How To Wire A Standard Turnout With A Ground Throw (And How They Work)

The animated diagram below shows how a standard turnout with rails soldered to PC Board ties and a manual ground throw is wired. The ground throw in this diagram is a Caboose Industries 220S and is available here. Note how the PC Board ties are gapped. These gaps ensure that the rails are correctly isolated. Gap locations are shown on the Fast Tracks printable tie templates for each scale and size of turnout. A turnout wired in this manner is DC and DCC compatible and has a live frog.