Hey guys I think I have what might be a stupid question but I'm struggling with Atlas customline turnouts. I just bought a new batch for a layout I'm working on and based on all my research there should be some sort of screw hole to power the isolated frogs on the turnouts. However I only see four holes near each end of the frog that appears to go to the center rails and no hole for the turnout frog itself. They also appear to be plastic turnouts (but I know many people commonly mistake the cast iron blackened frogs for plastic). Does anyone have a picture or diagram showing this frog power screw hole? Thanks in advance.
Turnouts
Here's a link to a code 83 #6 Custom-Line turnout: http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Atlas-HO-Code-83-6-Custom-Line-Turnout-Right-p/atl-564.htm
It's a pretty small picture, but if you scroll over the picture to the frog area, you'll see a small hole just to the left side of the frog. It looks like a small tab.
As far as I know these holes are not threaded for a screw, so you would either have to use a self-tapping screw, or use a tap of the appropriate size for the screw you want to use.
That hole/tab is pretty typical for Atlas turnouts, unless they changed the design somewhere along the way.
If the frogs are in fact plastic, there won't be any screw holes because, well .... you can't power a plastic frog !
If they are metal, there should be a small tab on the side of the frog as part of the frog casting with a hole in it. This hole tab will vary slightly depending on the style of the turnout and the gauge of the rail.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Maxman - Thank you that picture was clear and mine seem to be missing the tab which does make me think maybe they're plastic unfortunately, as Mark has suggested.
If it helps they're N scale Code 80 as shown in the picture, I'm not sure if anyones dealt with these in particular before.
Ahhh .... I was thinking HO ....