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Atlas Mark IV turnout frogs in DCC

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  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Friday, August 17, 2018 4:07 PM

Lee,

So what You are saying is what You are calling a short, is indeed the lack off power at the insulated dead frog and you need the relay to power it. Not hard to understand...#8 turnouts have a long frog.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Friday, August 17, 2018 4:43 PM

zstripe
Not hard to understand...#8 turnouts have a long frog.

Atlas even provides a soldering eye on their #8s and curved turnouts:

 Atl_curve by Edmund, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Friday, August 17, 2018 5:13 PM

gmpullman

 

 
zstripe
Not hard to understand...#8 turnouts have a long frog.

 

Atlas even provides a soldering eye on their #8s and curved turnouts:

 Atl_curve by Edmund, on Flickr

Cheers, Ed

 

ED, Yes I saw that in one of His photos... I personally never had any need for #8's. Number 6 has always worked well for Me.

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, August 17, 2018 6:49 PM

BigDaddy

 

 
zstripe
#1 rule......power from the point side of Atlas turnouts/all turnouts........

 

The reason I like these type of threads is I always learn something. 

Aside from the fact that the departing frog rail is excedingly short on the #8 for feeder attachment, if Atlas turnouts are not power routing, why the point side?

If we don't tell the OP his soldering is a potential problem, how's he going to know?

 

 That's because for Atlas turnouts and other NON power routing turnout is this NOT true. You can (and I do) power Atlas turnouts with feeders on all 3 legs. The diverging frog rails of an Atlas turnout connect under the frog to the cloosure rail on the opposite side of the frog - liek the analogy I gave of the turnout being 2 pieces of straight track laid on top of one another. There is absolutely no reason not to power an Atlas turnout from anywhere.

 You can NOT feed power from the frog side of a power routing turnout like a Peco Electrofrog. At a minimum, the two center diverging rails after the frog need gaps, and then any power for track past that point gets fed after the gaps. Never feed the frog side of such turnouts.

                                        --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    February 2008
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Posted by kasskaboose on Friday, August 17, 2018 9:49 PM

Wow!  What helpful information RRinker: Pls check your personal msgs.

Frank: Correct that what I've got is not a short, sorry for any confusion.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Friday, August 17, 2018 11:13 PM

 I think your problem is just the large, dead froog. The instructions for wiring the Atlas Snap-Relay were posted on the first page, I think if you do that, your problems will be solved.

 Also, if you don;t want to solder to the rails, solder to the rail joiners - dooon;t buy the Atlas terminal joiners, they cost a small fortune and use really thin wire. Get a pack of regular joiners, cut and strip a whole bunch of lengths of your feeder wire, and sit at your workbench and solder away. Use a pair of these (one with each color wire - and make sure to keep the right color on the right side of the rails) for every, or at least most, rail joiners. I've used this method with great success on two different layouts now. No chance of melting ties, neatness only sort of counts. Those helping hands things with the alligator clips are handy for holding a joiner and a piece of wire, leaving both hands free to hold the soldering iron and solder. If you aseembly line it and make a bunch of stripper wires then solder for a while, you'll have a stock of terminal joiners ready to go, all put together while comfortably seated, not leaning over the layout.

                                       --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, August 18, 2018 5:58 AM

rrinker

Also, if you don;t want to solder to the rails, solder to the rail joiners - dooon;t buy the Atlas terminal joiners, they cost a small fortune and use really thin wire. Get a pack of regular joiners, cut and strip a whole bunch of lengths of your feeder wire, and sit at your workbench and solder away. Use a pair of these (one with each color wire - and make sure to keep the right color on the right side of the rails) for every, or at least most, rail joiners. 

Or, better yet, just solder the feeder directly to the rail. But, make sure you solder the feeder to the outside of the rail, not to the inside of the rail.

Rich

Alton Junction

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    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
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Posted by zstripe on Saturday, August 18, 2018 7:19 AM

kasskaboose

Wow!  What helpful information RRinker: Pls check your personal msgs.

Frank: Correct that what I've got is not a short, sorry for any confusion.

 

Kasskaboose,

Answered Your PM......CK msg's for My reply.....

Take Care!Big Smile

Frank

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