Atlas switches live frog

Z

zoomiev

New Member
Aug 25, 2005
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Sebring, Florida
Hello everyone this is my first post. I have abandonded my n scale layout in pusuit of a around the room thru the closet ho self layout. My question is I plan on running some small steam engines (4-4-0) and was concerned about getting thru the switches without hesitation or stalling. I want to run atlas code 83 (I think) and would like to know if the snap turnouts are a problem: plastic frog? also are the other turnouts with the metal frogs difficult to wire? do they have to have under table switches? Thanks for the help.:) Regards George Vretta
 
Small steam has pickup problems and won't perform well. I use these pickups on my 4-4-0's

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I have a "what I did" at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/locomotives/wipers/

This addition will help eliminate stalling and hesitation.

Thank you if you visit
Harold
 
adding tender pickups is a vast improvement. If you can get pickup from every wheel of the tender plus every driver of the loco, you should have no problems on any turnout. I have an IHC 4-4-0 that only had pickup on one rail from one tender truck and the other rail from the other truck, in addition to all driver wheels, and have had no problems on turnouts. i should mention the IHC steamers seem to have no problems on the atlas code 83, but would not take code 70.

kevin
 
The metal frogs of Atlas turnouts aren't hard to wire. Drill, tap and screw is what you need to do. You won't solder to the frog well. That said, you need a relay of some type to change the voltage (power) to the frog when you throw the turnout. Atlas has a 'Snap Relay' you can wire in if you are using their turnout switch machine. I use Tortoise slo-motion switch machines which have contacts that can be used to power the frog.
 
I have never had a IHC old time 4-4-0 run well without the the tender pickups on all the tender wheels. It doesn't have pickups on all the drivers because of traction tires. If you add electrical pickups on the tender wheels it will run at switching speeds even with dead frogs on Atlas turnouts.

Just a thought
Harold
 
The last Atlas turnouts I bought, and I do not remember which product line they were, has metal frogs and has a screw for attaching the feed. I used their undertable machine, made for this turnout, to power the frog. I'm just old school, I like powered frogs, regardless of the fact locos may have all wheel pickup.
 
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