds of components along the tracks that keep all your locomotives up and running. Some of them are tiny little parts that are often overlooked but play a huge part in getting your favorite model trains up and running. We’d sometimes notice these little things when it was already too late and something had already gone wrong. So before you make the same mistake, let’s talk about one of these underrated components: the Frog. In this blog, we will be exploring the different kinds of frogs and sharing some tips and tricks to help save you from any possible confusion. Let’s get right into it!

Summary

1. What are Frogs?
2. What are the Different Frog Types?
3. Watch and Learn!

What are Frogs?

Frogs on a model train track are a little different from the slimy little creatures we’re all familiar with. So what are frogs? These are two bits of rail that come together to form a V-shaped piece along the tracks. The pointer will lose power as the train approaches, so if it is moved to the right or left, it will direct the power in the direction of travel. If there is a hole for the point motor pin to go through, you can motorize it and attach one to it. Nevertheless, depending on the type of locomotive that is moving along the track, different kinds of frogs work differently.

What are the Different Frog-types?

• Insulfrog

In the early days, what you’d probably get with some train sets if they do have a point or a turnout is the Insulfrog. These were the go-to frogs back in the day that were made of plastic. Insulfrogs were the basic frog-type that was being used before the introduction of the Electrofrog and the Unifrog. They work as a frog should, but with a few shortcomings specifically when it comes to working with DC (Direct Current.) What will normally happen is your engine will be traveling along while picking up power on the stock rail and it will come to this little plastic V frog and for a moment it will blink out and will not get any power. If your locomotive is long, then this won’t pose any problem, because even if it goes over that point it can still pick up power from behind to keep on running. However if you’re working with a small locomotive that solely relies on DC with no capacitors or stay-alives, the little brown-out spot can be a problem. As it passes over the frog at slow speed it may stop, jerk or even fall off the track.

Check out our collection of Insulfrogs here

• Electrofrog

The Electrofrog is the exact opposite of the Insulfrog. For this frog-type, the whole V-section is all metal, meaning that its entirety is live. When the point changes, all you need to do is change the polarity of the frog. It is all live, so you need to do a couple of things to set it up first.

How to Set Up an Electrofrog

In order for the frog to work properly, you will need a couple of things:

• Insulated track joiners
• Turnout motor pins
• Accessory switch
• Lime green wire (Will vary depending on the size of your track)

A Step-by-Step Guide on Setting Up an Electrofrog

Step 1:

Locate the frog wire. It is a thin metal wire located at the bottom of the track.

Step 2:

Solder on a piece of lime green wire and attach it to the frog wire.

If you want to motorize your Electrofrog, proceed to Step 3-4

Step 3:

Find a hole in the middle of the track and insert the turnout motor pins through it. The pin is the motor that would drive it from side to side.

Step 4:

Attach the accessory switch at the bottom of the pin. The pin will flick that little switch across and change the polarity, allowing the trains that are going forward to alter their direction.

Reminder:

With Electrofrogs, you have to insulate certain track sections. Using insulated track joiners is a requirement regardless of what code you’re going to use.

Check out our collection of Electrofrogs here

• Unifrog

A Unifrog has been described as being the "best of both worlds." It is a combination of the Insulfrog and the Electrofrog that makes use of their best features. It starts off with a metal V bit and comes down to a really small plastic break at the bottom, and it is wired in the same way that an electrofrog would be. This frog-type will let your DCC-powered locomotive run smoothly across the tracks with no hiccups or dips in speed. If you’re using a sound-equipped locomotive, this is the best frog type to use.

With a Unifrog, you can also use DCC Concepts fantastic point motors, which are guaranteed to make your life really easy. You can just connect the frog wire in the third slot of the point motor by pulling the clips back and locking it in place. With this, you can use metal track joiners without requiring any insulated track joints.

Check out our collection of Unifrog turnouts here

Watch and learn! 

Still a bit confused? Watch Dave as he demonstrates the different types of Frogs and teaches you how to set up your own, he will be talking about each type and tell you some of the pros and cons of each one.

There you have it! Each different frog type symbolizes a period of time when they were created, and each of them is the product of years of experience and improvements that are done to make sure that you as a hobby enthusiast will be happy to have one. Who knows? One of them might just be the thing that your kit needs right now.

What do you want us to make a tutorial on next? Feel free to message us with your ideas!

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