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Are Atlas turnouts DCC friendly?

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  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Brooklyn, NY
  • 426 posts
Are Atlas turnouts DCC friendly?
Posted by Mike Kieran on Monday, March 21, 2011 10:41 AM

I'm thinking about bying Atlas code 83 track, but I was wondering if it was DCC friendly.

__________________________________________________________________

Mike Kieran

Port Able Railway

I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.

  • Member since
    February 2010
  • From: Hillsboro, Oregon
  • 934 posts
Posted by Eric97123 on Monday, March 21, 2011 11:35 AM

I have all Atlas turnouts on my layout and they work fine with DCC.   

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Monday, March 21, 2011 1:02 PM

They work fine on my DCC layout.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Brooklyn, NY
  • 426 posts
Posted by Mike Kieran on Monday, March 21, 2011 1:06 PM

Great, just what I was hoping for.

__________________________________________________________________

Mike Kieran

Port Able Railway

I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: South Carolina
  • 1,719 posts
Posted by Train Modeler on Monday, March 21, 2011 3:48 PM

Most turnouts work fine with DCC.   A lot of times, issues arise when the wheels bridge.  And so, avoiding excessively thick wheels helps. 

Richard

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Monday, March 21, 2011 4:51 PM

Mike Kieran

I'm thinking about bying Atlas code 83 track, but I was wondering if it was DCC friendly.

To answer your question with some technical explaination, yes Atlas turnouts have isolated frogs and and points that remain the same polarity as the their respective stock rail, making them what is commonly refered to as "DCC Friendly".

Interestingly enough, Atlas turnouts where made this way long before DCC came along and are prefered by many DC users for these same reasons. They are electrically easier to use/wire regardless of the type of control system you use.

These features which have been on Atlas turnouts for decades, are now being found on other brands as well.

While not as finely detailed as some others, the Atlas turnouts work well and a re very afordable.

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Brooklyn, NY
  • 426 posts
Posted by Mike Kieran on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 9:14 AM

Thanks Guys, That settles it. I'm buying Atlas for my first layout.

__________________________________________________________________

Mike Kieran

Port Able Railway

I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Brooklyn, NY
  • 426 posts
Posted by Mike Kieran on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 9:18 AM

Sheldon I was originally going to call the interchange with my Port Able Railway the Atlantic Central, Till I saw that I could cut up ACL decals for Atlantic Lines. That would have been embarsassing.

__________________________________________________________________

Mike Kieran

Port Able Railway

I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 10:02 AM

Mike Kieran

Sheldon I was originally going to call the interchange with my Port Able Railway the Atlantic Central, Till I saw that I could cut up ACL decals for Atlantic Lines. That would have been embarsassing.

Well, it's not like I own a trade mark on it or anything.

I designed my own heralds and had Rail Graphics make my decals.

Here are a few samples:

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Ft. Wayne, Indiana
  • 142 posts
Posted by Drew4950 on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 11:05 AM

I model in N-scale using Kato and Atlas turn outs. Some are wired with AC power from a DC power pack and some are powered through stationary decoders using the DCC system. Eventually all will be powered through the DCC system.

Modeling a railroad hypothetically set in time.

  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Brooklyn, NY
  • 426 posts
Posted by Mike Kieran on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 5:10 PM

Nice logo Atlantic Central. I'm having trouble seeing the heralds, but it's a nice overall scheme.

__________________________________________________________________

Mike Kieran

Port Able Railway

I just do what the majority of the voices in my head vote on.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 5:32 PM

Mike Kieran

Nice logo Atlantic Central. I'm having trouble seeing the heralds, but it's a nice overall scheme.

Thank you, yes, not the best photos. I'm still working on my model photography skills. And some of those pics where taken a few years a go with a basic point a shoot camera.

The herald is just a circle with a bar in the center, in the bar are the reporting marks "ACR". Above the bar "FAST", below the bar "SAFE".

The two color work is actually done my putting one decal over another. The red stripe is a decal, applied first, than the herald is applied so it makes the letteres in the center red.

Sheldon

 

 

    

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