For ease of use, I will need to reverse the throwbar on three 202S ground throws. How is this accomplished? Maybe very easy, I've never tried....
IDRick For ease of use, I will need to reverse the throwbar on three 202S ground throws. How is this accomplished? Maybe very easy, I've never tried....
Photo? I've got some and I"m trying to visualize what you are trying to do and why. Or do you need to reverse the throw bar on the turnout instead? I know my Atlas code 100 turnouts had reversable throw bars, for example.
Edit, after googling for images, are you just wanting the lever to go the same direction for all switches, hense wanting to reverse the throw-bar? I am not sure it is even possible. I'll have to look at mine at home to see if it's a no-go or not.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Riogrande,
Oops, I mistated and you were correct. I want to reverse the throwbar on a few atlas code 100 turnouts not reverse the throwbar on a CI ground throw. How do I reverse an atlas turnout throwbar?
Thanks for the correction! :)
As long as you don't have one of the old Atlas code 100 turnouts (with points riveted on both ends), the points should have a plastic cover over the ends closest to the throw bar.
There are tabs over each of the points at that end. You gently pry up the plastic tab (there are two, one for each point) and then push the point out from under it to the side while the tab is lifted up, then repeat the same thing with the other point.
In the photo below, I have circled the spots where you pry up the tabs to release them.
Once the points are loose on that end, you should be able to lift up the turnout and let the throw bar drop out from under. Then you can turn it around, and reverse the process, and re-attach the throw bar so it is sticking out on the opposite side by pushing the end of the point back under the tabs, one at a time.
(if you click on the photo below, you can see a bigger image)
The middle turnout in the photo is the old style that the points are rivited in place and the throw bar cannot be reversed.
Notice one of the turnouts in the photo has had the throw bar reversed and the other is not (see top and bottom turnouts).
I have had to do that a number of times depending on yard configuration.
Thank you for your very educational reply and well stated procedure for reversing a throwbar! :) My atlas turnouts only have two rivets (like the top picture) so I should be able to reverse a throwbar as needed. Great!
If the turnout is installed, you don’t have to lift it at all. Just pull the throw bar out
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy If the turnout is installed, you don’t have to lift it at all. Just pull the throw bar out
I think BigDaddy is saying if the turnout is already nailed down or fixed in place, after releasing the points from the tabs, you can slide the throw bar out, turn it around and slide it back in and the re-attach the tabs.
The examples in the photo are loose turnouts so you could lift them to let the throw bar drop after it is detatched.
I didn't need to do what BigDaddy suggested because I needed to reverse the throw bar "before" I installed the turnout, mainly because it interfered with adjacent track, or, some other reason.
My guess is that in most cases, the track layer would need to reverse the throw bar before it is installed.
Riogrande, I agree, it would far more common to make the adjustment before turnout installation. I looked at one of my installed turnouts and concluded that it would not be possible to remove the throwbar without breaking off the two plastic tabs. Maybe there's a trick I'm not visualizing and therefore wrong... In my case I would only be reversing the throwbar pre-installation.
I never worried about breaking the tabs off. There should be a side, from memory outside, that you can take a small screw driver and gently pry it up, and then pull the point out from underneath. The plastic is flexible enough to allow the tab to be lifted just enough to free the end of the point on each side.
I was not specific enough in my earlier reply. I agree it is possible to easily reverse the throwbar before installation. Once it's installed, it's more difficult.
Riiiight!
I'm not sure of your exact situation for needing to reverse the throwbar, but you could also (perhaps) simply lop-off the normally-used protruding end, and install the Caboose Industries ground throw where it'll fit, then connect it to the throwbar with a length of piano wire.
The picture below is of my upper-level staging yard, where some of the turnouts are so close together that there's no room (or where it would be inconvenient to place the ground throw in the available space) for normal placement.I did as the real railroads do - simply lengthen the throw linkage, as shown...
Wayne
The situations that caused me to reverse the throw bar are the following:
- Turnout configuration may cause the throw bar to be too close to adjacent track/ties to operate - interference.
- Preference to have throw bar facing the operator and manual ground throws (Atlas or other brands).
It looks like the doctors photo shows code 83 turnouts FWIW. IIRC, my Atlas code 83 (one type) have a throw bar that sticks out equally on both sides so no need to reverse). There is another style which is different, which I haven't look at closely. The OP was asking about code 100 Atlas #6 turnouts which is what I addressed.
I used my code 100 in staging where appearance wasn't important so I used the above table Atlas coil type switch machines, so my adjusting ground throws was strictly for geometry and fit.
BTW, check two of the turnouts in the photo below; that is one major reason I needed to flip the throw bar on a switch:
The middle switch in the foreground would not have fit in place with the throw bar in the stock position as it was too close to the adjacent track. Once flipped, there was ample room for it to lie and also for an above ground switch machine to operate it, not installed yet in the photo.