How to solder to Atlas turnout frogs - solder won't stick?

[Anonymous]

I thought I would take the easy step of powering up some Atlas #6 frogs and amy stymied by not being able to solder to them. I am trying to solder to the bottom of the round (screw hole?) wing on the frog. I have tried scraping it with a screwdriver and even cuting into it (from the bottom) with a knife. The solder simply will not stick. What am I missing here? Any other ways of attaching a feeder wire?

[Javern]

what type of solder you using and are you using flux? must use flux

[Anonymous]

Yes, I use flux, I've been soldering for years

[michealfarley]

Tap the frog hole for a 2-56 screw, and install a metal screw with the wire attached up from the bottom. Cut-off the portion of the screw above the frog and file smooth. My dad powered tons of Atlas frogs this way and never had a problem.

[cacole]

I believe those frogs are aluminum, which is why you can't solder to them. Using a small screw or nail down through the hole to pressure-fit the wire is the simplest solution.

[ClinchValleySD40]

Why do you want to power the frogs?

[Anonymous]

I agree with Michael Farley, I have been tapping the holes 2-56 and installing a short brass screw. Then I solder a feeder wire to the brass screw. I use these switches in staging yards only, so I insert the screw from the top. This would still work well, as Michael stated, if the screw was inserted from the bottom.

[michealfarley]

The advantage to powering the frog is for locomotives with short wheelbases. The frog is electrically dead in an Atlas turnout, and that's a significant distance for the small switchers, both steam and diesel, in our scale. Powering the frog with the correct polarity to match the route insures continuous movement by even the smallest locomotive. You must have some sort of switch that changes the polarity of the frog with the movement of the points.

[timthechef]

I powered my frogs with the screw and metal strip that came with my relay kits from atlas. That has worked very well.

[cwclark]

yes..there is a small bar that comes with the atlas metal frog..you need to install the bar to the frog then solder the wire to the bar..it is impossible to solder a wire directly to the frog on an atlas metal frog turnout...Chuck

[ClinchValleySD40]

Originally posted by michealfarley

The advantage to powering the frog is for locomotives with short wheelbases. The frog is electrically dead in an Atlas turnout, and that's a significant distance for the small switchers, both steam and diesel, in our scale. Powering the frog with the correct polarity to match the route insures continuous movement by even the smallest locomotive. You must have some sort of switch that changes the polarity of the frog with the movement of the points.

Understand, thanks. I run P2K SW9's over Atlas #505 and #506 switches all day and they never give me any problems at all. I was just wondering.

Larry

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