DCC with Atlas #6 turnouts

[Anonymous]

I am fairly new to model railroading and DCC. I am having problems getting power to my yard. I have an Atlas turnout (metal frog) leading into the yard. The only time I get power to it is when the switch is flipped to yardside.

this is causing problems running a switcher in the yard and my geep on the mainline simultaneously.

How shoud I wire for this. I only have one feeder wired to the mainline right now. I have a 4 by 8 layout.

[pcarrell]

Go to http://www.wiringfordcc.com/ and you can find anything you need there. There is even a section just for switches!

[rrinker]

You will need additional feeders - if only for reliability. However, unless this is an OLD Atlas Custom-Line turnout, you shouldn't be having this issue. It may not work completely reliably, but it should work even with just the single feeder. Custom-Line Mark II and newer are NOT power routing - in other words, power is applied to all legs simultaneously.
I don't think the Wiring for DCC site covers the exact procedure for old Atlas, but the concept is the same as the others that are shown. Newer Atlas turnouts are DCC friendly out of the box and need no modifications.

--Randy

[pcarrell]

I stand corrected Sir. Those turnouts are not covered. You are correct in that you could get the general principals from other things covered and apply them though.

The site is helpful for other questions that a newcomer might have also.

[Anonymous]

I have a whole bunch of Atlas Customline Mark 3"s #6"s and DCC and have no problems at all. Right now two wires to the track and have power everywhere. I have the feeling your turnout is messed up somehow!

DON

[Sperandeo]

As Randy and Don have suggested, if that's really an Atlas turnout then there's something wrong with it. Atlas turnouts are built with jumpers to make both legs of the turnout electrically live at all times. You can check by using a small screwdriver or other metal tool to bridge between the stock rail (the outside running rail) and the closure rail (the adjacent rail leading to the frog where the rails cross). If connecting those rails on the leg AWAY from the yard makes the yard tracks live, the turnout jumper isn't working. If that's the case you can either replace the turnout or add a new jumper with a piece of no. 22 wire.

Good luck,

Andy