jrbernier Do not waste your time trying solder to that cast frog. Tap it for a machine screw(I cannot remember if a 2-56 or a 3-48 is perfect) - now you can attach a wire to it. Jim
Do not waste your time trying solder to that cast frog. Tap it for a machine screw(I cannot remember if a 2-56 or a 3-48 is perfect) - now you can attach a wire to it.
Jim
The screw size they're designed to work with is a 0-80. As mentioned above there is a buss bar and screw that comes with the Atlas Snap Relay that will make the connection of the power easier than trying to solder directly to the frog.
If you want to make your own buss bar, get a strip of brass .02" thick by 1/8 inch wide.drill and tap two holes in it for 0-80 screws, one spaced about 1/16 inch from the edge and the other 7/8 inch from the first. Cut the piece off the strip about 1/16 inch past the second hole. Do the drilling and tapping BEFORE you cut the piece off the strip. Trying to drill and tap a 1 inch piece of 1/8 inch brass can be a real SOB to hold on to. There's a slot in the ties directly below the hole to allow the buss bar to slide in without making a hump in the switch. This takes the point where you solder the wire to the buss bar outside the switch. I attach the buss bar to the hole beside the frog with a 0-80 x 1/8 inch brass screw. Pan head is best.
forsparCould I tap the hole, put the screw in from the bottom, put the wire under the head and then cut it off on the top?
Absolutely. I used 2-56 brass screws. Get the right length and you won't even need to cut them.
The mind is like a parachute. It works better when it's open. www.stremy.net
jrbernier Do not waste your time trying solder to that cast frog. Tap it for a machine screw(I cannot remember if a 2-56 or a 3-48 is perfect) - now you can attach a wire to it.
Yes, that's the way to go. Also, on the code 100 number 8s I bought, they have a "ring" set outside the rails that connects to the frog. This allows one to solder to that ring or whatever other way you would want to attach it.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
forspar How do you attach a wire to the frog? I tried to solder it but it got too hot and melted the plastic. Could I tap the hole, put the screw in from the bottom, put the wire under the head and then cut it off on the top?
How do you attach a wire to the frog? I tried to solder it but it got too hot and melted the plastic. Could I tap the hole, put the screw in from the bottom, put the wire under the head and then cut it off on the top?
Easy way:
Go to the Atlas site and under Repair Parts, order some #9200002 Buss bars and some #9200001 screws. These are the parts that come with the Atlas Snap Relay to power the frogs, so they're already made to work together.
The buss bar will slide into the slot on the bottom of the appropriate tie on the Atlas turnout, and it's already tapped so you can secure it from the top with one of those screws (They're blackened to match the frog).
Then you can either solder the wire to the other end of the buss bar, which gives you a little more room/isolation to help prevent melting anything, or you can simply fasten it with another one of the screws.
HTH, Steve
If it's an Atlas turnout - forget soldering to it. I wouldn;t even try tapping the hole - instead get a small brass screw that fits through the hole, and a nut. Either solder the wire to the brass screw or solder the wire to s small ring terminal and then runt he screw through the ring terminal and hole in the frog and attach the nut.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
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Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin