Turnout Question

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
You linked to a secure site. No one but you can open that page unless they have your password. I see it is Atlas, are you looking at snap switches or custom line? If snap switches, you can't power the frog, they are plastic. If custom line, you can power the frog. I would suggest getting one of the inexpensive books by Kalmback or Carstens on model railroad wiring. I think you can wire a custom line turnout so it has a live frog and either make it power routing or not as you chose, but I haven't tried it to be sure of the various combinations that can be done.
 

OnTrack

New Member
Wow im an idiot for not noticing that that link was secure woops:rolleyes:. There its fixed now, but any ways in most cases what method does one use on there turnout(s) to make them electronic, with a switch and or button set up.
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
I haven't done it, so I can't give you detailed instructions, and since we are starting a home remodeling project all of my books are packed away; but you can solder jumpers to the frog which will make the frog live on those turnouts listed in the link or you can even put in jumpers to make them power routing. Perhaps someone else can jump in here and give you more detail on how to do it. As I mentioned previously, Kalmbach and Carstens both offer books for less than $20.00 on basic model railroad wiring. You could probably order them out of Amazon.com for less than $10.00 each.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
Powering the frog requires a switch (electric) on the switch machine, a minimum of SPDT. The centre contact to the frog, the outer contacts to the main rails, and the switch connects the frog to the appropriate main rail. The best resullts come if the frog is cut of from any other rails -- the points and the rails beyond the frog.
Some manual switch controls also have the required switch.
 

OnTrack

New Member
So in that case couldnt I just buy one of those Caboose Industries Switches, and mount it where id like to on my bench work, and rig a wire from the switch to the underside of my turn outs (atlas mark 3 left, and right), and then it would work?
 

Russ Bellinis

Active Member
One trick that has been used successfully is to take a slide switch single pole double throw, and drill a small hole in the plastic slide handle to fit a piano wire through. You mount the switch on the benchwork, and run a piano wire from the switch to the turnout. Then you wire your frog through the spdt wire connections. When you move the switch one way, it throws the turnout and powers the frog to match. Throw the switch the other way and it switches the turnout and redirects the frog power the other way.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
The caboose industries should work (the one with the extracontacts). I've never tried it - I have one still in its package.
 
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